by Terry Lidral
by Terry Lidral
Bucking bull Loren’s Dream is very special. He is the namesake and carries the memory of Army Corporal Loren Miles Buffalo who was killed in action in Afghanistan on March 9, 2011. It was Loren Buffalo’s dream to raise bucking bulls in partnership with his mother, AJ Buffalo. AJ is determined to carry out Loren’s wishes and Loren’s Dream is the start of the Buffalo bucking bull program.
Loren grew up in a rodeo family and had a real interest in bucking bulls. So, it came as no surprise that he would want to build his own herd.
“Loren was raised around rodeo. By the time he was three, he probably had gone to 50 plus rodeos with me. My cousins were all bull riders and I’d even ridden a few in all girl rodeos,” AJ explained about the reason for her son’s love of rodeo and bulls. “We started Loren out riding steers when he was 4 and, that same year, he went to Cody Custer’s bull riding school.”
Rodeo and bulls were an important part of Loren’s teenage years.
“He played around with riding bulls off and on through his teenage years in between team roping and playing music,” AJ said of her son’s many interests. “But he really loved going to his friend Jacob Jackson’s house and helping with the bulls every chance he got.”
It was at the beginning of 2019 that AJ was able to set things in motion.
“Loren had told me while he was over there (in Afghanistan) that he wanted me and him to start raising bucking bulls when he came home,” AJ related the wish she has every intention of carrying out.
Loren did not return home to raise bucking bulls with his mother. In March of 2011, he was on dismounted patrol when he stepped on a pressure device of an IED and lost his life in the line of duty. For AJ, carrying out her son’s plans has been a means of moving forward.
I’m now trying to live that dream for him. It has helped me tremendously with my grief.” AJ went on to say, “In early 2019, I had the chance to start making it happen. I picked up a nice blue roan Plummer bred bull calf from TNT Bucking Bulls out of Oklahoma. And I changed that bull’s registered name to Loren’s Dream.”
Loren’s Dream has champion bloodlines running through his veins which are befitting for a namesake of an American hero. He is the grandson of the legendary Professional Bull Riders Association World Champion Bushwacker and on his mother’s side, she is the daughter of another PBR World Champion, Panhandle Slim.
AJ is making sure that Loren is remembered in the rodeo world. She organized a tribute bull riding in her son’s honor for Spring 2020, but the pandemic has, to this point delayed the event date.
“I started planning this event in my head the day my son died in Afghanistan,” said AJ with deep emotion. “He loved bulls and bull riding and this is a great way to keep his passion alive.”
It is hoped that the tribute bull riding can happen early next year. There are several military veterans’ organizations who will be there to help in Loren’s tribute bull riding event when it does indeed take place.
“Warriors and Rodeo will be on hand and helping out as well as the folks from The Arkansas Run for The Fallen. Money raised will be divided between the two groups. I work with both of these organizations quite a bit and they are near and dear to my heart.”
The Buffalo Bucking Bull Program is growing. AJ holds partnership in 14 bucking bulls. And she has established her own cow herd which consists of 4 cows who all had calves this year.
With Loren’s Dream bucking well in competition and the cow herd producing calf crops, it appears that AJ will be able to fulfill the dream of her American hero. And, most importantly, she will keep the spirit of Loren Miles Buffalo in the forefront of our minds.
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.
Im a navy veteran, i did 2 tours to kuwait/saudi arabia.. I also got into bucking bulls, i was raised on a small farm but i was not allowed to have bulls of any kind, but i had a passion for them.. I had 2 bulls but one passed away.. This story hits home and as a veteran brother, it means alot to keep a dream alive..
Thank you for your service. It does indeed mean a lot to keep a dream alive.