Bull riding bucks take toll on cowboys
Posted on Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Chance Smart, a bull rider from Philadelphia, Miss., said he spent close to $ 50, 000 on the rodeo circuit last year. He spent $ 15, 000 on entry fees alone. Then there's the price of meals, hotels, gear and in Smart's case, airline tickets.
He flew from a rodeo in Oregon to ride in the 63 th annual Rodeo of the Ozarks in Springdale on Tuesday and from here will continue to Wisconsin.
At 23 years old, Smart has been riding professionally for four years. This is his first year with sponsors. His sponsorships, Stace Smith and Pearl River Resort, help cover some of the costs he incurs throughout the year. Even so, Smart still has to put in his own money up front and hope he does well enough to make a profit or least break even.
"Sponsors only cover so much," he said. "But with bull riding, you can make pretty good money."
Smart, who just got married in March, said he's bought a truck, a piece of land and a house on his earnings.
"I'm able to provide for my family," he said.
Ranked number two, Smart is listed on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Web site as earning $ 71, 437 in 36 rodeos. The top earner, B. J. Schumacher, made $ 89, 414 in 29 rodeos.
Still, Smart tries to catch a break when he can, cutting down on travel expenses by jumping in with other cowboys who are headed in the same direction.
"I'll probably try to catch a ride from here," he said.
This time of the year means more frequent paychecks. The Rodeo Cowboys Association sanctions 90 rodeos between June 29 and July 25. Thirty-two of those are held July 2 through July 8.
Benton Gonzales, a 19-year-old bull rider from Donie, Texas, said he rides in two to three rodeos a week during the summer. This weekend, he will ride in five.
A third-generation bull rider, Gonzales said he would ride every night if he could.
While he is hoping to get a sponsor, until then he has to come up with the $ 275 entry fee on his own. There is also the expense of custom-made gear - $ 600 for his chaps and $ 350 for his vest. Spurs cost about $ 100, and a good bull rope runs about $ 300.
Gonzales also saves on expenses by traveling with a partner. They arrived in Springdale on Monday from Pecos, Texas, and will stay one night before heading to a rodeo in Belton, Texas. The more rodeos they can fit in, the better chance they have of getting paid.
If he places in the top eight, Gonzales could earn between $ 500 and $ 5, 000.
But while waiting to get on a fairly large bull named King Author on Tuesday night, he's not really thinking about the money.
"I just hope I'm still on him when the whistle blows," he said.
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