Bucking bull business – consider partnership

by Terry Lidral

Any way you look at it, it takes money to get into the bucking stock business.  To start and maintain a bucking stock herd of any size can be a pretty pricey undertaking.  And all that is involved with feeding, caring, training, campaigning and providing appropriate space and transportation for your stock is not only costly.  It can be demanding and time consuming as well. 

All that being said, there are ways and means to make it work on all levels of the bucking stock industry.  One of the mainstays of the business is partnership.  It’s not for everyone and it takes some careful thought, planning and foresight to make a partnership a success.  And there are a lot of factors to consider when entering into a business relationship involving bucking stock.

First and foremost, there is no guarantee on bucking bulls and horses.  The only sure thing about investing money on them is that you’ve invested money.

“It’s great, but it’s an at-risk business,” Travis Eckroth said of the business his family got involved with 40 years ago.  “There’s a chance that if you invest money, you might make some back.  But you have to be willing to lose it all.”

Eckroth, who, along with his dad Wayne, has built a successful breeding program and bucking bull services business in Flasher, North Dakota, has developed an online consulting service for the bucking bull industry found on Facebook called the Bucking Bull Hub.  Using his vast knowledge and four decades of experience, Eckroth is able to give people a better understanding of a very complicated and multi-faceted business.

“Things can happen,” Eckroth explained.  “Sometimes bulls don’t turn out to be the superstars you hoped for.  They can get injured.  They can die.  I’d suggest investing only what you can afford to lose in any partnership.”

As far as investment amounts and types of partnerships, there are no set boundaries.  No partnership is too large or too small if you find the right person to accommodate your desired involvement.

“Partnerships can be pretty much anything you want,” said Eckroth.  “The simplest is naming a bull.  If you have a trucking company called Valley Transport, you can invest in a bull that carries Valley Transport in his name.  Or, for the right amount of investment, you can give a bull the name of your choice.”

From there, the options branch out in all directions.  Business relationships can range from co-owning a bull or cow, buying and selling embryos and semen straws, competition costs and earnings, flush cows and breeding, care and training, and the list goes on.

“There are many levels of partnership,” Eckroth told us.  “It all depends on the goals of the owner and investor.  It’s important to do a little bit of research first.  Some people offer partnerships.  Some don’t.”

This research can be on both the aspect of the business you are interested in becoming involved with and the person you are considering for a partner.

“You can get opinions from people who have experience in the business and you can research a person’s or animal’s background.  Find out how a person handles and cares for their cattle.  You can research costs and figure out percentages of the investment and return you would like to negotiate,” stated Eckroth. 

Percentages depend on the deal.  If a bull costs $10,000 and the partnership is 20 percent then the investor’s share would be $2,000.  In a 50 percent interest in a competition bull, it is common for the investor to pay entry fees with negotiated cost for hauling, expenses of raising, feeding, and training the bull.      

Partnership is a great way to become part of the bucking stock industry.   With the advancements in technology, anyone from anywhere can hook up to become partners whether they are in the United States, Canada or another foreign country.

Eckroth suggests that one might experience the business first-hand if the opportunity presents itself.

“Especially on the West Coast, Texas and in Canada, there are lots of bucking events.  You can meet potential partners face to face.  And you can see those people in action.  And you can see how the experts care for their competition bulls.”

And partnership can actually become a hands-on experience.

“I want my partnerships to be successful.  I want my partners to own a good animal that gives them a chance to earn some money.  I want them to have fun.  And I want to give them a chance to be in the business,” explained Eckroth.  “They can help feed.  They can watch the animals through the process and they can participate at all levels.  I treat my partners like family.”

But sometimes location and distance do not accommodate face to face association.

“I have partners in Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand on flush cows and breeding projects,” Eckroth told us.  “It’s an international business for me.”

Even if partners aren’t in different countries, logistics just don’t work out for personal interaction.  For those who cannot participate in person, Eckroth feels it is important that they be connected.  He suggests other ways to become personally involved.

“Investors can keep connected through social media such as Facebook and You tube.  It’s almost like they are there in person.  They can be involved and have fun too.”

No matter what the investment level, the bottom line is that the partnership be negotiated to the satisfaction of all involved.  And a signed agreement serves to lessen the possibilities of misunderstandings.

And remember, the bucking stock industry is an industry that prides itself on being a community.  Check out the posts in the Bucking Stock Talk Group and know that those good folks offering to talk with you really expect you to get in touch.  

Author: Terry Lidral

Terry Lidral is a western writer/journalist who lives in Idaho. She is the publisher and editor of the online magazine Bucking Stock Talk and the online magazine Western Living Journal. Her publishing credits include Storyteller for Real American Cowboy Magazine, writing feature articles for Humps N Horns Magazine as well as a wide variety of national and international web sites, historical magazines and news publications. She is known for her "up close and personal" profiles of celebrities and industry moguls such as NPR's Tom Bodett; PBR's Wiley Petersen and D.H. Page, PRCA's Sammy Andrews, Cindy Rosser and Julio Moreno to name a few. She has been applauded for her way of making a personal connection between her readers and her subjects. She indulges in her love of rodeo by serving as an associate board member for the Caldwell Night Rodeo. She is also an accomplished trainer and handler in dog agility. Her shelties Amelie and Milo are titled in NADAC, USDAA and AKC.