Riley Riddle

Eight seconds is the easy part to talk about. The hard part is what happens when the rider comes off wrong, the bull turns back, and a bullfighter has to choose a gap with no guarantee he’s walking out clean. That’s where Riley Riddle lives, and he joins us to explain what real preparation looks like in professional rodeo bullfighting. 

We get into the daily work most people never see: training five to six days a week, staying “old school” with weights and time in the dirt on practice bulls, and treating the gym as mental training as much as physical. Riley also calls out a trend he’s watching closely in bull riding and local rodeos, where some people want the photos and the TikToks more than the reps. He breaks down why that mindset does not just limit performance, it can put bullfighters in a bad spot when riders don’t commit and the arena gets unpredictable. 

Riley shares what 36 years in rodeo has taught him about professionalism, reputation, and being the same person at the day job, at the airport, and behind the chutes. We also talk rodeo content creation, how he actually gets filmed, why editing takes time, and how he chooses music that stays clean and watchable for every age. Then we go straight into the danger: a hospital trip, a horn to the head, and the kind of decision-making that keeps riders safe even when it costs you. 

If you care about rodeo fitness, bull riding safety, the realities of the rodeo lifestyle, and what it means to give 110% when it counts, you’ll get a lot from this one. Subscribe, share the episode with a rodeo friend, and leave a review with your take: is practice the real separator or is it something else?

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Shoutout to:

Riley Riddle

The Riddle Family 

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Raising Awareness:

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Mental Health 

Transcript

Catching Up And Fitness Routine

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Riley Riddle, how are you, man?

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Good, buddy. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Good, good. It's great to see your face. Last time it was just a black screen, and I was just like, all right, man, I wish I wish I could see your face and know it, but you're, you know, I I got used to it because there's a lot of other country boys, you know, rodeo rodeo stars that can't have the video because then it will mess up the audio. So starting you, I was having more black screen, so I got used to it, but it's great to see you, man. It's great to see you.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

Man, it's good to see you.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

Yeah, it's just you look good. You look toned, man. Like I I swear you're the buffet guy in the rodeo business, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

Man, I appreciate that. I proud myself on trying to stay in shape.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Yeah, how often do you work out?

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Normally five, six times a week.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Yeah, even with the rodeo schedule.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

With the rodeo schedule. Like I normally try to go every afternoon, but then once we get it into the weekends, I'll try to get up in the morning, Saturday morning, and go get a good workout in and just kind of start my day that way and get ready for the rest of the night.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Is it easy or is it kind of difficult sometimes when you're on a run, like rodeo run?

SPEAKER_00 1:44

I mean, it's only as difficult as you make it. I mean there's always time to to get a workout in. I mean, it might be a a 20-minute just kind of get the motor running and get everything feeling good, or you can go bust out an hour, hour and a half gym session.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

More movement on on top of more movement, but in the dirt.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Absolutely. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Can't get enough. Can't get enough.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

No, you you can never get enough training. I mean, I don't just limit my my gym time to strictly weights. It's it's a lot of mental training going on in there as well. Because you're you're having to overcome dealing with all the other people that that are in there, and they're trying to work out or sit there and talk on the phone for 30 minutes on a piece of equipment that you really need to use. So you're you're constantly training something no matter what you're doing in the gym.

Old School Training In The Dirt

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Yeah, I gotcha. So do you do CrossFit? Do you do the new high rocks or are you just straight gym and your own regimen?

SPEAKER_00 2:46

I'm straight gym, I'm old school gym, and then get out in the dirt, get around some practice bulls, run drills. Just old school, man.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Yeah. How how often do you work out in the dirt? Not not getting paid, but practice bulls or and practice pins and everything else.

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Usually every week we're we're bucking bulls every week that I'm home. Buddy of mine, the Waller Brothers, they have a bunch of buck and bulls. They haul to PBR events, bull riding fall over the southeast. We probably usually Wednesdays, Thursdays is our days. We'll throw together a practice spin and buck anywhere from five, six to up to 20 bulls, depending on how many guys want to get on.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

Yeah. Does practice make perfect?

SPEAKER_00 3:40

Always. I mean, you're you're all you're always gonna revert back to your your lowest form of training. So the more you train, the more you practice, the the more consistent you get, and the better you get.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

Do you do you see some new schools? I probably get some crap out of this, and hopefully, you know, you don't, but uh, do you see the new school up and coming or the the people that are trying to make it in the rodeo lack that regimen, the the practice? Not not so much bullfighting, but like bull riding, bronx, saddle bronch. Do you do you do you see that?

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Because you hear a lot, but people don't talk about I hear a lot about some of these new school guys not wanting to to practice as much. But being down here in the southeast, a lot of these boys like they they are dirty. They they will get out there and grind and get after it.

SPEAKER_01 4:39

Yeah, it'll humble them though, if if it wins when they find out that practice doesn't if you don't practice, you don't get far.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

They've learned that. There's a lot of these boys that have learned that. Great bull riders that I've seen, all talent in the world, but won't go get on practice schools to kind of fix mistakes, and you start seeing it play out in in events, and then you get these young boys that they're hungry, these high school kids, taking every opportunity they can to get on something, get on the barrel, whatever it may be, and it's starting to click for a lot of these real young kids.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

Yeah, okay. Why do you think they don't make it to practice bulls or choose to not practice as much? Why? In in your in your eyes.

Why Practice Separates The Great

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Man, I I don't know. I think uh I think a lot of it with majority of the guys I see nowadays, especially some of the smaller shows I go to that they they do local entries, is everybody wants the glory of being involved in the sport, but they don't want to put in the the time, the effort to to get to where they need to be.

SPEAKER_01 6:01

Okay. The glory though, man, for I mean, you're gambling so much. You're gambling, you know, time, injury, I mean, money. I mean, if you get third place, you get what maybe 300 bucks, tops. If you get first, you might get a thousand. I mean, that that you're putting a gamble in just for glory. I don't know.

Chasing Glory Versus Doing Work

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Yeah, well, it's they want to make the TikToks, the Facebook pictures, Instagram pictures. That's that's what a lot of these these guys that think they want to be involved in the sport, I've noticed, really want. They they show up, dress, they show up with ten different people hanging out with them behind the buck and chutes.

SPEAKER_03 6:46

I gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Kind of act like they know everything, like they're the this big deal, and and they go out there and get too jumped, and then a couple days later you see a post on social media, and it's the same 30-second clip of them getting in, the bucking shoot, getting on warming up the rope, and then as soon as the gate opens, the video stops.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Yeah, I gotcha. So yeah, gotcha. No eight seconds, it's no, it's two points.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

It's about the it's about the glory for a lot of these these guys I've noticed here lately.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

It's sad.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

It is, it's uh it's hard to watch, and you know, it's it puts a toll on us as bullfighters because you got guys that they don't want to put out 100%, and they want to go out there and get one jump, two junk, and then get mad at you because you're trying to do your job and they might take a little foot to the leg or something because I mean you don't put out the referee, you're you're kind of getting stepped on.

SPEAKER_03 7:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

And I got you, then they try to blame you for everything. And you know, it's here we are given 110% every time that gate opens, and every time we step in that dirt, and you got these guys out there just taking you for granted.

unknown 8:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

I I like how you say 110% because if you don't put more than 100%, I mean that's your job, right? You you don't get paid. I mean, you don't get paid, you know, people get injured, you get injured. So it's interesting that you say that. It's it's great.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

It's always there's always a extra you can put in. I feel like no matter no matter what you're doing, be it in the arena, be it in an everyday life, like give it 110%. Don't don't try to just give it the bare minimum. 100% is the bare minimum. Give it give it everything you had every round.

SPEAKER_01 8:49

Gotcha. I think a lot of people will appreciate this.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

So, I mean, it's you know, life's hard enough as it is doing the bare minimum. So why not try to get the most out of it that you can?

SPEAKER_01 9:02

Yeah. And how long have you been in the business, man?

SPEAKER_00 9:05

I've been now 36 years now.

SPEAKER_01 9:10

36. Just fighting while bull riding and then fighting bulls.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Bull riding and fighting bulls, just involved in the sport of rodeo 36 years.

SPEAKER_01 9:18

What keeps you in the game?

SPEAKER_00 9:20

The love, man. The it's it's honestly a love of the the sport, the the camaraderie, the the family atmosphere, the friends that become family, and you know, getting to see guys that you you might only see them three or four times a year because you're always on the road, but when you see them, it's like you never miss the beat.

SPEAKER_03 9:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

And getting to work with some of the some contractors for a majority of the year, I mean, that's they become your family. So you got your your regular family, and then they just become an extended version of it, and it's just the love of it, love of the game.

SPEAKER_01 10:06

Yeah, okay. 36 years. So you I mean, you're you're I think you're a bit younger than me still, but you don't look a day older than 30. How old are you?

SPEAKER_00 10:16

Oh, I appreciate it. 38, man. I just turned 38 this year.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

Okay. Well, yeah, you you look you look young, you you look good. I mean, dude, I'm telling you, you're the most jacked bullfighter I know.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

Oh, I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

And I'll keep saying that. Uh but hey, everybody that I have talked to ran into, especially on social media, dude, I they always say they have they hold me in the highest regard. They they I'm pretty much your selfless, pretty much the hardest working person they they've ever seen. You've got them out of a few jams, you know, on and off the dirt, but mostly in the dirt. So since you've been on, it's been three years, right? And uh it started, Spotify started ramping up their stuff, you know, for creators and started putting comments down or having people who listen off of Spotify put comments down and there's a one comment. I don't know, it probably speaks volumes of what I'm saying right now. Person named Allison, you're probably gonna hear this episode and be like, oh, I'm Allison, you know, and then I'll know more. But this this is the first review that I got, and it was pretty nice, man. It says a lot. I'll just say I'll just read it out. I love this episode so much that this man's daughter is my friend, and she always talks about how awesome her dad is. And this episode shows it. As much as that sound, you know, it it wasn't as crisp as this time, but man, it it speaks volumes because it this wasn't the first. This was the first review, but mostly the reviews came from via Instagram and Facebook and whatnot, dude. And anybody who knows you speaks highly of you, dude. It's amazing. And I'm not trying to get all teary-eyed, but just to know how much time and effort and work you put in it, it really shows, man. You know, you you're one of three uh people who tag me and the work that you do, you know, you you're very consistent on

Love Of Rodeo And Brotherhood

SPEAKER_01 12:25

showing me those videos and just found out that you make those videos. That's a lot of work. I don't know how you fit that in your schedule.

Professionalism And Reputation Everywhere

SPEAKER_00 12:34

You know, here hearing that, it you know, I I don't do it for the the glory of uh the praise or anything from anybody. Like I said, I just simply do it because I love it. But also, you know, I pride myself in trying to be professional 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no matter where I'm at. If it's if I'm at my day job and I've got my guys doing something, talking to clients, traveling, I'm at the airport, I'm in the arena before the perfing wrap steers, run steers down, whatever, whatever it be. You know, I try to pride myself in being professional 24-7, presenting myself in a professional manner everywhere I go because you never know who's watching you. And you know, that that slight interaction you have with somebody for that day or those couple minutes or a couple hours, that that kind of sets the tone of how they perceive you as a person, the rodeo community, bullfighters, cowboys. Um that's how the world gets to know you. And you know, if they they see you as a professional, they see you as this guy that's willing to go out of his way and and put everything else before you yourself, then you know that that's a a good feeling for me at the end of the day because yeah, you know, I might have a bunch of stuff I need to do or I want to do for myself, but yeah, there's all this other stuff that needs to get done or these guys need help with, so might as well go help them. If if I don't help them, then you know it might take them an extra hour, two hours, extra day. So it doesn't hurt to to put yourself out there and and help, and you know, you reap what you sow at the end of the day. Like if you treat people the utmost respect, they don't treat you back the same way, then hey, that's on them. But you know, at the end of the day, I sleep well knowing how I treated everybody.

SPEAKER_01 14:54

Yeah, if if I didn't treat you well, you wouldn't be on this podcast. Like, you know, kick rocks, Nick.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Yeah. No, you've always been good to me, and I enjoy getting on here.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

Right, and we're on the opposite country, man, side of the country. It's crazy. It's crazy. So you you brought a lot of people my way, and I I appreciate that, man. My my my question, let's go back to the content, right?

How He Captures And Edits Clips

SPEAKER_01 15:20

Who records you while you're in the dirt?

SPEAKER_00 15:24

Um, you know, that's kind of a question that I really don't have an answer to because you know, it's hard to get videos nowadays. Everyone's like, oh yeah, we'll get we'll get your videos, get your videos, but when it comes down to it, there's never one step person to record videos. So usually most of my videos come from guys that if I know that they have somebody there to get videos, I'll ask them, or I'll just start asking contestants that I've seen at the event for the weekend. Hey, if you've got any videos, can you give them to me, please? And nine times out of ten, somebody there has recorded everything for at least one perf.

SPEAKER_01 16:13

Okay. All right, because you're pretty spot on, man. The content that you show, you know, I mean, it's a lot. It's not boring at all. It's a lot, there's a lot of danger, too. And but the music, man, you're spot on with the music.

SPEAKER_00 16:30

Man, it's I catch a lot of flack because it might take me a week, it might take me three weeks to get stuff posted. But it's it's not because I'm slacking at doing it, it's because I'm so indecisive on like trying to get everything to to just fit right, flow right. Like y'all don't want to watch five minutes worth of get somebody in the buck and shoots.

SPEAKER_03 17:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

Y'all want to see good good bull ride and good work from the bullfighters. So sitting down when I get free time to to break all that down, get it cut down to what it needs to be, and then find a music. That's that's hard. I mean, I I try to find good songs. I I've been pretty good at it here lately, but one of the hardest things is finding stuff that's that's upbeat, professional music, but kind of plays into everybody's wheelhouse of what they like without being very derogatory.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

I gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 17:47

At the same time. I mean, there's I get it. There's there's a there's a fine line you can play with certain artists, certain songs, but at the same time, you don't want to cross that line. Yeah, you wanna you want to keep it to where every anybody from a young kid can listen to it or watch it. Anyone in the older age range.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

Yeah, you you ever tag the artists that you you put on?

SPEAKER_00 18:14

Not really. I haven't.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

Hmm. You might you might want to check that out. You might want to check that out. It might it might open some doors, it might, you know, it might. You never know. It never knows. Especially if they're up and coming, and yeah, they'd they'd appreciate that that you're using their their music for your you know with your content. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

Absolutely. I'll definitely start doing that.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

Yeah, I know you're you mean business every time when the brother goes down on the knee and touches the bull on the head, dude. It's like, God, it's so scary. I don't know how you guys do it, but you do it.

SPEAKER_03 18:50

And you do it.

SPEAKER_00 18:51

Man, it's just uh they get the turning back and we just get the rolling and having fun. It's uh I think it's sh it's uh I don't know. I really don't know how to say it, but it's just something that we do to kind of push each other to uh to raise the bar on what we're doing. And I've kind of got to the point, picked it up from a buddy of mine, Cole Fister, but where I'm kind of bear crawling on my stomach to him some now.

SPEAKER_01 19:27

And my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

You know, it's let's see how low we can get and how close we can get.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

So basically, you guys are taking bets. You're like, hey homeboy, I'm gonna I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna try this, and if I do, you owe me 20 bucks. That kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Yeah, we we kind of we'll sit around and just give each other a hard time before the perf and you know, come up with hey, let's have a grab match, let's uh let's see see how far we can push the limits tonight. Let's see what what we can do. And uh, you know, crawling on your belly get around one comes out of it, and that's awesome.

Pushing Limits And Taking Hits

SPEAKER_00 20:07

So, I mean, a couple back in April, me and a buddy of mine, Buddy Bush, we were working together and we were getting ready that weekend. Friday night, we were sitting around talking, and we got talking about a couple old school bullfighters, and Matt Baldwin came up, great bullfighter. But Matt never wore a vest when he fought Bulls. And you know, me and Buddy, we fought all weekend. No vest. Smartest idea, probably not. But, you know, we went into it looking at it as we're going out there to to have fun. We're not going out there to to purposely get run over. And you know, a lot of times I feel like guys, when they put that vest on, they they have this mindset of I'm purposely getting run over. We're going out there to do our job, have fun, and keep everybody safe while seeing how close we can get and still get everybody away without getting touched.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

Yeah. How many injuries have you had since in the 36 years?

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Oh man, too many to count. You know, I started this year off. One of the first bull rides I worked Friday night, I got sent to the hospital. Boy makes a great bull ride in the short round, goes to get off. Buzzer had gone off, little bull jumps ahead. Instead of waiting another jump or to make sure one of the bullfighters really picked this bull up, he just checked camp, and when he did he ended up by the 90 and the latch like the preload 90 and the latch of the bucking shoot and uh I was on gate side we're running a three man and you know it ended up being my gap it either I go through this gap and it's going one of two ways when I go in here. I'm going in here and we're all coming out smelling like roses or I'm going in here and the bull rider is gonna walk away smelling like a rose and I'm gonna take a licking. Yeah and I took a licking on it for sure got in there kind of had to jump up over the bull rider and the the bull's horn to get into the gap and in the process bull rider gets up walks away I take a hook in kind of get shoved out in front of the out gate bull comes across me hits me in the back of his head with his horn splits my head a little bit and then in the process as he comes over me he double barrels me right here on the side and I thought he broke all my ribs over here because when he did and everything compressed I heard popping but come to find out it was just a cartilage and also I had a GoPro strapped to my chest and it was Steve Lens cap and the mounting bracket of the GoPro breaking lucky so lucky I got up walked out of the hospital walking arena went over kind of caught my breath went to finish the perf. We only had two bulls left and both my buddies that were fighting with me Michael Barber and Eli Swint they're like hey sit these last two out we got this we want you back tomorrow so I did went across the street to the hospital got checked out walked in walked out probably an hour later one staple closing up the cut on the back of my head and some sore ribs went home definitely sore the next morning but we were back at the arena that afternoon and we did it again Saturday night you're still tender though you were probably tender for a whole month on the city oh I was I was tender for about a month once once we got rolling Saturday things were pretty good a friend of mine we got to talk in Saturday afternoon ended up taking taking a little bit of dex and kind of helped take the edge off and alleviate the pain and things rolled good Saturday night for about a month yeah we were probably really tender trying to work out was definitely a hard thing to do but we made it through and here we are.

SPEAKER_01 25:07

Yeah once you pop that cartilage you'll be popping it for a bit until it actually heals right so yeah it it definitely did so it uh at least it it happened after the first of the years so we got through finals and everything so it was good ended up having a couple weeks off after that let things heal up but everything's been going good since being down there you you got a year round gig right pretty much pretty much yeah we start radios start popping off down here in January February had a couple radios in January then in January I went and worked the PCA finals for a week in Bluxy Mississippi okay which was great time out there got to work with Jackson Jones Larry Dryden for a whole week top 15 riders for the PCA in the southeast were there and uh yeah it was just a great time had a lot of fun got make a lot of memories a lot of getting bullsbucked um all over contractors from all over the southeast Sundown Cattle Company out of Dublin Georgia T Bar T rodeo was there 3R Rodeo was there Bo Campbell Big Dog Southern Rodeo so we had a lot of good contractors in the southeast with stock there and you know it was a lot of great bulls best of the best yeah yeah okay I think I think uh miles berry was there right I think he worked yeah he was there yeah he he worked till he's 50 I remember the day that he retired because his son was going in miles miles yeah rowdy rowdy berry miles is the son he when he was 17 when he was 17 they they bullfight right down the road from us and changing ranks and stuff like that but yeah rowdy berry man good guy he was down there for that and I'm like dude how are you guys always man I don't know how they do it I don't know how you guys do it but pretty much all your gig for you correct it it pretty much is like I said we start in January yeah and we we have our winter run roll through our winter run right into the spring and then usually towards the end of the spring we get week or two we kind of have some downtime but then as soon as we get through the spring and we hit our summer down here we we are wide open till December it's crazy. So

Year Round Rodeo With A Day Job

SPEAKER_01 27:48

so you don't have a a normal day job correct no I do I work full time 40 hours as a foreman for a site work company so every morning I'm up at 3 30 in the morning get up go to work get my guys going I'll go pop on a piece of equipment help them out help get things done correctly and in a timely manner and we'll usually work till about 5 5 30 leave head of the gym get done at the gym between I don't know 7 38 usually go home do whatever I need to do get dinner done usually in bed by 11 1130 and back at it again 12 so like four hours sleep four hours of sleep I don't know how you do it no downtime stay professional 247 I mean balling in the ring and out of the ring uh dude crazy and you got time for all this trying to do everything there is be dad be be a good good guy you know well you are good employee go to church on Sundays go try to go to church on Thursdays you know we're we're constantly going going going I mean yeah my daughter she plays competitive travel softball high school softball so she's constantly on the go jeez I mean it's it's wide open and my my little boy he's he's only four so he's he does what four year olds do he's just wide open mutt busting yet not yet not is he is he interested is he's a little bit I mean he's he's definitely interested in in the horse world and the radio world so okay when uh when time's right and can get his mom to agree we'll if we as long as we both can agree then we'll let him let him make his decisions on what he wants to do with when it comes to radio.

SPEAKER_00 30:05

Okay all right but you you're not gonna force it you're not gonna force no I mean if he if he wants to radio he can radio he wants to fight bulls ride road whatever he wants to do okay just like my daughter more than welcome to do it but not gonna force either one of them to do something but as long as they give me 110% and whatever they choose to do then I'll support him.

SPEAKER_01 30:31

I gotcha I gotcha so how how many more years do you have man it sounds like you got another 15 20 years man if I if I'm still doing this in 20 years there there's a big problem.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

But you know honestly I I don't have an answer for that you know that's kind of gonna be between when my body says hey man you you you've had enough or when when the good lord tells me hey man I don't I don't want you doing this no more then then we'll make that that decision then but you know until then as long as he wakes me up he gives me the motivation to get up get in the gym go out there keep these guys safe every time I step foot in the arena then you know I'm gonna keep doing it and I'm gonna keep going it to the best of my ability and uh we'll just keep playing it by ear.

Awards Recognition And Faith Driven Motivation

SPEAKER_01 31:28

Sounds like things have gotten a lot bigger for you since our last conversation you know doing they've uh between PCAs, EBAs IPRA stuff.

SPEAKER_00 31:42

Yeah and it's it is a full time gig on top of a full-time job so it's a 24-7 lifestyle now still yeah it's um I mean I've also been since me and you've talked I have been selected to three world finals events and PCA finals I've had multiple multiple local associations I've worked finals for but I've been a three time WCMB World Finals Bullfighter and Bullfighter of the year for them PCA Bullfighter of the year so I mean in three years I've I've accumulated four Bullfighter of the year titles you know it's it's something that I don't really think hit me until this year especially the PCA finals when we got our awards been quit and you know when I went sat back down and I I actually sat down and looked at that vocal and it's actually the one I'm wearing I wear it every day.

SPEAKER_01 32:57

Heck yeah heck yeah man heck yeah I sat down and and looked at it and and seen what it said it it really sank in then that uh you know all the hard work all the the miles the the no's the the questions of is it worth it you know it it really showed that it pays off and you know don't get me wrong like the the WC and World Finals and Bullfighter of the year nods are they're great I mean it's it that's everything from kids to high school kids but having some of the best cowboys and contractors in the southeast vote you to go to finals and vote you as the the guy that they want you there as the bullfighter of the year you know that really hits you and it didn't hit me till I sat down and then when I got back up to the room after the banquet it you know I'm not gonna lie you cried I cried like a baby yeah dude feels good I mean I did and uh you know all I could say when I walked back in my hotel room was thank you Lord that's because honestly without him I I wouldn't have been in that situation I wouldn't be where I'm at that's awesome man that that's good that's good so what's the limit man what's the limit what the sky is so far the sky's the limit I mean we just we just keep going and we take what what what comes along with it there there is no limit the limits only is only what you you tell yourself the limit is I mean you can you're the only person that can put a cap on your limit yeah what if you had an opportunity to hit the hit up the NFR would you take it oh I mean absolutely if if that phone ever rang that for that absolutely yeah even as a guest I guess they do the guest thing and some people frown frown on that or you know it's not like you're actually working but you are but it's a guest one would you take it absolutely okay all right so NFR man that that would be awesome I I would definitely I go every year for concerts and just the atmosphere and everything else but if you are there a second week I'm normally there first week just to get it in and get out you know if you're there I'm gonna be there so that you've heard it first man I'm I'm I'm definitely gonna be there hanging out with Riley thank you nice okay so hey got to ask you this question who has it big man who who who loves rodeo more Bama Florida or Georgia you know

Which State Loves Rodeo Most

SPEAKER_01 36:07

that that's a toss up I a rodeo throughout the entire southeast all year long I think the the love and the the try from guys is bigger coming out of the state of Florida because a lot of these boys that are real handy coming from Florida they don't get the credit they deserve um it's still that that stigmatism of nobody good comes out of Florida.

SPEAKER_00 36:44

There's there's no good bull riders there's no good bronch riders there's no good ropers etc coming from Florida and that's a lie they're some of the best guys in the world I've seen be roping bronch riding bull riding they're they're coming out of the southeast and you know it's it's not because anywhere lesser I think these guys just have a chip on their shoulder and uh they've got something to prove and you know it it really makes them hungry and salty I think contestant wise you're getting more contestants coming out of Alabama and Georgia than you are out of Florida. But I think the the real chip on the shoulder I want to prove something love for it is coming from Florida.

SPEAKER_01 37:39

Huh all right and it's crazy a lot of people think Florida is just like Orlando Miami but you you got a lot of cattle out there you got a lot you know country boys and country names man's crazy that that is a big misconception everybody hears Florida and they hear beaches and Disney and Universal yeah but you know that that couldn't be any farther from the truth.

SPEAKER_00 38:05

I mean we got some of the the biggest cattle producing ranches in the country right here in the state you got Deserette that they run almost 35000 acres I believe pretty much all across central Florida King Ranch they've got property down here they're another 3000 acres the Brighton Bryden Seminoles the Seminole tribe they've got Bryden and big cypress reservations that they run cattle on I mean the Leitch Brothers ranch they've got un unfathomable amount of if if you got a call to work outside of your you know southeast area would you take it oh absolutely I mean I go if that telephone rings as long as we can agree on stipulations the travel expenses pricing whatever it is number of shows I'll go I mean I already go to Texas a couple times a year for some stuff so never opposed to jumping on a plane or jumping in the truck and rolling out I mean I'll jump on a plane I'll fly to Washington Oregon I'll fly to South Dakota North Dakota I mean if anybody out there picked up the phone right now and and called I'd I'd jump on a plane I'd head to the Dakotas or Montana or wherever.

Travel Opportunities And NFR Dreams

SPEAKER_01 39:48

Okay that's good to hear that's good to hear man it's great all right well you you you heard it first man if you go to NFR I'm gonna be there definitely you're gonna have to tell the wife and be like I mean if I if if I go and just hang out that you we'll get together and yeah you better tell me yeah you better tell me I I I try not to make too many days out there because it gets a little hectic but I'll I'll be out there I'll be out there I'll be out there Riley anything you want to add anything that I missed man it's just great having you on man and you know you in your truest form I mean you're you're a heck of a guy dude and you you're humble and you're great at what you do I appreciate the tags man don't stop tagging don't stop tagging something's up something's up if you stop tagging dude I'm gonna be like dude what did I do did I piss you off no I I appreciate you man and everything you do for us not just uh being being who you are but doing the podcast and appreciate it talking to to all these other contestants and kind of getting a a brighter knowledge base of the rodeo world from all these different points of views and kind of putting it out there.

SPEAKER_00 41:03

Yeah I appreciate that it uh it's really great to see and you know anything to to kind of help with that and help get your name out there and you know for what you do also coaching the cross country stuff you know that's that's cool in itself and you know I don't I don't see a lot of that stuff down here but to get to see the stuff that you post is just awesome and appreciate it. Just to see you doing good with everything you've been through the the last year is appreciated. It's great.

SPEAKER_01 41:36

It means a lot and the tagging means a lot too you sharing everything and and you put me out there it means a lot.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

I don't I don't ask for that man and you you can tell you I know you don't and you know it's uh yeah it's it feels I just I do it out of out of just trying to help you out and kind of get your name out there and you know appreciate it. I know you you had a rough rough patch you've gone through this past year and you know just to to lift you

Giving Back To Younger Talent

SPEAKER_00 42:02

up.

SPEAKER_01 42:02

Yeah appreciate it so I haven't told many people there's somebody Wiley he's the steer wrestler you know uh that that I in contact of done a couple runs gonna do a a a perf with him just I'm I'm his buddy his riding buddy I'm older way older than he is right but he he likes to have me around for some reason I don't know he's the only guy that knows he's one of the other guys that tags me right but you know that's how we roll but I ended up getting my amateur card heck yeah dude not non compete non compete so what that means is I'm gonna try my best to get the the people that up and coming because that's what I love man. Like I know you're not up and coming you've made it you're you're making more of a name of yourself but I I like the fact that I've been putting these these kids on here these these people who are up and coming I see the talent and I put them on and then all of a sudden they're in the bigs making a name for themselves I'm like man I had you on here when you were just you know absolutely you know it's that's a that's a big part of it is is giving back to the that that younger group and those up and coming guys man. Oh yeah oh yeah so so I I finally hit the bullet and and and doing it going to make a couple runs but it's all gonna be on my dime but just to get that card man it's like amateur or not I I get to see these kids that are making a name for themselves the ones that put in the work and want to get on to bigger and better things and man that's what I love. I love seeing these kids just work work put them on there and get the opportunity to do what they do and oh definitely and it uh some of these kids they man they they do have the heart for it these these real young kids and you know

SPEAKER_00 44:00

I know that kind of contradicts what I said earlier about the younger guys, but there's a handful of them.

SPEAKER_01 44:06

Yeah, no, there is. And that's I mean, I mean, dude, I've I could name a few, you know, and and just know like the other people that are that caught on and are putting them on podcasts and you know, cowboy channel or other things. And and I catch on. I'm like, hey, I knew this kid. I know him. I remember no one even had him on, you know, and it gave him a chance, and now you know he's almost rookie of the year, you know. And yeah, it it's good, it it feels good. That's what I do for, man. I don't do it for recognition, I just do it because the love of the game, of the the the athletes that are out there. The the they're hell of an athlete, man. And I just absolutely I like seeing it, I see what they do. I don't do it myself, but I know what it means and how how to do it and how to go for it. But dude, they they're doing it and going for it. And here I am talking to a a legend himself, man.

SPEAKER_00 45:03

So you know, I keep hearing guys throw that word out there, you know it.

SPEAKER_01 45:12

Dude, you're you're you're a legend, man. And and and a lot of people in in the DMs say that. Whenever I I share or put you on and they listen to the episode three years ago, they still, you know, talk about you.

SPEAKER_00 45:28

That how that's how I I appreciate that, and you know it uh it's definitely a humbling thing to hear that because you know you never know what tomorrow holds, only the good lord knows what tomorrow holds, and it can it can all come and go just as quick as it started and you you just can't take that stuff for granted. So that so to hear hear that, hear people refer to me as that, you know. That uh I mean I it's I can't help but just laugh and be thankful.

SPEAKER_01 46:07

Yeah, man. Well, you've changed a lot of lives, man. These these kids look up to you. You you don't look 36. I probably don't look 44, but you know, it you know, no, you don't.

SPEAKER_00 46:20

I mean, you know, I get I catch a lot of flat because I'm one of the older bullfighters around, but you know, like I tell everybody, you're only as old as you feel. And man, I I feel like I'm in 21, just raring to go. Let's let's float another 50 and and keep the show rolling.

SPEAKER_01 46:40

Well, just be careful, you know, low-crawling bulls and knees. Come on, man, just be careful, just be careful out there, all right. These kids want you around, all right? And your kids want you around, and I want you around, and I want to see you work until you're 50 or until the body says I can't do it, okay?

SPEAKER_03 46:59

Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_01 47:02

All right, all

Final Thoughts And Goodbye

SPEAKER_01 47:03

right, Riley. I appreciate your time, man. Anything you want to add?

SPEAKER_00 47:06

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_01 47:06

Anything you want to add?

SPEAKER_00 47:07

I think I think we covered a bunch of it, man. I've had a great time, and you know, let's uh been three years. Let's not let's not make it another three years.

SPEAKER_01 47:18

No, no, no, no. And and things turn out all right, you know. It might be it might be every season, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 47:25

Hey, I'm good with it. Sounds good to me. All right, Riley. Until next time, buddy. Till next time, y'all. Have a great time. Love y'all. Be good. Good Lord's got you. Go kick the day in the face. Have fun.

SPEAKER_02 47:41

All right.