Photos by Homegrown Photography Idaho
February 12, 2018
When it comes to loving what you do, junior rodeo stock contractor Kevin Hensen has found that niche. He runs Rodeo Fever Contracting out of Caldwell, Idaho. Hensen has been involved in rodeo for the past three decades and there is nothing he’d rather be doing than working with kids to get them involved in the sport of bull riding.
Hensen knows rodeo. He’s an Associate Board member of the Caldwell Night Rodeo, a PRCA Top Five Outdoor Rodeo. Hensen has manned the stripping chutes for thirty years at CNR, a rodeo dedicated to the welfare of the cowboys, cowgirls and rodeo stock. And he’s worked with the top cowboys, cowgirls, rough stock and stock contractors in the business.
So, when Hensen introduces young people into junior rodeo, he has the knowledge to help them start out right.
“I’m the Novice Director of the Idaho Cowboy Association,” Hensen told us. “I do this for the kids.”
And some of those kids have gone on to be successful on the professional bull riding circuit.
As a junior rodeo stock contractor, Hensen provides steers and bulls to rodeos throughout the Idaho Cowboy Association Junior Rodeo Circuit.
“This is my 26th year as a junior stock contractor. I’ll go to 15 or 16 rodeos this year.”
Those rodeos are located all over the state of Idaho from Riggins to Idaho City to Emmett and The Caldwell Night Rodeo.
“I keep around 6 steers and 30 bulls. I prefer bulls because if your bull starts bucking good, he can move up into regular competition,” explained Hensen.
“I’ve raised quite a few bulls. I use a zebu cross and a Brahma cross, ”Hensen said. “Those crosses have athletic ability and they’re a nice mix of build. I like their athleticism.”
“I’ve got a bull named A.R. that’s only been ridden once in five years,” Hensen continued. “He’s a Brahma cross and he likes to play. I think he’s hooked every clown he’s come across. He weighs around 950 pounds. He’ll come and he’ll play.”
Hensen has another bull that is just as athletic.
“He’s called Explosion. He’s only been ridden twice in two years. He’s also a Brahma cross. He’s big and he’s an athlete.”
Rodeo Fever Contracting has a variety of bulls at a variety of riding levels. This accommodates the wide range of riding abilities from the class of 8 – 13 year-olds on up through the 14 – 20-year-old class of more experienced riders. Some of the kids entering the bull riding are beginners and some of the 14 -20-year-old entrants in the open bulls class are getting ready to move up into Idaho Cowboy Association rodeos.
Hensen wants to make sure that the bulls match the riders. He thinks it is an essential part of a positive learning process.
He explained it this way. “There are two ways to go about getting a kid involved in the sport of bull riding. You can put the kid on a bull and let him go. Or you can start them out slowly.”
Hensen believes in the slow approach.
“You give a kid a small guitar to teach them how to play. And you don’t put them on a fast horse when you start teaching them to rope. So, slow the bull down when you’re teaching a kid how to bull ride.”
As Novice Director, Hensen provides a draw at junior rodeos for novice riders with bulls that fit their ability levels.
“I match the ability of the bull to the rider. If a kid gets on a bull way over their head, they might never come back.”
In bull riding at any level, there’s always a risk of injury. But matching beginning riders with the slower bulls reduces that risk.
“It’s a parent’s choice whether to bring their kids to a junior rodeo. There’s always a chance a kid can get hurt, but parents know I’m about safety.”
Hensen also believes in working with kids to develop bull riding skills. That’s why he offers bull ridings and practices at his ranch in Caldwell, Idaho. He enjoys teaching kids about the sport he loves.
“We hold junior bull ridings at the house and a rodeo school once a year. I specialize in working with kids and parents. It gives the kids a chance to see if they like riding bulls. I want a kid to be happy with their choices. If they try bull riding and decide they want to do something else, they’ve made a choice,” said Hensen.
“My heart is with the kid who covers his bull for the first time,” he went on to say. “And there are the kids who try bull riding and it leads to something else. There was a kid who got his arm broke twice in one summer by the same steer. He went on to be a paramedic. His experience in bull riding led him to realize he would enjoy helping others.”
The kids who decide they like bull riding take it very seriously.
“These kids study the bulls like the pros,” Hensen told us. “They know if a bull goes six feet in the air in three jumps and kicks right up above his head.”
Hensen is proud to provide the opportunity for kids to learn sportsmanship and events where people and families come together in a positive sport.
“Junior rodeo is about family-oriented things. Part of it is traveling together and part of it is building family friendships.”
Hensen also believes in building memories. He held a very special event to honor those who have served our country in the military.
“The event’s for any guy who served in the military that had bull riding on their bucket list,” Hensen explained. “They got on the slow bulls. The most fun was having it in the mud. We all had a good laugh and a good time.”
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.
We just moved to Caldwell and I have a 14 year old interested in steer wrestling and bronc riding. Are there any schools or camps and can you provide some direction on how he would start? Thank You!
Kevin Hensen is a great teacher and mentor. You can contact him on Facebook on the Rodeo Fever page. He will get you on the right track.
Thank you so much! Our son is going to go to a Rodeo Camp soon and needs a saddle to participate in the saddle bronc clinics and to get on the bucking machine… we are in the Caldwell area… anyone know of where to buy a bronc saddle, or maybe even buy one used ? Rent one? Borrow one? Thank you in advance!
Contact Kevin Hensen on Rodeo Fever web site.