“People don’t realize it, but a rodeo family is totally different than anything else.”

This episode of Beyond the Chutes takes you to Mountain Cove Farms in North Georgia for Reunion XI—a gathering where the mountains wrap around you like a horseshoe and the rodeo roots run deep. Doug and Sam are back together on location at the Show Barn, catching up on the road, the season, and why places like this still matter.

You’ll hear from Marlon Harris, the heart and organizer behind Mountain Cove, as the reunion continues in a year marked by both celebration and remembrance. Bill Harris serves as MC for the Legends Awards, honoring the people who built the sport and the community—those in the arena, behind the chutes, and in the background keeping traditions alive.

And you’ll meet Rusty Hayes—local legend, Legends Award recipient, and the man known as “Rescue Rusty”—with stories that prove what rodeo family really means: showing up, helping out, and doing it with respect.

From prayers and the pledge, to the National Anthem, to laughter in the Liar’s Cabin—this one is about heritage, tradition, and real people.

Beyond the Chutes — from the road, from the arena, from the people who live this life. These stories matter.

#BeyondTheChutes #MountainCove #MountainCoveReunion #RodeoReunion #RodeoFamily #RodeoLife #RodeoRoots #CowboyTradition #LegendsAward #RodeoHistory #NorthGeorgia #ChickamaugaGA #WesternHeritage #CowboyCulture #LiarCabin #RescueRusty #MarlonHarris #BillHarris #IPRA #PRCA

From a small-town kid in Greencastle, Pennsylvania… to Major League Baseball clubhouses with Ted Williams… to rodeo arenas across America with the Justin Sports Medicine team — Bill Zeigler has lived a life most of us only read about.

In this episode of Beyond the Chutes, presented by ParaSight Systems, Bill shares how a handwritten letter and a little help from Nelly Fox led him to the Washington Senators and 22 years in Major League Baseball. He talks about working alongside larger-than-life figures like Ted Williams, Nolan Ryan, and George Bush — and then stepping into the rodeo world at a time when cowboys had little to no medical support on the road.

You’ll hear the story behind the early days of the Justin Sports Medicine program, the resistance they faced, and how the mindset of rodeo athletes changed as concussion protocols and injury care evolved. Bill reflects on legends like Keith Isley, Lecile Harris, Harry Vold, and Red Steagall — and why, after all these miles, what he misses most is the people.

This is a conversation about toughness, timing, relationships, and recognizing when you’re standing in a blessed moment.

These stories matter.

Phil Broome grew up in northwest Georgia with a wrestling coach who taught him one thing: “This is your Opportunity Period.”

That mindset carried him from high school state championships to the bareback riding chutes — but the road wasn’t straight, and it wasn’t easy.

In this episode of Beyond the Chutes, Doug Simcox and Sam Swearingen sit down with Phil to talk about:

• Winning a Georgia state wrestling championship in 1981 • Learning bareback riding the hard way at open rodeos across the Southeast • The influence of mentors like Lyle Sankey and John Luthi • The technical rebuild that changed his riding career • Making the leap to rodeo full time in his 30s • Competing in the PRCA and qualifying for multiple circuit finals • Major injuries, including shoulder surgery and the wreck that ended his career • And the brotherhood that helped fill the gap after losing his younger brother in 1986

Phil doesn’t present himself as a legend. He presents himself as a competitor who loved the sport, learned from mistakes, and kept showing up.

This episode is about mindset, persistence, grief, growth, and the relationships that make rodeo more than a paycheck.

Because in the end, it isn’t just about buckles.

It’s about the people you share the road with.

This is Beyond the Chutes, presented by ParaSight System.

#BeyondTheChutes #PhilBroome #BarebackRiding #RodeoLife #PRCA #IPRA #WrestlingMindset #CowboyBrotherhood #RodeoHistory #CircuitFinals #InOurRoots

BTC is on the road at the First Frontier Circuit Finals in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, sitting down with Larry Frost — a rodeo producer from Levant, Maine whose story proves rodeo doesn’t always start with a business plan.

It starts with a dream, a family willing to do the work, and a commitment to community.

In this Friday night bonus episode, Larry shares how a phone call turned into a charity rodeo that feeds cowboys lobster and steak, supports causes like Shriners and Make-A-Wish, and brings people together rain or shine. You’ll hear about perseverance, small-town rodeo roots, and why memories — not money — are the real payoff.

Recorded live at the First Frontier Circuit Finals. Unscripted. Honest. Full of heart.

Beyond the Chutes — because these stories matter.

#BeyondTheChutes #RodeoPodcast #FirstFrontierCircuit #FFCF #RodeoLife #RodeoHistory #RodeoCommunity #WesternLifestyle #SmallTownRodeo #CharityRodeo #RodeoProducers #BehindTheScenesRodeo #TheseStoriesMatter

Recorded on the Texas Swing, host Doug Simcox steps inside The Buckhorn—Kelly Clark’s one-of-a-kind “man cave” that turned into a full-blown rodeo museum. Walls covered in championship saddles, a U.S. map marked with the places Kelly’s competed, and artifacts that stretch back to the early days of organized rodeo… it’s overwhelming in the best way.

In this first conversation with Kelly, we start at the beginning: the Clark family story, the 1955 moment that lit the fuse, and the grit it took to build a life in rodeo. Kelly shares the remarkable legacy of his dad, John Clark—an IRA great with the Hall of Fame résumé—and the reality behind chasing world titles when rodeo isn’t a hobby… it’s a lifestyle.

You’ll also hear Kelly’s perspective as a true rodeo historian: how the IRA/IPRA evolved, why “cards in your pocket” never mattered as much as talent, and how rodeo got better (and why it still needs people who care enough to leave it better than they found it).

And then—right at the end—Kelly lands an unforgettable story that ties champions, family, and legacy into one word Doug can’t help but say out loud: “Wow.”

📍 Bonus: You can see The Buckhorn in our Buckhorn Reels on the Behind the Chutes Facebook page.

#BeyondTheChutes #BehindTheChutes #KellyClark #TheBuckhorn #RodeoHistory #RodeoLife #BullRiding #TexasSwing #RodeoPodcast #WesternHeritage #CowboyCulture #ProRodeo #IPRA #IRA #IFR #RodeoNews #JohnClark #HallOfFame #BuckingBulls #CowboyStories #RodeoLegacy #RanchLife #Chute2Productions #StockContractor #WesternLifestyle #CowboyUp #AmericanWest #RodeoFamily #BehindTheScenesRodeo

BTC On the Road Again

This Bonus Episode of Beyond the Chutes was recorded on the road at the First Frontier Circuit Finals, inside the Penn Harris Hotel, while the competition was still unfolding.

Sam Swearingen and Doug Simcox sit down with Raymond Hostetler and Tyler Waltz in the middle of the Finals, with rounds already completed and one more to go. The conversation captures real-time decision-making, Finals pressure, injuries, fitness, equipment changes, and what it takes to stay competitive in roughstock rodeo.

After this conversation was recorded, Raymond Hostetler went on to win two rounds, the average, and the year-ending saddle bronc riding championship at the First Frontier Circuit Finals — a result that underscored everything discussed in this episode: preparation, patience, and trusting the process.

There’s no polish and no hindsight here — just rodeo, recorded as it happened.

BTC was on the road again, capturing the stories that matter, right where rodeo happens.

🎙️ This is Beyond the Chutes.

Rodeo is won long before the gate opens.

Recorded at the First Frontier Circuit Finals, this episode of Beyond the Chutes dives deep into the mental side of competition with bareback rider Tyler, saddle bronc rider Raymond, and rodeo cowboy, stock contractor, mentor and coach, Sam Swearingen.

This conversation is part of our Quiet Enough to Ride series—where we explore why elite competitors agree that rodeo is 90% mental at the highest level.

Inside this episode:

• Why visualization works (and how it replaces bad reps)
• The difference between conscious thought and flow state
• “See it. Feel it. Trust it.” — and why it matters
• How purpose (“your why”) fuels longevity in rodeo
• Why “just making the finals” is a losing goal
• How mental reps fire the same muscles as physical reps
• Building confidence without ego
• Fixing mistakes without stepping into the practice pen

If you’ve ever wondered why some competitors shine under pressure while others fade, this episode explains it—clearly, honestly, and from lived experience.

Because great rides don’t start in the arena. They start between your ears.

#BeyondTheChutes, #RodeoMindset, #QuietEnoughToRide, #RodeoLife, #BarebackRiding, #SteerWrestling, #RodeoTraining, #MentalGame, #WesternHeritage, #CowboyCulture

Beyond the Chutes — BTC Short Go (Presented by ParaSight System) brings you a quick, share-size “M&M” bite of rodeo life from the PRCA First Frontier Circuit.

In this Short Go, Jamie Myers (wife of tie-down roper JR Myers) shares what happens behind the scenes at the Circuit Finals — including the real work of pulling together awards and competitor goodies for the Top 12 headed to Harrisburg. Jamie also talks about their family, including their son Gater Myers (7), and their horse training operation, Myers Performance Horses / JR & Jamie Myers Performance Horses.

You’ll hear about:

• How the First Frontier Circuit Finals awards come together
• The sponsors and support that keep Western heritage strong
• Their horse training facility near Harrisburg and the daily grind behind the wins
• Mentoring youth rodeo and helping young athletes move toward college rodeo
• Staying positive, trusting the process, and keeping faith at the center of it all

Short. Quick. Made to pass along.

Beyond the Chutes — as presented by ParaSight System.

#BeyondTheChutes, #PRCA, #FirstFrontierCircuit, #FirstFrontierFinals, #TieDownRoping, #CalfRoping, #ProRodeo, #RodeoLife, #RodeoFamily, #MeetTheCompetitor

This is Beyond the Chutes, and this special Bonus Episode was recorded on the road at the First Frontier Circuit Finals.

In this episode, Sam Swearingen sits down with bullfighter Riggin Dailey for a candid, in-the-moment conversation about one of the most dangerous and least understood jobs in rodeo — helping keep the cowboys safe.

Recorded during the Finals, this conversation goes beyond the action in the arena and into the preparation behind it. Riggin talks about staying fit, staying alert, reading animals, and approaching bullfighting as professional work — not bravado.

They discuss coming back from injury, earning trust, learning the game the right way, and soaking in every opportunity, knowing that nothing in this line of work is guaranteed.

There’s no polish and no hindsight here — just real rodeo, real responsibility, and the mindset required to step into danger for others.

BTC was on the road again, capturing the stories that matter — right where rodeo happens.

🎙️ This is Beyond the Chutes.

This episode of Beyond the Chutes, as presented by ParaSight Systems — helping vets help pets, was recorded Friday morning at the First Frontier Circuit Finals in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

In this conversation, Doug Simcox and Sam Swearingen sit down with Tom Glause, CEO of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, for an honest, people-first discussion about leadership, relationships, and the realities of managing a sport built on trust.

Tom shares life lessons from growing up in rodeo, insights from circuit management, and what it means to lead a people-based organization where hard decisions are unavoidable and balance matters. They talk openly about the current state of the PRCA, the challenges that still exist, and why ingenuity and strong relationships are required to keep rodeo moving forward.

During the conversation, Tom praised the First Frontier Circuit and Brock Hower’s leadership, pointing to a season that added a fourth performance and raised the $85,000 required to fund it — a clear example of leadership, collaboration, and commitment behind the scenes.

This isn’t a press conference. It’s a conversation about people, responsibility, and the work it takes to sustain the sport.

🎙️ This is Beyond the Chutes.