The That Western Life podcast is hosted by Katie Schrock, Rachel Owens-Sarno, Katie Surritt, and Joe Harper! Join us weekly for great conversations about rodeo and the western lifestyle.
Season 6 is gearing up for the Top 5 Rodeo Sports Podcast That Western Life with co-hosts Katie Schrock, Rachel Owens-Sarno, Katie Surritt, and Joe Harper. Join us as we recap the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo & Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Annual Convention and dive into our predictions for 2024 with a preview of the 2024 podcasting season.
Read MoreTo 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 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 products after, but also their upcoming tends with Yellowstone and Coconut Cowboys. Additionally, we talk to them about the marketing behind the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and what that week is like for them as a team to prepare for the biggest stage in the western world.
Read MoreWhen we first interview JR Robles after his amazing Wild Card Round win in Fort Worth for the Road to the Horse, we knew that we wanted to chat with him after his time in Kentucky. It seemed that JR was destined for greatness but the truth of that matter? None of us could have predicted what would happen next! While JR may not have won the entire event in Kentucky, he set the horse world on fire and put Road to the Horse back on the map in all of the best ways!
Read MoreKiah Twisselman Burchett is a sixth-generation rancher from San Luis Obispo, California, whose love for the beef industry took her to a job for the Beef! It’s What For Dinner team at the Kentucky Beef Council. There she was trained in media and the beef industry on a national and professional level - something that would come in handy when her entire life changed with just the shift of her mindset. From PEOPLE Magazine to The Kelly Clarkson Show to being the upcoming Keynote at the COWGIRL Magazine 30 Under 30’s first ever Girl Talk breakout session, Kiah is a positive light in the western industry helping people break toxic fad trends and changing their lives for the longterm and the better!
Read MoreWhile 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, tips for the industry, how to price your foals, and Rachel (Pozzi's) thoughts on improving the horse industry as a whole.
As Rachel Pozzi says, "Your kids are fine, but your egos might not be!"
Read MoreWhen 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 American cow boys and the impacts they have had on the west, cattle drives, and rodeo as we know it.
Read MoreIf 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.
Read MoreIt’s been a wild 2022 and we are so grateful for everyone that has joined our show as a guest, field reporter or an avid listener! Thank you to all of you and we look forward to an exciting 2023! We break down the 2022 NFR, the year end results, and some of our thoughts on predictions for rodeo and world title winners for 2023!
Read MoreThe 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 Team. Additionally, we chat with Cowboy Romance Author Shanna Hatfield regarding her writing career and how a percentage of her book sale proceeds every October 1st through Christmas Eve goes directly to the JCCF.
Read MoreAlden Stehly is a the third-generation of her family to be a part of the Thoroughbred Racehorse scene. Her great grandfather was the first to catch the bug after owning stockyards throughout southern California and being asked to auctioneer for a racehorse sale. He changed the game of racehorse auctions from slower paced, art gallery style bidding, to the cadence and energy that we are familiar with from the cattle sales pens.
Alden's father joined the profession as well and her mother created a legacy for herself as a pinhooker who created great horses ready to be topped (or ridden). A pinhooker is someone who takes a weanling and then grows/trains them out to a yearling, or a yearling to a two-year-old. Alden has followed her parents' profession as a pinhooker.
Alden discusses all things Kentucky Derby from the controversies, the celebrities, the fashion, and, most importantly, the horses.
Read more at https://www.ThatWesternLife.com/podcast/episode105.
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Today's hosts are Katie Schrock & Rachel Owens-Sarno.
Read MoreKim Rounds first came on our show at the start of Season 3 and is back for a second round as a part of our collaboration with COWGIRL Magazine's 30 Under 30 Program. A specialty beef programs manager and all beef exports listed under her job title at 5 Rivers Cattle Feeders, Kim's also in charge of social media and other outreach such as facility tours. As of late, Kim's hard work has been recognized in a multitude of 30 Under 30 and 40 Under 40 awards, making her the unplanned face of the ranching (and female ranching) industry throughout Colorado and America.
Kim's background with the western lifestyle has stemmed from a lifelong love of cattle and horses. A show jumper turned reined cowhorse competitor, Kim's need for speed and adrenaline has created a newfound passion in the world of cowhorse where her and her great mare, Stevie, have won countless awards. As a part of that passion, however, Kim has continued to learn more and more about the cowhorse industry - even creating an Excel spreadsheet on cowhorse studs that would rival co-host Katie Schrock's National Finals Rodeo spreadsheets!
Join for the fun, horse marketing and cowhorse industry information, and all things cattle industry with your That Western Life podcast co-hosts, Katie Schrock and Rachel Owens-Sarno, for the kick off of Season 4!
Read more on the blog at https://www.ThatWesternLife.com/podcast/episode104.
Learn more about the COWGIRL Magazine 30 Under 30 and all of their efforts to promote women in the western industry here --> https://www.COWGIRLMagazine.com.
Read MorePendleton Round Up was forced to miss the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to add salt in the wound, they had won seven consecutive ProRodeo Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year. In 2021, they were back and better than ever - reclaiming their title at the 2021 PRCA Awards Banquet. But it was no small feat and Pendleton President Randy Bracher shares how they overcame the challenges and difficulties that held them up for the 2021 event.
Read MoreBryce Albright, the young and tenacious executive director of the Dude Ranchers’ Association, may only be 25 years old but a childhood spent working on Dude Ranches and being involved in FFA helped shape her to who she is today. Bryce joins us for a second episode on the podcast, this time as a part of the COWGIRL Magazine 30 Under 30 2021 class - an honor that she couldn’t believe she won! Bryce chats about the current positive impacts that the economy during a global pandemic has had for the Dude Ranch members, as well as ideas for a girls retreat this winter, and what it means to be nearing their one hundred year anniversary as a trade association.
Read MorePeyton Bennight has a long history and passion for the western industries of rodeo and ranching - being raised in a sale barn and living on a cattle ranch will do that. Always on the move and working hard, Peyton takes us through her career post college at Texas A&M University, covering her background as an animal husbandry expert for monkeys, teaching agriculture at her high school alma mater, and then becoming the rodeo specialist for YETI. Her passion for horses, cattle, rodeo and ranching all comes through in this fun conversation full of laughs and good stories!
Read MoreShelby Winchell is one of the more unique guests to come on the podcast as a combination of competitor, rodeo coach and educator. If you’re ready to dive deep into the analytics of college rodeo both as a competitor and as a coach, this episode will open your eyes to the opportunities that high school and college rodeo can provide youth competitors today.
Read MoreShaina Zollman grew up in the cowboy town of Pendleton, Oregon, and went on to follow in her families legacy of Pendleton Round-Up participation and volunteerism when she was a part of their court as first a princess and then the queen. After her years as a titleholder, she got involved with cow horses and, after graduating from Oregon State University with a Wildlife Biology degree, she found her passion of education and content creation with her boyfriend, Dusty. Together they created HorsePro.TV where Shaina took Dusty’s idea and learned all the technology needed to make it a reality. She does all of the content strategy, video creation, and membership outreach and management for their online database of fundamental equine training programs.
Read MoreBrandi Phillips is a hardworking, passionate cowgirl dedicated to keeping the sport of trick riding and trick roping alive. While once a rodeo event, cultures have shifted leaving trick riding in the hands of women and specifically a mentorship training camp called the Riata Ranch. A product of the program, Brandi still gives back today, as she has traveled the globe both with the team and individually, training with her mentor Jennifer Nicholson.
Read MoreOwner of McFarland Productions, Natalie McFarland was named to COWGIRL Magazine's inaugural 30 Under 30 class in 2020. A passionate advocate for all things agriculture, her company may be best known for it's video work but her entire team works hard to provide a one-stop shop for all things digital in the western world!
Read MoreToday’s guest is someone that we have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to introduce to our listeners and that is someone who is making one of the biggest differences for women in the western industries. If you have listened to any of our episodes or read our blogs, you have heard us talk about the COWGIRL Magazine 30 Under 30 program and today the CEO and Editor of COWGIRL Magazine’s Ken Amorosano is on the show today. We dive into all things COWGIRL Magazine and Ken’s career trajectory to owning the magazine, as well as the COWGIRL 30 Under 30 program and application process, and their 2021 model search!
Read MoreThey ride horses, rope calves, buck broncos, ride and fight bulls, and even wrestle steers. They are Black cowboys, and the legacies of their pursuits intersect with those of America's struggle for racial equality, human rights, and social justice.
Keith Ryan Cartwright brings to life the stories of such pioneers as Cleo Hearn, the first Black cowboy to professionally rope in the Rodeo Cowboy Association; Myrtis Dightman, who became known as the Jackie Robinson of Rodeo after being the first Black cowboy to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo; and Tex Williams, the first Black cowboy to become a state high school rodeo champion in Texas.
Black Cowboys of Rodeo: Unsung Heroes from Harlem to Hollywood and the American West author Keith Ryan Cartwright talks about his unlikely career in the PBR from the world of entertainment to the production of this pivotal book. Black Cowboys of Rodeo is a collection of one hundred years of stories, told by these revolutionary Black pioneers themselves and set against the backdrop of Reconstruction, Jim Crow, segregation, the civil rights movement, and eventually the integration of a racially divided country.
