Bares and Broncs Futurity

Bares and Broncs Futurity

I’m KayDee Gilkey with today’s Open Range.

Similar to spotlighting rookie cowboys, on Saturday May 18th at the Ellensburg at the fairgrounds the 6th annual Bares and Broncs Futurity will highlight some young fresh new talent on the rough stock rodeo circuit -- young horses that is.

Daniel Beard, fourth generation stock contractor, shares more the futurity.

Beard: “A showcase for bucking horses, especially those 4 to 5 year old horses that are beginning their rodeo careers.”

Beard explains that although usually the focus is on the cowboy competing during rodeo events, this event shifts the focus

Beard: “But our event is really shifting the focus on to the horses and the breeding programs and the generations that go into raising rodeo performers on the equine side -- on the horse side. And getting some recognition for the animals just as much for the cowboys.”

Beard shares when his great-grandfather began in the rodeo stock contract business, he purchased ornery farm horses that didn’t cooperate in pulling a plow or wagon to become broncs. My how the stock contract business has changed since the days when farming was run by TRUE horse power.

Beard: “It use to be the rodeo use to pick up the rotten ones, from other people but that’s not the case anymore. It’s horses that were raised with genealogy of generations of bucking talent in them.”

The Daily Record Bares and Broncs Futurity will be held on the same weekend as the 41st Annual Western Art Show and the Central Washington Art of Wine Competition in Ellensburg.