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“The main goal should just be to do well at added. “You also need a good group of matter what it is you are doing. I think that is
the rodeos you are at. If you do that it won’t people to rodeo with. They are the people why people hang on and stay out here.”
matter which ones you hit throughout the who keep you hyped up because there will be
year,” Reeves explained. “You also need one days that you are not. The road to Vegas is a Developing a short memory and mindset
good lick that injects between $8,000 and group effort for sure.” to attempt perfection on every run is key to
$15,000 into your standings. It changes being mentally tough on the rodeo road to
things drastically.” The health factor of all athletes involved is the NFR. It is the minute differences setting
possibly the most difficult part of the entire the top 15 apart at the end of the day.
In 2018, that rodeo came early for Reeves. He endeavor. Horses were never meant to fly
split $100,000 when he won the American. down the Interstate in a tin can, and most “It is frustrating, and it will wear on you
knees are not equipped to stop a moving mentally,” Reeves explained. “You have to
With about 30 rodeos that pay so well steer going more than 20 miles an hour. grow up enough to know that you are not
competitors cannot afford to miss them, going to be perfect every time out but to still
some of the main ones include Fort Worth, “I think keeping everything healthy is about shoot for it.”
Cody, San Antonio, and Denver. But that the hardest thing in the world,” Reeves said.
barely scratches the surface. “My good horse got hurt in Calgary [in 2018]. After winning more than half a million
He basically just twisted his ankle really bad, dollars in just two rodeos early in the 2018
“The worst part about this job is the driving, so he will be fine. But I rode a young horse season, Reeves took a little bit of a dive.
I really do not like to drive,” Reeves said. “I for the rest of the year, she is younger than Small pieces go wrong and keep him out of
passenger a lot more than I drive. I rodeo you would think could rodeo at this level.” the money, but with grit between his teeth
with six other guys in my truck and trailer. and hat pulled tight, he jumps off another
Sometimes we are all together at the same Fixing problems on the fly is an added level horse and wrestles with the demons of the
time traveling.” of difficulty to this road. Taking the time to go rodeo road keeping him from the NFR.
home and work on something with a horse
On a trip back from California last year, there or the athlete is not possible with the packed Thanks to Reeves’ big win at the American
were 11 competitors all traveling together. schedule of an NFR-hopeful. in 2018, he said it was probably his best
Lots of competitors take their entire families year of rodeo yet. The last nine weeks of
down the road with them. This is no longer “You have to practice while you run those the season he didn’t back off the barrier as
the case for Reeves. horses for money and find places to work he made his final efforts to breach the top
them for even just a minute sometimes,” fifteen. He fell short in 2018, but 2019 is
“Being gone is hard,” Reeves said with the Reeves said. “Keeping them sharp is hard different story. He heads to Las Vegas in the
kind of sadness in his voice only reserved for when you are trying to fix stuff right there in 12th hole.
the most sobering moments of life. “My wife the middle of it all.”
loved to rodeo and she liked to win, but she At the end of the day, Reeves said one of the
did not like to be gone. We have kids now If it weren’t for the horses, Reeves said he few things he gets to keep from all this are
and she works at home. The kind of miles would have hung his hat up a long time ago. the friends he makes on the journey.
and hours we put on just traveling is hard on He enjoys watching horses come into their
a competitor and hard on their family.” own and become elite athletes. The six-year- THE ROAD TO THE JUNIOR NFR
old mare Reeves is using in place of his usual It is no secret that every kid bitten by the
Taking the time to travel to Calgary proved mount is proving how fun good horses really rodeo bug dreams of the day they ride for
to be the best move for Reeves’ career and are to compete on. the title of world champion. For a lucky
family. Not only did he win the rodeo in 2018, few, that day comes a whole lot sooner
he also got to spend seven days with his Like any honest athlete, winning is also what as the Junior National Finals Rodeo kicks
family. keeps this cowboy out on the road, chasing off its third year at the Thomas and Mack.
world titles. Ringing in more than 600 competitors,
“One thing people don’t understand is that ranging in age between 8-18, in 2017,
you have to have an understanding family “Winning is like a drug, it is the highest high the competition is fierce, and the stakes
to do this job and travel this road,” Reeves you can get,” Reeves said. “Winning is fun no are high.

A hazer waiting for a nod, but also a go round winner at the
NFR 2016 at the Woodward Elks Rodeo in Woodward, OK.
Photo by Annie Jo Gilbert of Roan Pony Productions.

10 Rodeo LIFE