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Q&A
ATHLETES
WITH PRO ATHLETES
During the 4th of July, aka “Cowboy Christmas”, we see
rodeo athletes darting from one rodeo to another, soaking
up the competition with hundreds of rodeos held across
the country during the week. However, with little sleep and
hundreds of miles travelled surely not everything goes to
plan. Rodeo Fame thought we’d share some funny 4th of
July stories from some of your favorite rough stock guys.
CHUCK SWISHER – WNFR Bull Fighter
A big group of friends and I once drove mopeds (scooters) 120 miles in
one day up the highest paved road in the world, in Estes Park, over
the 4th of July. It took the whole day because going up we were
driving at 8mph but coming down was about 40mph.”
CODY ANGLAND
– Australian Saddle Bronc Rider
We accidentally left one of our travelling partners, Toby Collins, at a
gas station before realizing 10 minutes down the road. He had been
asleep on the bed in the back of the van and we stopped to fuel
up, got back in and continued to drive. While we were in the gas
station, Toby had actually hopped out too and we didn’t realize
and took off. Luckily we noticed only 10 minutes down the
road, because his phone and everything was in the van.”
ROB SMETS
aka THE KAMIKAZA KID
5X World Champion Bull Fighter
I worked the same rodeos for years over the 4th of July but one year after another bullfighter got
hurt I was asked to work two rodeos in the area not too far from each other. The way they ran the
rodeos was a bit backwards to accommodate rodeo athletes travelling to multiple rodeos in a few
days. So once I got done with the first rodeo, I jumped in my truck to race to the next one but got
pulled over on the way. Sitting there in full make-up the cop asked question after question after
question until I finally said ‘Sir are you going to give me a ticket or not.’ He, of course, then continued
to talk asking if I wanted a ticket to which obviously I replied ‘no’ but he held me for a while longer
before letting me go. I pulled into the rodeo three barrel racers before the bull riding started.”
So my younger brother, Tad, turned 14 years old on July 2nd and I thought I had this great idea to go pick him up
and have him drive Tate Stratton and I during the 4th of July run. In Iowa you can get your learners driving permit
at 14 as long as a legal guardian or chaperone is with them; we thought we scored a free driver for the week.
After days no sleep Tad got thrown into the driver’s seat of a 1999 Dodge conversion van on I-40 in Northeast
Oklahoma and was told to drive West; we passed out. Hours later when we woke we asked how it all went
and he asked what all the traffic booths were along the road. Well they were toll booths in which he ran every
single one of them which later I got the fines in the mail. It didn’t end there though. Later in the week he forgot
his luggage in Freedom, OK and also left his billfold, which had his photo ID in it, at the McDonalds in Phoenix
International Airport. So what started as a great idea, turned out to be an expensive but fond memory."
14
SUMMER 2015
•
rodeofame.com
JAY MORROW
Professional Bull Rider
WRITTEN BY KATIE BARTLETT