“Rodeo as a metaphor for life and human struggle rather than a sport, a hope of conquering whatcould not be conquered. To ride until being bucked off, stomped on and gored, and still get backon every time, no matter the harm caused," — Robbie CoburnDyllan Duperron, 29, from Valleyview, AB, is a first year professional rodeo cowboy, saddling up bucking broncos every chance he gets, as he chases his dream, while trying to strike a balance with his extremely busy life outside of the bucking chutes.I had the opportunity to join him and his wife Kirsten at the 2024 North Peace Stampede inGrimshaw, Alberta. I was curious what makes Dyllan tick, and the answer was about as cowboy it gets..TJ: How do you think you performed today? Dyllan: Today's rodeo didn't go the way I wanted it to. Especially since I had a bit of a rough weekend. You know, I had a good weekend, but I didn't make any money where I was (Regina and Strathmore rodeos), so I thought it would be nice to come up to a smaller rodeo and cash in a little bit. But that horse was really fast and flat kicking, making it hard to stay on. I started a decent ride, but it wouldn't have been much. Then I ended up kicking a stirrup off, which led to a disqualification and no score. I think I put in about 3,000 kms this weekend and didn't make any money and I didn't advance at all in the standings. But, you know, horses have those days too. Those horses were also in High Prairie earlier this week, so they've covered as many miles as we do. They have off days and they get tired, just like athletes. But yeah, I didn't have a great horse for the day, and I didn't ride very well either. So it was a bit of a bummer. But as they say, that's rodeoing. .TJ: What’s a typical schedule like for you? Dyllan: You enter the rodeos to set up your weekend. I usually try to enter the furthest one first. I go there and then work my way back towards home towards the end of the weekend. This way, I'm closest to home for the last one, which means the shortest drive and I’m ready to be home by that point. This past weekend, I set it up that way. I was in Regina on Thursday. I worked Wednesday night, then got up early Thursday morning and drove 1,100 kilometers to get to Regina and rode there in the evening. Then I started driving towards Strathmore that night because it's seven hours away and started at 1:00 in the afternoon. I drove a few hours and then slept. Whatever vehicle I'm driving, there's always a bed set up in the back so I can pull over wherever I'm tired and sleep. I rode there in the afternoon. After that, I came back home but had to bypass home a little to make it to Grimshaw. That's how I wanted it set up. TJ: When you finish a rodeo, are you immediately thinking of the next one? What’s your mindset going in? Dyllan: When you go to a rodeo and have a really good ride, you want to build off that. You're thinking of that ride and the big score you had, using it to build onto your next one.If you have a bad outing or didn't do well on the horse or got bucked off, you have to put that behind you and focus on your next horse. If you dwell on it, you'll bring that negative energy into your next rodeo. Bronc riding is 80% mental, which is the hardest part of it. You have to use the good rides to build off and put the poor ones behind you. Know you're better than that outing and go prove it at the next one. .TJ: What's the season like? What are the typical earnings for each rodeo? Not necessarily for you, but generally, what could someone expect? Dyllan: I hit about 50 rodeos in Canada each year. I think that's about as many as I hit. I never did count them out. The season starts around March. You'll see a couple of rodeos in March and April. In May, they start to pick up, especially the indoor ones. By June, it's full-on until they start to peter out towards September. There are a couple of tour finals in September, and then they wind down. The finals are in November, giving the guys a break before the finals. Earnings at a rodeo really depend. There are different circuits, like the pro tour circuit, which includes bigger rodeos. You might go to a bronc match with $40,000 added to it and make $20,000. Average rodeos here have $4,000 or $5,000 added, so you can pull $2,000 or $2,100 out of the rodeo if you win. It also depends on how many entries there are. There are a lot of bronc riders now, so entries are high and more money is added that way. You might get a couple of thousand dollars from one rodeo, but at others, you might only make $600, even if you place second .TJ: Besides the actual saddle itself, how do bareback and saddle bronc compare as far as the rider is concerned? Dyllan: I kind of make the joke that when you're going behind the bucking chutes and you look at the cowboys, you can tell who the athletes are by looking at them. The ones with muscles that look like they're athletes are the bareback riders. The dinky little scrawny ones that are usually just out smoking darts are the bronc riders. Bareback riding is very, very physically demanding because everything's at the end of your arm. It doesn't matter if you're spurring the horse or not; they just jerk the snot out of you, and it looks brutally painful. In saddle bronc riding, it's all about timing and being in the saddle. So when you're tapped off on it, it doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt the body one bit, and you can ride them all day. .TJ: How long do horses and riders typically last in this sport? Dyllan: Horses start getting bucked when they're about four years old. Well, that's a little early. They have some stables where they start them at four, but that's without riders. They'll start putting riders on them when they're about five. That's when they kind of start getting going. I was talking to a stall contractor, John Duffy, and I asked him what the prime age for a bucking horse is. He figured that it's about 14 to 16 years old. That's when they have their trips figured out. They're consistent and not too old to be getting tired. So I think around 12 to 16 is prime for a bucking horse.Longevity varies; I've seen 30-year-old bucking horses that are still great to get on, though that's rare. I'd say right around 20 years old is probably when you're done bucking a horse. It's kind of sad to think their prime is only a couple of years for such a short stint. You might have a bucking horse around for 12 years before it hits its prime. For riders, in bronc riding, you're about mid-30s when they seem to peter out. That's more due to life getting in the way rather than taking a toll on the body. I've seen 45-year-old bronc riders still going strong. I'd say prime age for a rider varies widely. Some, like Ryder Wright, make the NFR their first year as a pro at 18. Others, like me, don't figure it out until their late 20s. Generally, I'd say mid-30s is when riders start to slow down. Bareback riders, though, often look grumpy, haggard, and beat up by their mid-30s, so it might be smarter to retire a bit earlier because it's definitely harder on their bodies than it is for saddle bronc riders .TJ: How did you become a pro rider? Dyllan: I amateur rode for quite a few years and felt confident I was outgrowing the amateurs. You can buy what they call a permit, allowing you to enter quite a few rodeos. On a permit, you're at the bottom of the totem pole, so you don't get as many preferences when entering rodeos. You might not get your preferred days and end up finding trades or turning out of rodeos. Also, you don't get into many of them as they bump out permit holders to make room. You ride on your permit for a while and need to make $1,000 before you can buy your pro card. On your permit, you're still allowed to ride amateur rodeos. Your earnings don't count towards pro finals, but you can still participate in amateur circuits and finals. Once you buy your card, you can ride in pro rodeos exclusively. With that, you get to go to more rodeos and get your preferences. You also start to fit in more at the pro level. Pro rodeo in Canada is the best it's ever been right now. I've never entered an amateur rodeo and had 11 of the top 15 bronc riders in the world there. That's kind of how it is. Especially during these big runs, like when Ponoka brings all the guys up here. Then there are bronc matches and everything, so you get just outstanding bronc riders that you watch on TV, and then you're in the same chute living with them. That's pretty special all by itself. But the competition is a lot tougher, especially mentally. As cool as it is to ride against guys that are that good, it's hard to let yourself win and stay in the mentality that you can ride like they can. In the amateurs, it's almost like the olden days of rodeo, where you get all these yahoos that want to try to ride bucking horses and bulls. They come out of the woodwork and just get mollywonked (bucked off/destroyed) by whatever they strap their hand into. Then you see them in the beer gardens 20 minutes later having a good time. There's more of a business aspect when you get to the pro rodeos. Those guys do it for a living, so they are there to make money. They don't come to these rodeos just to have fun; they come to win. The competition is steep, like I say, the best it's ever been in Canada. .TJ: How are your rides scored? Dyllan: Scoring is out of 100 points, split between the horse and the rider. If a horse bucks hard, if they run off and don't kick much, you won't get a high score. But if they really stack up, buck with lots of kick and power, the score will be higher. The rider's score depends on their spurring motion, getting their spurs up in the front end, and maintaining a good ride. Good scores are in the 70-80 point range, great scores are 80 and up, and outstanding rides can hit 90 points plus. To start the ride, you have to have your mark out. This is called the mark out rule, where your spurs have to be in the horse's neck, over the shoulder, for the first jump out of the chute. Yesterday in Strathmore, I did that, but one judge felt that I didn't have them there, so he threw a flag. That's a missed mark out and a disqualification, resulting in no score. .TJ: What’s a turn out? Dyllan: Sometimes, you get to know the horses in the circuit. Contractors pack around a panel of horses, and you just get to know them. You talk to other guys who have been on them, and you learn the horse's reputation and what it's going to do.If you have a horse you can make money on, you'll make the drive to get on it. But if you have a horse that's hard to ride or doesn't fit the pen well, and there's no chance you could make money on it, you'll turn out and not go. Driving ten hours to get on a horse you can't make any money with is not worth it. .TJ: Why did you choose this sport? Dyllan: I've always liked it. My dad rodeoed. He rode bareback and bulls for a while, so he was what got me interested in it. But growing up, I never did any of it until after I graduated and really wanted to give it a shot. I just tried it, and I sucked for a long time, but I kept on and made some really good friends. That's what kept me going. Friends like Cody Borris are the reason I'm still rodeoing today, hands down. We always went to CFR when I was growing up, back when it was at Rexall Place. Watching those guys at CFR, I just thought that was the coolest thing. .TJ: What’s your life like when you’re not rodeoing? Dyllan: We live a very busy life. My wife and I have a small farm. We have 30 to 40 head of cattle. My wife, Kirsten, is crazy busy with everything on the farm. We have pigs, chickens, goats, rabbits, ducks—you name it. She manages it all as a business. She sells eggs, and we raise beef cattle. She also raises meat rabbits and takes care of them. With all these responsibilities, we need to feed the animals all winter. Summers are especially busy because it's rodeo season and haying season. We try to rodeo, hay, get bales hauled home, and fix fences for the pasture. The cows are out at pasture, and we must ensure they're fed, watered, and fenced in. It’s like having three full-time jobs on the farm. .TJ: How did you meet your wife? Dyllan: When I was first figuring things out, I had a bad habit of breaking every bone I could. I had a tough year and broke my collarbone twice. After surgery, I started rodeoing again and then broke my ankle badly. At that time, I was living in Edson in my holiday trailer, parked at the shop where I worked. Good friends of mine in Valleyview, Tom and Laurie Mitchell, called Amber, my now mother-in-law, to come get me because I was fresh out of surgery and couldn't drive. Amber and her family took care of me. Kirsten, who had just returned from school for the summer, was there, and we started seeing each other in passing. Soon after, we began hanging out more often, and then a lot more often. Soon enough her dad practically married me off. .TJ: Today we visited Kirsten’s grandparents on their farm. Kirtsen’s grandfather built the barn there in the 30's. What’s the significance of that place to you? Dyllan: I was friends with Kirsten's older brother, Conner, who rodeoed with me a bit. I knew of Kirsten but had never met her because she lived with her grandparents in Peace River for the last couple of years of high school. That's where she started farming, keeping goats, sheep, and chickens. We got married at the barn she lived in. It was all painted up for the wedding, which took place a year and six days after we started dating. We have been married for nearly six years now, come the end of September. .TJ: What’s your favourite thing about rodeoing? Dyllan: The best part of rodeo is the friendships. I have made friends I wouldn't have otherwise. A good friend of mine, Cody, and I often say that when we're retired, we won't miss the rides or the 80-point scores. We'll miss hanging out with the boys, traveling, and the stories we gather along the way. The people you meet are the best part of rodeo. .TJ: Is there anything I missed that you want to add? Dyllan: You know, rodeoing is probably hardest on the spouse. It gets tiring, much like being a heavy-duty mechanic. My wife and I own a heavy-duty repair shop, so it's crazy busy. My phone never stops ringing, and I'm out working all the time. When I am home, we're putting up hay, feeding, or doing something on the farm, so we're super busy there. We don't usually get in and have supper until around 9:00, if we even eat together. You work hard all week, and then the weekend comes, and I take off rodeoing. It's definitely hard on the spouse. It's not for everyone. If I could put into words why I rodeo, it wouldn't make any sense. There is no logical reason why I spend all my money to drive countless hours to get on horses and not make a dime, just to do it all again the next weekend. But for some reason, you love it, keep doing it, and become addicted to it. Kirsten likes to come to the shows, but she doesn't get to because when I'm gone rodeoing, there's still everything on the farm that needs care. We can't both be gone. Like they say, you're married to your farm. We have dogs, horses, and everything still needs to be fed and cared for. Especially if it's a 30C weekend, you have to be there to make sure things are tended to. So, not only am I leaving to have fun and do what I want to do, but she's also at home, stuck there by herself, and then I come back. Then we have that busy week, and I go do it again. From April to October, we just see each other in passing and give each other high fives. The only time we really get to spend together is that hour before bed. Usually, it's around 11 p.m., and we're both tired, but that's the only time we get to see each other and actually spend time together. We stay up late to have that hour, and then we go to bed and do it all again the next day. That's an unseen part of the show. They announce world champions at the rodeos, but world champions are only made by their spouses. The only reason I'm still doing this is because of Kirsten. Cody was another reason, but having a supportive spouse who works just as hard as you do while you're gone is crucial. When you have a bad weekend, they pick you up and help you look forward to the next one. They help you through your lows and celebrate the good times with you. They don't get recognized at the rodeos when you put on a wicked 90-point ride, but you can only do that because of your spouse. T.J. Kennedy Documentary Photographer & Filmmaker tjken@pm.me https://tjkennedy.me
“Rodeo as a metaphor for life and human struggle rather than a sport, a hope of conquering whatcould not be conquered. To ride until being bucked off, stomped on and gored, and still get backon every time, no matter the harm caused," — Robbie CoburnDyllan Duperron, 29, from Valleyview, AB, is a first year professional rodeo cowboy, saddling up bucking broncos every chance he gets, as he chases his dream, while trying to strike a balance with his extremely busy life outside of the bucking chutes.I had the opportunity to join him and his wife Kirsten at the 2024 North Peace Stampede inGrimshaw, Alberta. I was curious what makes Dyllan tick, and the answer was about as cowboy it gets..TJ: How do you think you performed today? Dyllan: Today's rodeo didn't go the way I wanted it to. Especially since I had a bit of a rough weekend. You know, I had a good weekend, but I didn't make any money where I was (Regina and Strathmore rodeos), so I thought it would be nice to come up to a smaller rodeo and cash in a little bit. But that horse was really fast and flat kicking, making it hard to stay on. I started a decent ride, but it wouldn't have been much. Then I ended up kicking a stirrup off, which led to a disqualification and no score. I think I put in about 3,000 kms this weekend and didn't make any money and I didn't advance at all in the standings. But, you know, horses have those days too. Those horses were also in High Prairie earlier this week, so they've covered as many miles as we do. They have off days and they get tired, just like athletes. But yeah, I didn't have a great horse for the day, and I didn't ride very well either. So it was a bit of a bummer. But as they say, that's rodeoing. .TJ: What’s a typical schedule like for you? Dyllan: You enter the rodeos to set up your weekend. I usually try to enter the furthest one first. I go there and then work my way back towards home towards the end of the weekend. This way, I'm closest to home for the last one, which means the shortest drive and I’m ready to be home by that point. This past weekend, I set it up that way. I was in Regina on Thursday. I worked Wednesday night, then got up early Thursday morning and drove 1,100 kilometers to get to Regina and rode there in the evening. Then I started driving towards Strathmore that night because it's seven hours away and started at 1:00 in the afternoon. I drove a few hours and then slept. Whatever vehicle I'm driving, there's always a bed set up in the back so I can pull over wherever I'm tired and sleep. I rode there in the afternoon. After that, I came back home but had to bypass home a little to make it to Grimshaw. That's how I wanted it set up. TJ: When you finish a rodeo, are you immediately thinking of the next one? What’s your mindset going in? Dyllan: When you go to a rodeo and have a really good ride, you want to build off that. You're thinking of that ride and the big score you had, using it to build onto your next one.If you have a bad outing or didn't do well on the horse or got bucked off, you have to put that behind you and focus on your next horse. If you dwell on it, you'll bring that negative energy into your next rodeo. Bronc riding is 80% mental, which is the hardest part of it. You have to use the good rides to build off and put the poor ones behind you. Know you're better than that outing and go prove it at the next one. .TJ: What's the season like? What are the typical earnings for each rodeo? Not necessarily for you, but generally, what could someone expect? Dyllan: I hit about 50 rodeos in Canada each year. I think that's about as many as I hit. I never did count them out. The season starts around March. You'll see a couple of rodeos in March and April. In May, they start to pick up, especially the indoor ones. By June, it's full-on until they start to peter out towards September. There are a couple of tour finals in September, and then they wind down. The finals are in November, giving the guys a break before the finals. Earnings at a rodeo really depend. There are different circuits, like the pro tour circuit, which includes bigger rodeos. You might go to a bronc match with $40,000 added to it and make $20,000. Average rodeos here have $4,000 or $5,000 added, so you can pull $2,000 or $2,100 out of the rodeo if you win. It also depends on how many entries there are. There are a lot of bronc riders now, so entries are high and more money is added that way. You might get a couple of thousand dollars from one rodeo, but at others, you might only make $600, even if you place second .TJ: Besides the actual saddle itself, how do bareback and saddle bronc compare as far as the rider is concerned? Dyllan: I kind of make the joke that when you're going behind the bucking chutes and you look at the cowboys, you can tell who the athletes are by looking at them. The ones with muscles that look like they're athletes are the bareback riders. The dinky little scrawny ones that are usually just out smoking darts are the bronc riders. Bareback riding is very, very physically demanding because everything's at the end of your arm. It doesn't matter if you're spurring the horse or not; they just jerk the snot out of you, and it looks brutally painful. In saddle bronc riding, it's all about timing and being in the saddle. So when you're tapped off on it, it doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt the body one bit, and you can ride them all day. .TJ: How long do horses and riders typically last in this sport? Dyllan: Horses start getting bucked when they're about four years old. Well, that's a little early. They have some stables where they start them at four, but that's without riders. They'll start putting riders on them when they're about five. That's when they kind of start getting going. I was talking to a stall contractor, John Duffy, and I asked him what the prime age for a bucking horse is. He figured that it's about 14 to 16 years old. That's when they have their trips figured out. They're consistent and not too old to be getting tired. So I think around 12 to 16 is prime for a bucking horse.Longevity varies; I've seen 30-year-old bucking horses that are still great to get on, though that's rare. I'd say right around 20 years old is probably when you're done bucking a horse. It's kind of sad to think their prime is only a couple of years for such a short stint. You might have a bucking horse around for 12 years before it hits its prime. For riders, in bronc riding, you're about mid-30s when they seem to peter out. That's more due to life getting in the way rather than taking a toll on the body. I've seen 45-year-old bronc riders still going strong. I'd say prime age for a rider varies widely. Some, like Ryder Wright, make the NFR their first year as a pro at 18. Others, like me, don't figure it out until their late 20s. Generally, I'd say mid-30s is when riders start to slow down. Bareback riders, though, often look grumpy, haggard, and beat up by their mid-30s, so it might be smarter to retire a bit earlier because it's definitely harder on their bodies than it is for saddle bronc riders .TJ: How did you become a pro rider? Dyllan: I amateur rode for quite a few years and felt confident I was outgrowing the amateurs. You can buy what they call a permit, allowing you to enter quite a few rodeos. On a permit, you're at the bottom of the totem pole, so you don't get as many preferences when entering rodeos. You might not get your preferred days and end up finding trades or turning out of rodeos. Also, you don't get into many of them as they bump out permit holders to make room. You ride on your permit for a while and need to make $1,000 before you can buy your pro card. On your permit, you're still allowed to ride amateur rodeos. Your earnings don't count towards pro finals, but you can still participate in amateur circuits and finals. Once you buy your card, you can ride in pro rodeos exclusively. With that, you get to go to more rodeos and get your preferences. You also start to fit in more at the pro level. Pro rodeo in Canada is the best it's ever been right now. I've never entered an amateur rodeo and had 11 of the top 15 bronc riders in the world there. That's kind of how it is. Especially during these big runs, like when Ponoka brings all the guys up here. Then there are bronc matches and everything, so you get just outstanding bronc riders that you watch on TV, and then you're in the same chute living with them. That's pretty special all by itself. But the competition is a lot tougher, especially mentally. As cool as it is to ride against guys that are that good, it's hard to let yourself win and stay in the mentality that you can ride like they can. In the amateurs, it's almost like the olden days of rodeo, where you get all these yahoos that want to try to ride bucking horses and bulls. They come out of the woodwork and just get mollywonked (bucked off/destroyed) by whatever they strap their hand into. Then you see them in the beer gardens 20 minutes later having a good time. There's more of a business aspect when you get to the pro rodeos. Those guys do it for a living, so they are there to make money. They don't come to these rodeos just to have fun; they come to win. The competition is steep, like I say, the best it's ever been in Canada. .TJ: How are your rides scored? Dyllan: Scoring is out of 100 points, split between the horse and the rider. If a horse bucks hard, if they run off and don't kick much, you won't get a high score. But if they really stack up, buck with lots of kick and power, the score will be higher. The rider's score depends on their spurring motion, getting their spurs up in the front end, and maintaining a good ride. Good scores are in the 70-80 point range, great scores are 80 and up, and outstanding rides can hit 90 points plus. To start the ride, you have to have your mark out. This is called the mark out rule, where your spurs have to be in the horse's neck, over the shoulder, for the first jump out of the chute. Yesterday in Strathmore, I did that, but one judge felt that I didn't have them there, so he threw a flag. That's a missed mark out and a disqualification, resulting in no score. .TJ: What’s a turn out? Dyllan: Sometimes, you get to know the horses in the circuit. Contractors pack around a panel of horses, and you just get to know them. You talk to other guys who have been on them, and you learn the horse's reputation and what it's going to do.If you have a horse you can make money on, you'll make the drive to get on it. But if you have a horse that's hard to ride or doesn't fit the pen well, and there's no chance you could make money on it, you'll turn out and not go. Driving ten hours to get on a horse you can't make any money with is not worth it. .TJ: Why did you choose this sport? Dyllan: I've always liked it. My dad rodeoed. He rode bareback and bulls for a while, so he was what got me interested in it. But growing up, I never did any of it until after I graduated and really wanted to give it a shot. I just tried it, and I sucked for a long time, but I kept on and made some really good friends. That's what kept me going. Friends like Cody Borris are the reason I'm still rodeoing today, hands down. We always went to CFR when I was growing up, back when it was at Rexall Place. Watching those guys at CFR, I just thought that was the coolest thing. .TJ: What’s your life like when you’re not rodeoing? Dyllan: We live a very busy life. My wife and I have a small farm. We have 30 to 40 head of cattle. My wife, Kirsten, is crazy busy with everything on the farm. We have pigs, chickens, goats, rabbits, ducks—you name it. She manages it all as a business. She sells eggs, and we raise beef cattle. She also raises meat rabbits and takes care of them. With all these responsibilities, we need to feed the animals all winter. Summers are especially busy because it's rodeo season and haying season. We try to rodeo, hay, get bales hauled home, and fix fences for the pasture. The cows are out at pasture, and we must ensure they're fed, watered, and fenced in. It’s like having three full-time jobs on the farm. .TJ: How did you meet your wife? Dyllan: When I was first figuring things out, I had a bad habit of breaking every bone I could. I had a tough year and broke my collarbone twice. After surgery, I started rodeoing again and then broke my ankle badly. At that time, I was living in Edson in my holiday trailer, parked at the shop where I worked. Good friends of mine in Valleyview, Tom and Laurie Mitchell, called Amber, my now mother-in-law, to come get me because I was fresh out of surgery and couldn't drive. Amber and her family took care of me. Kirsten, who had just returned from school for the summer, was there, and we started seeing each other in passing. Soon after, we began hanging out more often, and then a lot more often. Soon enough her dad practically married me off. .TJ: Today we visited Kirsten’s grandparents on their farm. Kirtsen’s grandfather built the barn there in the 30's. What’s the significance of that place to you? Dyllan: I was friends with Kirsten's older brother, Conner, who rodeoed with me a bit. I knew of Kirsten but had never met her because she lived with her grandparents in Peace River for the last couple of years of high school. That's where she started farming, keeping goats, sheep, and chickens. We got married at the barn she lived in. It was all painted up for the wedding, which took place a year and six days after we started dating. We have been married for nearly six years now, come the end of September. .TJ: What’s your favourite thing about rodeoing? Dyllan: The best part of rodeo is the friendships. I have made friends I wouldn't have otherwise. A good friend of mine, Cody, and I often say that when we're retired, we won't miss the rides or the 80-point scores. We'll miss hanging out with the boys, traveling, and the stories we gather along the way. The people you meet are the best part of rodeo. .TJ: Is there anything I missed that you want to add? Dyllan: You know, rodeoing is probably hardest on the spouse. It gets tiring, much like being a heavy-duty mechanic. My wife and I own a heavy-duty repair shop, so it's crazy busy. My phone never stops ringing, and I'm out working all the time. When I am home, we're putting up hay, feeding, or doing something on the farm, so we're super busy there. We don't usually get in and have supper until around 9:00, if we even eat together. You work hard all week, and then the weekend comes, and I take off rodeoing. It's definitely hard on the spouse. It's not for everyone. If I could put into words why I rodeo, it wouldn't make any sense. There is no logical reason why I spend all my money to drive countless hours to get on horses and not make a dime, just to do it all again the next weekend. But for some reason, you love it, keep doing it, and become addicted to it. Kirsten likes to come to the shows, but she doesn't get to because when I'm gone rodeoing, there's still everything on the farm that needs care. We can't both be gone. Like they say, you're married to your farm. We have dogs, horses, and everything still needs to be fed and cared for. Especially if it's a 30C weekend, you have to be there to make sure things are tended to. So, not only am I leaving to have fun and do what I want to do, but she's also at home, stuck there by herself, and then I come back. Then we have that busy week, and I go do it again. From April to October, we just see each other in passing and give each other high fives. The only time we really get to spend together is that hour before bed. Usually, it's around 11 p.m., and we're both tired, but that's the only time we get to see each other and actually spend time together. We stay up late to have that hour, and then we go to bed and do it all again the next day. That's an unseen part of the show. They announce world champions at the rodeos, but world champions are only made by their spouses. The only reason I'm still doing this is because of Kirsten. Cody was another reason, but having a supportive spouse who works just as hard as you do while you're gone is crucial. When you have a bad weekend, they pick you up and help you look forward to the next one. They help you through your lows and celebrate the good times with you. They don't get recognized at the rodeos when you put on a wicked 90-point ride, but you can only do that because of your spouse. T.J. Kennedy Documentary Photographer & Filmmaker tjken@pm.me https://tjkennedy.me
