Join the Community!

Bringing you everything western lifestyle, That Western Life is your go-to source of news and stories in rodeo, ranching, agriculture, agvocacy, and western lifestyle! A product of our parent company, Western Insights Media, we aim to bring you current and up-to-date information regarding the western industry, whether it be rodeo, farming, rodeo, agricultural policy, and more. The That Western Life podcast covers 50% rodeo and 50% everything, from ranching to farming to western lifestyle.

Subscribe to the That Western Life newsletter to be the first to receive updates, new stories, podcast previews, and more!

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Recent News

That Rodeo Life
Why Rodeo Queens & Western Representatives Should Understand Policy
Why Rodeo Queens & Western Representatives Should Understand Policy

Rodeo queens and Western representatives do more than celebrate a way of life—they help the public understand it. Learning the basics of agricultural policy, from public-land grazing and water rights to animal welfare and the Farm Bill, prepares emerging leaders to answer difficult questions, advocate responsibly and help shape the future of the Western industry.

Read more →
Beyond the Crown: How 25 Years of Rodeo Royalty Became a Leadership Pipeline
Beyond the Crown: How 25 Years of Rodeo Royalty Became a Leadership Pipeline

As the Benton County Fair and Rodeo queen program prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2026, its legacy reaches far beyond crowns, sashes, and public appearances. The program has become a leadership pipeline for young women in rodeo, agriculture, and the Western industry, developing skills in public speaking, horsemanship, sponsor relations, advocacy, and community representation.

Alumnae including Nicole Schrock, Rylee Henderer, and Morgan Young show how rodeo royalty can evolve into real industry leadership, especially through their work building the Larry Bell Memorial All Girls Rodeo and expanding opportunities for women in rodeo. Guided for more than 20 years by Kristi Schrock, the program’s impact is measured not just by titles earned, but by the women who return to lead, build, and create opportunity for the next generation.

Read more →
California Rodeo Salinas Wraps With a Clear Message: Rodeo Week Drives Real Economic Impact
California Rodeo Salinas Wraps With a Clear Message: Rodeo Week Drives Real Economic Impact

The 116th California Rodeo Salinas wrapped with a clear reminder that major rodeo events are no longer just four days of competition — they are full-scale economic engines. Through Big Week Bull Riding, themed performances, concerts, carnival programming, community events, and agricultural recognition, Salinas created a weeklong event model that drove tourism, hotel stays, restaurant traffic, vendor sales, seasonal employment, and regional visibility. The rodeo’s continued connection to Salinas Valley agriculture also reinforces why western events matter beyond entertainment: they support local economies, preserve cultural identity, and showcase the industries that sustain their communities.

Read more →
Hayle Gibson-Stillwell and Piper Rewrite the Calgary Stampede Record Book
Hayle Gibson-Stillwell and Piper Rewrite the Calgary Stampede Record Book

At one of rodeo’s largest stages, Hayle Gibson-Stillwell and Piper delivered a run that captured attention and re-wrote the history book of Canada’s most iconic rodeo. But it was Hailey Kinsel and her iconic mare Sister who left with the title - proving that in Calgary, the fastest run doesn’t always tell the whole story, but it does write a good one.

Read more →
That Agvocate Life
The Akawa Butte Fire is Testing Rural Emergency Capacity in Central Oregon
The Akawa Butte Fire is Testing Rural Emergency Capacity in Central Oregon

The Akawa Butte Fire near Sisters is testing Central Oregon’s capacity to evacuate residents and livestock while protecting tourism, agriculture and rural commerce.

Read more →
DOJ Egg Price Case Raises Bigger Questions About Food System Trust
DOJ Egg Price Case Raises Bigger Questions About Food System Trust

The DOJ says major egg producers coordinated to manipulate egg-price benchmarks that influence grocery and restaurant prices nationwide. The companies deny wrongdoing, but proposed settlements include $3.3 million in payments, 53 million eggs donated to food banks, and new antitrust compliance requirements. This is bigger than eggs. It is about food affordability, market concentration, and whether consumers can trust the pricing systems behind everyday groceries.

Read more →
Why USDA's SPUR Program Matters to Ranchers
Why USDA's SPUR Program Matters to Ranchers

USDA’s new SPUR program will provide up to $500 million to eligible beef processors. With the top 4 packers controlling over 80% of processing, this matters because capacity directly impacts cattle prices, beef prices, and what consumers pay at the store.

Read more →
Screwworm Is Becoming a LIvestock Story the Western World Cannot Ignore
Screwworm Is Becoming a LIvestock Story the Western World Cannot Ignore

The U.S. and Mexico just opened a $50 million sterile-fly plant to fight New World screwworm. This is not just a border story. It is a livestock-health, cattle-market, and food-security issue that ranchers should be watching closely.

Read more →
Read More
Featured
Ep. 135 - Razieme Iborra’s Journey from Rural Ohio to NYU: The Making of a Western Creative Director
Ep. 135 - Razieme Iborra’s Journey from Rural Ohio to NYU: The Making of a Western Creative Director

Razieme “Raj” Iborra joins That Western Life for a compelling conversation about Western creative direction, brand identity, horses, Hollywood, rodeo media, and the future of cowboy culture. From rural Ohio to NYU Tisch, national commercial campaigns, documentary filmmaking, and life with horses in Los Angeles, Raj offers a sharp perspective on how Western brands can evolve without losing authenticity. This episode explores why the American West is not just a place, but a feeling—and why the industry’s next era will belong to those who can translate its values with creativity, respect, and precision.

Read more →
Ep. 134 - Food Systems, Community Power, and the New Face of Agriculture with Rizpah Bellard
Ep. 134 - Food Systems, Community Power, and the New Face of Agriculture with Rizpah Bellard

Rizpah Bellard of Nova Farming joins That Western Life for a powerful conversation about agriculture as a tool for education, food access, community development, and generational change.

Raised on a Black Angus cattle ranch in Northern California, Rizpah now works at the intersection of beef production, agriculture education, public health, housing, youth development, and global food systems. Through Nova Farming, she brings hands-on agriculture education into Fresno schools, helping students understand where their food comes from and what opportunities exist inside the agriculture industry.

This episode explores Black ranching, intentional succession planning, food procurement, community leadership, agricultural representation, and why the future of the western industry depends on exposing more people to the possibilities within agriculture.

Read more →
Ep. 133 - **THAT WESTERN PULSE** We Came Back. Here’s What Actually Worked and How YOU Can Use It Today to See Change!
Business, That Western Pulse, Rodeo
Ep. 133 - **THAT WESTERN PULSE** We Came Back. Here’s What Actually Worked and How YOU Can Use It Today to See Change!
Business, That Western Pulse, Rodeo

That Western Life is officially back, but what actually worked?

Katie, Kaycie and Taylie unpack the first month of the Season 7 relaunch, including unexpected social growth, 17 new leads, the content that sparked conversation and the lessons western businesses can apply to their own marketing.

The biggest takeaway? Getting attention is only the beginning. The real challenge is turning it into an audience—and building a system capable of sustaining the growth.

From social growth and podcast downloads to content strategy, audience behavior and 17 new leads, the team shares what they learned about rebuilding a dormant brand, creating content that earns attention and building systems that can sustain growth. Plus, practical takeaways for rodeos, ranches, associations and western creators looking to strengthen their own digital presence.

Read more →
Business, That Western Pulse, Rodeo
Ep. 132 - Cattle Science, Ruminant Nutrition, and the Economics of Curiosity in Modern Agriculture with Dr. Emily Melchior of Zoetis
Ranching, Research, Education
Ep. 132 - Cattle Science, Ruminant Nutrition, and the Economics of Curiosity in Modern Agriculture with Dr. Emily Melchior of Zoetis
Ranching, Research, Education

Dr. Emily Melchior joins That Western Life to connect the dots between cattle science, ruminant nutrition, animal health, applied research, sustainability, and the future of agriculture. From growing up as a horse girl outside of agriculture to earning her PhD and supporting global cattle research, Emily brings a practical, grounded perspective on why healthy animals, curious producers, strong data, and open-minded leadership matter for the next generation of the Western industry.

Read more →
Ranching, Research, Education
Ep. 130 - Making Ag Policy Understandable with Tori Teegarden
Advocacy, Ranching, Farming, Food Systems
Ep. 130 - Making Ag Policy Understandable with Tori Teegarden
Advocacy, Ranching, Farming, Food Systems

Tori Teegarden joins That Western Life to make agriculture policy approachable for rodeo, ranching, and western lifestyle audiences. From the Farm Bill and public lands to food production, local advocacy, federal agencies, and why Washington, D.C., needs more rodeo, this episode explains why policy matters and how everyday people in agriculture can get involved.

Read more →
Advocacy, Ranching, Farming, Food Systems

That Western Life Podcast

The That Western Life podcast invites listeners to join in for a weekly conversation with Western industry professionals and rodeo athletes who share the inside scoop on all things rodeo. We tell the story of the Western lifestyle and welcome new fans, sponsors and brands to the sport that we love so much. Find the podcast anywhere you stream podcasts or listen directly to each new episode right here on our site.

Follow @ThatWesternLife on Instagram