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See the WRCA’s top and current news.

Official 25th World Championship Ranch Rodeo Qualified Ranch Teams

Another regular season is in the books, and with that, here’s the official list of teams that have qualified for the WCRR! Thompson Ranch; Munday, TX, qualified; at Wild Horse Prairie Days Ranch Rodeo Singleton Ranches; Lamy, NM; qualified at Fort Sumner Ranch Rodeo Sandhill Cattle Co. / McMillen Ranch; Earth, ... … Read More

historic cowboy myth

Top 25 Reasons to Be a Cowboy | #4: The Myth

The idea that within the cowboy icon there exists myth rubs modern-day punchers the wrong way. To suggest that there is falsehood surrounding our chosen profession in the form of myths is understandably offensive. However, I believe there is unquestionably a strong cowboy mythology and hope to—in 400 words or ... … Read More

Top 25 Reasons to Be a Cowboy | #5: Horses

We’ve reached rarified air, unveiling the top 5 in our top 25 reasons to be a cowboy in honor of the 25th Annual World Championship Ranch Rodeo this Nov. 12–15 in Amarillo, Texas. As this list unfolds, I will say that any of these top 5 could be arranged in any order and I wouldn’t argue with you. But for number 5, ... … Read More

Top 25 Reasons to Be a Cowboy | #6: The World Championship Ranch Rodeo

On September 17, the Working Ranch Cowboys Association announced that the World Championship Ranch Rodeo would still happen—with some tweaks to meet the state’s social distancing and capacity restrictions. First, it’s necessary to give credit to the WRCA staff and board who worked tirelessly through myriad ... … Read More

Top 25 Reasons to Be a Cowboy|#7: The Duds

A big brimmed hat, tall-topped boots, long sleeve shirt, denim britches, and spurs jingling: the cowboy get-up is pretty simple. But within those few parameters lies multitudes. To the uninitiated, those basic duds only mean one thing: a cowboy. Line up a buckaroo from Nevada, a puncher from Texas, an Arizona hand, a ... … Read More

Top Reasons to Be a Cowboy | #8: The Purpose

Perhaps the purpose of ranching should be the No. 1 reason to be a cowboy. I think the reason it’s not ranked higher is as cowboys and ranchers we’re so separated from the ultimate consumer of our products that we lose sight of our job’s significance. Now, that doesn’t diminish its importance, but perhaps it does ... … Read More

Top Reasons to Be a Cowboy | #9: The Roping

Watching any WRCA rodeo, a spectator has the chance to see exceptional roping. In the stray gathering, for instance, when a top hand on his best horse falls in behind a fresh yearling steer, takes two swings, throws his loop around the steer’s neck—the tip curling enough to slap the critter’s hip—and pulls the ... … Read More

Top Reasons to Be a Cowboy | #10: The Challenges

A Top 25 list is, by design, set up to ignore the negative aspects of the subject being ranked. However, we’re shaking things up and presenting the challenges of cowboy life as the 10th best reason to live this life. I’ll certainly not address every challenge cowboys and ranchers face. But here’s a quick look at ... … Read More

Top 25 Reasons to Be a Cowboy | #11: The Music

In Lonesome Dove, as Gus and Call are riding down the street after a dustup in a local saloon in San Antonio, Gus says, “Call, I guess they forgot us. The reason is, we didn’t die. If a thousand Comanches had cornered us in some gully and wiped us out, like the Sioux just done Custer, they’d write songs about us for ... … Read More

Klay Waters of the K Bar Cattle & Billy’s Creek Ranch team makes a run with the milk bottle while his teammates get the head loop off in the wild cow milking Saturday night. Their time was 40.31 seconds.

Top 25 Reasons to Be a Cowboy | #12: Wild Cow Milking

With apologies to Randy Lewis, I don’t care what any ranch rodeo announcer has ever said over the loudspeaker. Wild cow milking is not a common, everyday occurrence on the ranch. While every other sanctioned event in the WRCA has strong roots in ranch work, the idea that cowboys rope and milk wild range cows regularly ... … Read More