Welcome back to the podcast, the newly crowned World Champion in the breakaway roping, Kelsie Domer. Not only did she take home the gold buckle, but she also won the aggregate at the NFBR and took the win at the inaugural Kimes Ranch Million Dollar Breakaway. Between the two events, she won well over $100,00 and only missed one of the twenty head she ran. Kelsie is like family to us, so to get to talk about this historic run makes it that much more special. Thanks for listening and Merry Christmas.

If you want to get in on the special pricing for my first online course, head to ⁠charlycrawford.training⁠ and follow the link under the courses tab. It only takes a few clicks to access over two hours of instruction that is designed with the beginner in mind but is there for any level of roper to sharpen your groundwork skills. Only the first 100 students will get this huge discount of $100, so you better hurry because those spots are filling up fast!

Cody Snow has 8 NFR qualifications on the head side. He won the NFR average in 2019 with Wesley Thorp, placing in six rounds and winning round 7. Cody has ridden some of the nicest head horses in both the rodeo arena and the futurity ranks. I caught up with Cody before the first round of this year's NFR to talk about his season and how he's feeling going into the biggest ten nights of the year.

Matt and Amanda Kimes founded the apparel company Kimes Ranch in 2009. Lindsay Perraton is their Chief Marketing Executive and, along with Amanda, was one of the driving forces behind the Kimes Ranch Million Dollar Breakaway. We dove into how this event came about and recapped how big of a success it was. They paid out more money to breakaway ropers over three days than any other event in the history of the sport, and have plans to make it bigger and better in the years to come.

Jonathan Torres is a native Florida cowboy who made his way to Texas as soon as possible to pursue his dreams of making the National Finals Rodeo. He has accomplished that goal; this year will be his third qualification. Jonathan and his brother Josh also produce ropings in the Stephenville, Texas area with their company Young Gunz Production. It was great getting to talk with Jonathan before he makes his trip Vegas. Thanks for listening, God Bless!

Hunter Koch and JD McGuire have put together an incredible string of young horses that have had a great year competing in the rope horse futurities. It was a blast to get these two together to dive into the strategy that goes into training and showing those horses, not just in the open with Hunter but in the limited with JD as well. These two have a unique relationship between owner and rider where both guys are extremely talented with a rope, which shows in their horses' success.

This episode is a little different from the rest. I brought on Brian Bolick, Kip Huhman, Blake Mallory, and Shane White, three guys who have a tremendous impact on the success of our American Hero's Celebration. Amongst the friendly banter back and forth, we dive into the overwhelmingly important issue of dealing with mental health and shine a light on some resources that save lives for our heroes struggling with those issues. I can't thank these three men enough for all they do not just for Liberty and Loyalty Foundation but for our country!

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, please check out https://cardinalcounselingwellnessgroup.com/

Tyler Schaffner grew up ranching in South Dakota before moving to Texas. He has raised and trained many horses that have gone on to be very successful in and out of the arena. His stud Starlight Oak 017 was recently crowned the Senior Heading Champion at the AQHA World Show in Oklahoma City, with Tate Kirchenschlager at the controls. It was a blast talking about good horses and what goes into making them what they are with one of my good friends. Thanks for tuning in, God Bless!

Katy Lucas is a cowgirl who wears many hats in the Western industry. She is a former Miss Rodeo Canada who grew up in a household full of Canadian rodeo stars. Katy has worked with various media outlets in the industry, but she is most well known for being an on-air talent for the Cowboy Channel, where she spends most of her time sideline reporting and bringing the viewers the best storylines rodeo has to offer. It was a pleasure talking with Katy about all things rodeo in Canada and much more. Thanks to everyone for tuning in, God Bless!

A native of Texas, Lane earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Texas A&M Commerce. He and his wife Kay moved to Decatur in 1992 where Lane served as the Texas Ranger for Wise, Jack, and Montague County. He was twice named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by the Wise, Jack, and Montague County Criminal Justice Association. 

He began his career at Dallas Fort Worth Airport with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) when the airport opened in 1974. Two years later, Lane joined the Texas DPS. He served as a Highway Patrol Trooper, a Narcotics Agent, Texas Ranger and a Texas Ranger supervisor. Lane was a member of the first DPS Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team for Region 1. Just prior to retirement, he was the supervising Texas Ranger Lieutenant for Company “B,” the northeastern corner of Texas. In 2009 and 2010, he was the Enforcement Captain for Wise County Sheriff's Office

Jeremy Svejcar was born in New Mexico but grew up in Colorado. He started his military career with the United States Air Force in 2000 and volunteered for his first deployment in 2002 after watching the 9/11 attacks unfold on live TV. In 2023, he transitioned to the Army, earning his infantryman MOS and supporting several missions both stateside and in combat zones over the next six years. 

After struggling for years after his last combat deployment in 2006 Jeremy found peace and purpose working with horses. Jeremy and his wife, Rose, established Charlie Five to help Veterans and first responders find that same purpose and peace by pairing them with their very own horse. The Charlie Five crew has successfully paired seven heroes with their own horses and supported each of them on their horsemanship journey.