If someone had told me when I was starting my adult working life, that it would include the sport of rodeo to the extent that it has over the past 25 years, I would have been pretty skeptical. But life has a way of taking us in unexpected directions.
And when I take a closer look at the lives of many of today's professional rodeo athletes, however successful they are in the arena, there is always another side to their lives - oftentimes a pretty interesting one.
Western lifestyle furniture design
Take nine time NFR qualifier Stran Smith. Here is a tie-down roping athlete who continues to enjoy tremendous success in the rodeo arena - despite overcoming a heart defect which caused a stroke in 2003. Stran (also a GQ model) and his PRCA broadcaster wife, Jennifer, are looking ahead to a time when rodeo will be less of an entity in their day-to-day lives.
The talented pair have teamed up with four time World Team Roping Champion Allen Bach to form a high-end western furniture company. Look for 'Smith Von Bach' to launch their new designs at the 2008 NFR.
Professional outdoorsman
Bareback rider Jason Jeter has been to the National Finals Rodeo six times. Also a regular competitor here at the Calgary Stampede, Jason has developed some interesting hobbies over the years. After reading a number of Earnest Hemmingway books, Jason became interested in hunting and fishing.
So much so, that the 35 year old has traveled to Alaska and Africa to hunt for wild game. Jason writes for various magazines about his adventures. The professional fisherman will be heading to Zimbabwe and Namibia later this year.
See him in the movies
Tomorrow afternoon, bull rider Denton Edge will climb on his fifth bull this year at the Stampede. A former Calgary Stampede Boys Steer Riiding Champion and now a top Canadian and PBR Bull Rider, Denton applies his athletic ability in another arena as well.
The 27 year old family man is one of the more sought after movie stuntmen - Denton has worked on such movies as The Assassination of Jesse James starring Brad Pitt and Open Range with Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall.
Rodeo star/business woman
Ladies Barrel Racer Lindsay Sears is leading the world standings and has enjoyed huge success so far this year at the 2008 Stampede. The 27 year old ranch girl is also well-educated from a scholastic point of view.
The Agricultural Economics degree Lindsay earned from Texas Tech University has already been put to good use in the family's ranching business.
Lindsay and her Mom have performed such diverse duties for the ranch feedlot as computer data entry, cattle processing and pen-checking. Lindsay plans to get into ag commodity trading once her rodeo career slows down a bit.
Bio Fuel Developer
Jason Havens has been riding Bareback horses professionally for over a decade. The two time NFR qualifier also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Montana State University in Bozeman which he is putting to good use.
Jason is working on a method of developing fuel from seaweed. He has already converted his own truck to burn cooking oil rather than more conventional fuel.
Dedicated to the Cause
Tyson Durfey isn't reluctant to stand up for his beliefs. The twenty-five year old tie-down roper who has a Canadian Championship and two NFR qualifications to his credit, has made breast cancer his personal cause.
The Cobert, Washington cowboy wore pink for all ten performances at the 2007 NFR and donated $4,000 of his earnings to Dallas-based Susan G Komen for the Cure. Tyson is now a spokesman for the organization.
All of the above competitors have qualified for Showdown Sunday's million dollar finals here at the Calgary Stampede. But each will continue to follow his/her non-rodeo pursuits after leaving Calgary - win or lose.
Barb Poulsen is a web/print designer, free-lance writer and barrel racer. Raised in Saskatchewan, she's lived over half her life in rural Alberta. A teacher for many years, she's also enjoyed participation in the western lifestyle - mainly through ranching, rodeo and of course, her horses. Barb lives south of Calgary on a small ranch in the Porcupine hills with her writer/rodeo announcer husband, Dave.
