For some rodeo may be a thing of folklore, country songs and television sports highlights but for Seth Barclay of Camdenton, Mo., professional rodeo is living in the Ozarks. “I’ve raised cattle all my life,” Seth explained recently, standing outside the corral on a part of his land in rural Camden County. “Right now I’ve got 30 big bulls and 30 young bulls as well as about 50 rodeo bred cows. The bulls are a mix of White Park and Long Horns.” White Park, an English breed with roots that trace back over centuries that looks like its American counterpart, the legendary Texas Long Horns, only all white. “We raise them on about 5,000 acres, on several parcels of land, throughout Camden County.”
“I met Owen Washburn, a former PBR (Professional Bull Riders) champion for over 10 years and 1996 World Champion, a few years ago. We bought some bulls together and have been working together ever since. Most of my bulls are down on his ranch in New Mexico right now since we just finished up the 2012 World Championship competition in Las Vegas in late October. We were in Cheyenne, Wyo., last year, where we won and we’ll be at the Cowan Civic Center in Lebanon, Mo., on January 5 in the Horizon Championship Bull Riding series. It’s part of the Show Me State Shootout and we’ll even have a live concert afterwards so it should be a great family show.”
Like any other agricultural pursuit, Seth is the first to admit this is a seven-day-a-week enterprise. “If I’m not hauling bulls, raising or selling, I’m out there promoting bull riding,” he answered with a grin when asked what he does in addition to raising championship bulls.
“Probably my best bull is one named Gameface, a 6-year-old. He has a kind of unique story in that he came originally from an Indian reservation in the southwest as a 3-year-old. He’s a big old stout bull with a lot of power. That’s what makes him good, that and the fact that he’s smart. If something isn’t working, he’ll switch it up, change it and that’s what makes the challenge. A good bull has got to have a good heart. I’ve seen a lot of bulls that get rode once or twice and then they’re done. It’s like it breaks their spirit,” he explained the essence of a good bucking bull.
Bull riding is the most dangerous of the various rodeo sports. This single event accounts for up to 50 percent of all injuries on the rodeo circuit. “That’s what attracts people to bull riding,” Seth added.
“There’s been a lot of changes in the sport in recent years. Just about everybody – all the riders – wear a helmet these days instead of a cowboy hat. Ten years ago, you never saw that. And of course, they’re required to wear a vest nowadays, too. It’s just smart business really. If you stay healthy, you ride longer, more years and make more money. The bulls are better these days than in the past. They are bred to buck so we keep the best-of-the-best in the sport.”
When asked his prime advice for someone wanting to break into the rodeo bull business, Seth smiled. “To be patient,” he said. “Get a good set of 2-year-old bulls, futurities you know. You’ll see a faster profit if and when you win. The competitions for 2-year-old bulls use dummies. That’s how we test them. They don’t use riders on them until they’re 3 and some folks even wait until they’re 4. They need to mature because when they’re younger, they are so wild.
“All my cows are out of the same bull, Red Alert, who has set multiple arena records in the past. All my calves for 2013 came from Gameface who will be at the national finals rodeo in Las Vegas in December. We raise and sell all year round so I have cows and bulls for sale any time. We’re in this for the long haul if we don’t go broke first.” He finished with a laugh as he climbed back into his pickup truck to go round up a few more bulls.
