That Western Life

Welcome to Part I of our Western History deep dives with our resident That Western Life historian Katie Surritt and co-host Katie Schrock. Make sure to tune in bi-monthly for all things western lifestyle on the That Western Life Podcast. 

Summary: Starting with the first arrival of cattle to the Hawaiian Islands, the That Western Life team take a deep dive into the history of the Paniolo and the Hawaiian ranching and rodeo cul...

It's time for the start of Season 6 of the That Western Life podcast and we are excited to bring back your co-hosts Katie Schrock & Rachel Owens-Sarno. Season 6 will also include co-hosts Saddle Bronc Rider Joe Harper & Western Historian Katie Surritt. 

In this episode: 

• Breakdown of the State of the PRCA Address by CEO Tom Glause
  • Number of members, permits, rookies, rodeos, performances and payouts
  • July...

There's been a new movement in the past year regarding rodeo athletes placing an emphasis on athlete as a big part of their budding career success. Natasha McCann grew up an athlete before a major injury sidelined her from her collegiate dreams. A resilient young lady, Natasha became a buckaroo riding colts and then, on the side, got her EMT license and worked in an ambulance. Her passion for fitn...

Rookie Saddle Bronc Rider Q Taylor is on the hunt for his first National Finals Rodeo - no small feat for a first year professional rodeo cowboy! The 21 year-old Casper, Wyoming, native had a stellar permit year in 2022, and is one of the great young guns that the That Western Life podcast team is following through the 2023 season. 

Currently sitting #2 in the Resistol Rookie Standings, Q dives into his upbringing, his rodeo s...

To sit down with the iconic brand of Wrangler has been on our podcast bucket list for quite some time and we were fortunate enough to have the Vice President and General Manager of Wrangler Western Wear, Allen Montgomery, on the podcast for a unique insight into rodeo's largest apparel brand.

Not only do we discuss the history of Wrangler, who they build their pr...

EXCLUSIVE

As JR Robles entered Round 3 of Road to the Horse, the first time competitor wasn't showing any nerves. In fact, cool as a cucumber (on the outside), JR was sitting undefeated in any round he had competed in in the horse starting competition after winning every round and the Wild Card Competition months previously in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as the two rounds leading up to the finale at the Road to the Horse.

That was a...

This episode is brought to you by COWGIRL Magazine who will be celebrating their 2023 COWGIRL Magazine 30 Under 30 Honorees  at the Gala at The Drover Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, this March. This amazing event is in it's fourth year with That Western Life podcast co-host Katie Schrock being a 2021 honoree. 

This year, the COWGIRL 30 Under 30 events will host a breakout brunch session Saturday midday which will feature a f...

While this title may allude to all things breeding barns on our current trend of breeding season and derby/futurity horse preparation, this episode is so much more than this. Co-Host Katie Schrock first met Rachel Pozzi through online Facebook Group resources regarding sprint horses, Appaloosa's, and rodeo horses.

Rachel jumps on the show with Katie and TWL co-host Rachel Owens-Sarno to chat all things breeding, how to manage it, t...

When it comes to the history of the American Cowboy, modern media has painted the picture to look one way, when the reality shows that enslaved African Americans known as "Cow Boys" were truly the icons that changed the west, creating a unique equalizer post Emancipation Proclamation.

Katie Surritt & Katie Schrock take a deep dive into the history of African ...

It's that time of the year when we start planning out what will be hitting the ground in the following year. Whether it's for the futurity or derby pens or you're looking to spruce up your rodeo string - Outback Stallion Station in Caldwell, Idaho, has an impressive roster of stallions and breeding options to help you make those dreams a reality!

Whitley Sharp is the manager and a partner of Outba...

If you know us, you know that we are obsessed with anything related to stats with rodeo and, thanks to the Facebook algorithm, we found a like-minded individual in Amber Case during the 2022 National Finals Rodeo. We dive into the statistics of racehorses barrel racing as a second career, the best stock in the barrel pens today, and some of the work it takes to be a producer.

Jona Robles didn't start in the horse world, in fact, he only got started with horses when he was trying to impress a girl. A former professional basketball player and walk-on kicker for the University of Oregon, Jona had his degree in psychology and thought he'd always use that degree. But his education, combined with his physical athleticism, made horses an exciting challenge and one that he started to find success in quickly.

Le...

Joe Harper & Katie Schrock break down the first two rounds of the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada, and place their Round 3 predictions. When it comes to rodeo, Stetson Jorgensen is doing exactly what he said he would do: be consistent. Caleb Smidt is putting on a CLINIC despite the fact he only practiced once before the NFR. Additionally, Joe breaks down the bronc matchups we will s...

We don't talk about Bruno?

You might not, but we definitely do here on the That Western Life podcast when it comes to first time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Kade Bruno.

Raised by a bull riding father, Kade switched to the sport of saddle bronc and it has paid off well for him. After an explosive 2022 season, Kade takes the t...

Heading towards his fourth consecutive National Finals Rodeo sitting number one in the world, Idaho's own Stetson Jorgensen didn't always steer wrestle.

In fact, he beat out fellow NFR bull riding qualifier Garrett Smith for the Idaho High School Rodeo bull riding title when they were first getting their careers started.

Mounted...

When it comes to making the National Finals Rodeo in December in Las Vegas, Nevada, there is a lot more strategy that goes into play than most people would ever realize - even those that may consider themselves high level rodeo fans.

Diving deep into the impacts of rodeo counts, rodeo rule changes, rodeo administration and more, saddle bronc rider Joe Harper and ...

The Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund will always hold a special place in our hearts for its impact on the professionalism of pro rodeo, as well as the work Justin Boots does to take care of our contestants and athletes not only in the arena, but outside of the arena walls as well. We dive into the history of the JCCF, the brand that is Justin Boots, and the founding people of the Justin Sports Medicine T...