IT’S HEART THAT MATTERS IN THE BUCKING STOCK INDUSTRY

With calves like these from the Kanngiesser breeding program, the bucking stock industry has a strong future

by Terry Lidral

The year 2020 was one for the history books. It tried our spirits, our toughness and our hearts. And through it all, it was rodeo and the bucking stock industry that led the charge to keep the American spirit alive. Through the toughest times our nation has seen in decades, we kept going as best we could.

Common sense and adaptability were key to managing an industry devastated by a national pandemic we didn’t understand. But we understood how to stand tall in hard times. Many of us came together to create opportunities under severely limited and restricted circumstances. Some of us were fortunate enough to be part of those opportunities. For some of us it was about dealing with cancelled seasons and hungry, idle mouths to feed.

The great genetics developed through generations of selective breeding ensure great athletes for the future. Mare and colt from Powder River Rodeo breeding program.

The year behind us has left us all more than a little beat up. Even for those who prospered, it was tough. And it took its toll on the industry and its future. None of us can pretend that there weren’t losses and big ones in some cases. How the bucking stock industry goes forward will be up to us as a community. The little guy is as important to the business as the leaders in the industry. We all play a part. Finding our own role in the grand scheme of moving forward is our challenge. Our industry is known for helping one another through hardships. And for lifting people up when they are hit by bad times.

As we look to this New Year with hope and optimism, let us work to ensure the industry’s future through whatever 2021 throws at us. The bucking stock business is built on heart and determination. We’ve all had our share of good times and bad times. Let us pray that in 2021, the good times will outweigh the bad ones.

Happy New Year and may you find blessings in the year ahead.

Terry Lidral
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.

About 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.

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