Beyond the Chutes

Five-time world champion bullfighter Rob Smets joins Doug and Sam to talk about Carla’s unwavering support, surviving three broken necks, and the faith that changed the direction of his life.

The gold buckles tell part of Rob Smets’ story. The people who stood beside him tell another.

Recorded in Shawnee, Oklahoma, at the International Finals Youth Rodeo, this Beyond the Chutes conversation brings Doug and Sam together with a five-time world champion bullfighter whose gratitude runs as deep as his love for the arena.

Rob remembers Carla standing beside him after his first broken neck, when their relationship was still new and his future was uncertain. He shares how he dedicated his comeback to her—and why the buckle from his fifth world championship has always belonged to her.

He also speaks openly about the choices he regrets, the invitation to a rodeo Bible camp that changed his life, and the faith he continues to practice and share. Jeremiah 33:3 became both the name of a bull he raised and a prayer he turned to when fellow cowboys needed help.

Along the way, we hear about: • Finding his calling as a bullfighter and learning from his mentors. • Three broken necks and the determination to return. • Carla, family, and the support behind the championships. • His testimony, forgiveness, and learning to let go. • The early PBR years and the evolution of bullfighting. • Announcing, mentoring, and making time for what matters today.

#RobSmets #BeyondTheChutes #FaithAndFamily #FaithThroughItAll #RodeoStories #CowboyFaith #Bullfighter #RodeoPodcast #SecondChances #WesternLifestyle

Eight seconds. A rider, an animal, and a score that can change a contestant’s day. What does a rodeo judge see in that moment?

Doug Simcox and Sam Swearingen sit down with Steve Ratchford at the International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma. With more than 50 years of judging experience, Steve shares what it takes to make fair, consistent calls when every point matters.

They discuss scoring both the cowboy and the animal, the mark-out rule, replay, changing equipment, and the split-second decisions behind breakaway and team roping. Steve also explains how aspiring judges get started, while Sam brings the contestant’s perspective on accepting a call and moving forward.

Steve’s guiding lesson says it all: “If you think you know it all, it’s time to quit.” There’s always another rodeo—and something more to learn.

#BeyondTheChutes #SteveRatchford #Rodeo #RodeoJudging #IFYR #IPRA #YouthRodeo #CowboyStories

Doug and Sam wrap up their Oklahoma and Texas travels with stories from the Four Sixes, visits with Sissy Smith and Butch Stewart, and reflections on the people and conversations that make life on the road worthwhile.

Episode description

Good horses. Great stories. A road trip worth remembering.

Join Doug and Sam on Beyond the Chutes as they look back on their Oklahoma and Texas travels—from the 6666 Ranch and the Return to the Remuda to visits with Sissy Smith and Butch Stewart.

They talk ranch horses, rodeo history, time with Marlon, and the unexpected moments that come with life on the road. Along the way, there’s plenty of laughter, learning, and appreciation for the people who keep rodeo’s stories alive.

In this episode:

• The Four Sixes and the Return to the Remuda
• Horses that caught their attention—and one that almost came home
• Visiting with Sissy Smith
• Butch Stewart, Frontier Rodeo, and raising bucking horses
• Marlon and his guiding
• Road stories, friendships, and preserving rodeo history

Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/b8HYluFgG8Y

Follow Beyond the Chutes for more real rodeo stories, conversations, and life beyond the arena.

Most of the people in this episode aren’t famous. You probably won’t find their names in the record books.

That’s exactly why Beyond the Chutes went to Mountain Cove.

We went. We listened. We recorded.

In McLemore Cove near Chickamauga, Georgia, rodeo history runs deep. Records show rodeos being held at Mountain Cove as far back as the late 1940s, and in 1953 a local newspaper reported approximately 6,000 people attending three rodeo performances there.

In 2026, the old arena is gone, but the people and the stories remain.

At the Mountain Cove Rodeo Reunion, old friends came back together to remember the miles they traveled, the people who helped them along the way, the friends who are no longer here, and the next generation carrying pieces of that life forward.

You’ll hear about nights spent driving from one rodeo to the next, friendships that lasted decades, a 1:30 a.m. knock on a stranger’s door, the old Mountain Cove rodeo grounds, a Saturday night rodeo at nearby Kensington, and the people whose memories now help preserve a part of rodeo history that might otherwise disappear.

Because rodeo history doesn’t belong only to champions and famous names.

It also lives with the people who drove all night, hauled livestock, sold tickets, raised their kids around rodeo, helped one another when somebody broke down, and came back years later to tell the stories again.

We went. We listened. We recorded.

Because These Stories Matter.

Presented by ParaSight Systems.

Chapters

00:00 — The Road Brought Them Back A few voices tell you immediately why this reunion matters.

00:10 — Mountain Cove: Where Rodeo Came Before Us The history of McLemore Cove, Mountain Cove Farms, and the rodeos once held there.

02:27 — See Who’s Still Here Old friends, old stories, and the people everyone hoped to find again.

08:18 — You Never Forget the Road Long drives, breakdowns, crowded motel rooms, and the friendships built between rodeos.

14:22 — Last Night at Kensington A Saturday night rodeo reminds us that another generation is already making its own memories.

20:30 — The Ones Who Aren’t Here Remembering the cowboys, cowgirls, friends, and family members who didn’t make it back.

25:05 — It Keeps Going Children, grandchildren, craftsmanship, music, and the traditions being carried forward.

28:49 — Why These Stories Matter Why Beyond the Chutes records oral histories and works to preserve rodeo history.

31:15 — Happy Trails Until we meet again.

Short Episode Summary

Beyond the Chutes travels to the 2026 Mountain Cove Rodeo Reunion near Chickamauga, Georgia, where generations of rodeo people gather to remember the road, the friendships, those who are gone, and the traditions still being carried forward.

Keywords / Tags

Beyond the Chutes, Mountain Cove Rodeo Reunion, Mountain Cove Farms, McLemore Cove, Chickamauga Georgia, rodeo history, rodeo oral history, rodeo reunion, cowboy stories, rodeo documentary, Georgia rodeo, Kensington Rodeo, bull riding history, rodeo legends, Western history, American rodeo history, Because These Stories Matter

What makes Festival Western de St-Tite feel different from almost any other rodeo?

It isn’t just the livestock, the contestants, or the crowd.

It’s the way the entire show moves.

In Episode #200 of Beyond the Chutes, Doug Simcox and Sam Swearingen wrap up their three-part St-Tite series with two of the voices behind the rodeo: Stephan Mesquita and Stéphan Daoust.

They take us behind the microphones and into a production operation that includes roughly 15 to 16 people working sound, lighting, video, replays, information, rodeo operations, production, and music — all communicating in real time while the rodeo unfolds just feet away.

We talk about how announcers prepare, how they read a ride in seconds, how they help spectators understand what they’re watching, and why their job is about much more than announcing a score.

We also get into the energy that makes St-Tite unique.

When the tractor enters the arena, the party doesn’t stop. The music comes up. The crowd dances. The show keeps moving.

As Stephan explains:

“There’s no dead moment.”

That philosophy runs through the entire Festival.

This final chapter brings our St-Tite story full circle:

Anne-Marie Lemire showed us the people and organization behind the Festival. BJ Prince took us behind the rodeo. And now Stephan Mesquita and Stéphan Daoust show us how all of those pieces become a live experience.

Come for the rodeo.

Stay for the people, the music, the streets, the food, and the party.

Listen. Subscribe. Follow. Share. These stories matter.

#BeyondTheChutes #FestivalWesternDeStTite #StTite #StephanMesquita #StephaneDaoust #RodeoAnnouncer #Rodeo #RodeoPodcast #WesternHeritage #RodeoProduction #BehindTheScenes #CowboyCulture #QuebecRodeo #WesternLifestyle #TheseStoriesMatter

How do you bring roughly three-quarters of a million people into a town of about 5,000 and make it all look like it just happens?

That’s where BJ Prince comes in.

In Episode #199 of Beyond the Chutes, Doug Simcox and Sam Swearingen return to Festival Western de St-Tite for the second chapter of our three-part St-Tite series.

This conversation was recorded at the Festival in September 2025, and with another St-Tite approaching, it gives us a fascinating look behind the scenes at the people, planning, livestock, production crews, volunteers, contestants, television, security, logistics, and partnerships required to pull off one of the biggest Western celebrations anywhere.

BJ talks about the hundreds of people working behind the scenes, the livestock operation, the short-round format, The American, the growth of rodeo in Quebec and Eastern Canada, and why taking rodeo into new markets creates opportunities for the next generation.

As BJ puts it, when three-quarters of a million people arrive in a town of 5,000, you’re essentially putting entire cities worth of people into one small community — and it takes a “huge, huge army of people” to make it work.

This episode follows our conversation with Anne-Marie Lemire and takes us one step deeper into the St-Tite story.

Listen. Subscribe. Follow. Share. These stories matter.

Hashtags #BeyondTheChutes #FestivalWesternDeStTite #StTite #BJPrince #Rodeo #RodeoPodcast #WesternHeritage #RodeoLife #CowboyCulture #QuebecRodeo #BehindTheScenes #WesternLifestyle #Cowboys #Cowgirls #TheseStoriesMatter

In the first of three special episodes from the Festival Western de St-Tite, Doug sits down with festival president Anne-Marie Lemire for a look beyond the arena and into the people, planning, community and traditions that make Saint-Tite something special.

Recorded during our visit to Quebec last year, we saved this conversation for the run-up to another Festival Western de St-Tite.

This is Episode 1 of our Saint-Tite series. Next up, we’ll sit down with BJ Prince for another side of the Saint-Tite story.

Come with us as we collect the stories, relationships and memories that keep rodeo and Western heritage alive.

Listen. Subscribe. Follow. Share. These stories matter.

RSS Hashtags

#BeyondTheChutes #FestivalWesternDeStTite #StTite #AnnMarieLame #RodeoPodcast #Rodeo #WesternHeritage #CowboyCulture #QuebecRodeo #CanadianRodeo #RodeoStories #WesternCulture

In Episode 3 of our Rolling Smooth series, Doug Simcox sits down again with Stan Cromlish of Wandering Gypsy RV Life to talk about one of the biggest challenges on the road: power.

From crowded rodeo grounds with questionable electrical hookups to keeping the air conditioner running on a hot summer day, Stan breaks down what RV owners, rodeo families, horse trailers and travelers need to know about soft-start systems, generators, inverters, converters and batteries.

We also talk about maintaining your RV air-conditioning system, improving cooling performance, AGM versus lithium batteries, and a few lessons learned the hard way from years of traveling.

Because when you’re miles from home, parked at a rodeo ground and everybody is plugged into the same power pole, you definitely don’t want to be the guy who shuts everybody down.

Rolling Smooth is about practical lessons from the road — keeping your rig safe, reliable and ready for the next adventure.

Listen, follow, subscribe and share. These stories matter.

Hashtags: #BeyondTheChutes #RollingSmooth #WanderingGypsyRVLife #RVLife #RVLiving #RVMaintenance #RVTravel #RVTips #RVPower #RVAirConditioning #SoftStart #LithiumBatteries #RVGenerator #HorseTrailer #LivingQuartersTrailer #RodeoLife #CowboyLife #RoadReady #RoadTrip #TheseStoriesMatter

For the third year, Beyond the Chutes connected with Team Australia during their July trip to the United States—but this time, the conversation happened face-to-face.

Recorded at the 34th International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Buddy and Sam sit down with the young Australian competitors to talk about borrowed horses, long flights, broncs, bulls, barrel racing, pole bending, American food, new friendships, and the pride of representing their country halfway around the world.

Then Colin Ferguson joins the conversation to share the story behind the team: the planning, family support, horse connections, travel, and opportunities that make these international rodeo experiences possible. He also looks back on his own first rodeo trip to America in 1989 and explains why young Australian competitors continue making the journey today.

This episode is about more than results in the arena. It is about courage, family, friendship, and what can happen when young people are given the chance to chase a rodeo dream.

Beyond the Chutes is proudly presented by ParaSight System.

#BeyondTheChutes #TeamAustralia #IFYR #InternationalFinalsYouthRodeo #YouthRodeo #AustralianRodeo #RodeoPodcast #RodeoLife #CowboyCulture #WesternHeritage #BarrelRacing #PoleBending #BullRiding #SaddleBroncRiding #RodeoFamily #RodeoFriendships #ShawneeOklahoma #ParaSightSystem #TheseStoriesMatter

Doug and Sam take the BTC bus down the rodeo road for a Texas trip packed with youth rodeo, old friends, world champions, Cajun cooking, historic artifacts, and stories waiting to be preserved.

The journey begins with a stop at the International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma, where nearly 900 contestants, three busy arenas, and hundreds of breakaway ropers create one of the biggest youth rodeo gatherings in the country. Along the way, Doug and Sam reconnect with rodeo legends, meet Team Australia, talk military rodeo, and preview future conversations with names including Clarence LeBon, Tom Walker, Bob Schmutz, Rob Smets, Tom Kearney, Ronnie Bowman, and Missy Long.

Then it is on to Springtown, Texas, for Kelly and Charlene Clark’s Buckhorn Rodeo Reunion, where saddles, buckles, photographs, and memories raise an important question: what happens to rodeo history if nobody records it?

This episode is about more than miles traveled. It is about the people, relationships, artifacts, and stories found along the way—and why Beyond the Chutes is committed to preserving them.

Follow Beyond the Chutes for more real stories from the rodeo road. #BeyondTheChutes

#BeyondTheChutes #TexasTrip #IFYR #InternationalFinalsYouthRodeo #BuckhornRodeoReunion #RodeoRoad #RodeoHistory #CowboyStories #WesternHistory #YouthRodeo #IPRARodeo #RodeoLegends #RodeoFamily #MilitaryRodeo #CowboyCulture #WesternHeritage #RodeoPodcast #RealPeopleRealStories #TheseStoriesMatter #PreservingRodeoHistory