Rodeo is a Spanish term meaning gathering place of cattle; a roundup. Its roots go as far back as the sixteenth century when the Spanish conquistadors and Spanish-Mexicans introduced and propagated horses and cattle to the American Southwest. By the early 1700s, ranching had made its way into Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Native Mexican cowboys, Vaqueros—Spanish word vaca meaning cow—were hired by ranchers to raise cattle and other livestock. By the late 1700s, these Spanish cattlemen started settling in California on their own ranches. The Vaqueros were renowned for their superior roping, riding, horsemanship, and herding skills. Today’s professional rodeo cowboy is a bit different from his predecessor from the 1800s, but that same spirit lives on in today’s rodeo scene. 

At Fay Ranches, our roots are intertwined with the legacy of rodeo; many of our brokers were, or still are rodeo athletes. Many of our agents raise their families in the sport. They bring the hard work and dedication forged in the rodeo ring into everything they do, whether that be driving miles and miles to compete or show a property to a client. It is when these two passions combine that we know we have a ranch brokerage with a rodeo problem.

Today, rodeos are held all across the world and while you may think of them as just rural gatherings, many are actually held in larger cities and attract millions of fans. Rodeo has experienced tremendous growth in membership, national exposure (thanks to you, social media), and traditional media coverage. Sports media broadcaster giant, ESPN, showcases rodeos on their channel and another great network highlighting Western disciplines and rodeo events is the Cowboy Channel. With today’s technology, you can catch your favorite re-ride story at any time! If you didn’t catch the Inaugural Yellowstone Riggin Rally, hosted by the Steiner Family and sponsored by Fay Ranches in Darby, Montana, you can catch the recap here. 

The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) Super Bowl of Rodeos, founded in 1959, is held each year for 10 days in December. Since 1984, folks have gathered to watch world champions earn their crown in Las Vegas, Nevada. To comply with all health and safety protocols, this year, the NFR is headed back to its roots: Texas. “The health and safety of the fans, cowboys, and cowgirls are of the highest priority, and we are grateful to the participating organizations for their work to put together a comprehensive plan that will allow everyone to enjoy a safe and fun event,” said Allen Montgomery, Vice President General Manager, Wrangler Western Wear. It’s a great get-together for all rodeo families; a rodeo family reunion you look forward to every year. Cowboy Christmas also takes place during this time, it is the largest Western tradeshow event and is not for the faint of heart, your boots better be made for walking. 

Fay Ranches Sponsors Athletes at the 2020 WNFR | Riding For The Brand

If there is one thing that we can walk away from the 2020 year, it is the value of camaraderie. Fay Ranches’ culture was built on camaraderie nearly 30 years ago. Similar to the rodeo network, each individual on our team takes pride in their relationships, accomplishments, and contributions. Fay Ranches is proud to announce the sponsorship of two PRCA Athletes at the WNFR 2020. 

Lisa Lockhart

As a native of Montana being raised on a farm/ranch, the western lifestyle of being dependent upon the land and caring for animals is a value that was ingrained in Lisa early on. At four years old, with her pony as her babysitter in the front yard, Lisa’s love for horses was established. She began competing at rodeos at an early age and hasn’t looked back since! Read More Here >>>

Lisa Lockhart, American Barrel Racer Sponsored by Fay Ranches, WNFR 2020

Cole Reiner 

Growing up on our family ranch just outside Buffalo, Wyoming, I’ve always been involved in the western way of life and rodeo world. I started riding horses and roping with my family at a young age, as I got more involved in high school rodeo, I became increasingly interested in the rough stock events and the countless cowboys from Johnson County that had qualified for the national finals rodeo in the bareback and Bronc riding. Read More Here >>>

Cole Reiner, “Rookie of the Year”, Bareback Rider Sponsored by Fay Ranches, WNFR 2020

The Fay Ranches Rodeo Team