WELCOME

from American Buckle Magazine 2023 Volume 1

Events

Welcome to the 2023 Spring Edition of American Buckle Magazine. The rodeo industry has been blessed to see monumental growth in sport, sponsorship, and fanbase over the last five years, and this year is no different. In just four short months since our last issue, rodeo sports have surpassed milestones, and athletes have broken major barriers.

It’s hard to believe more than 30 years have passed since a small-time outfit known as the Professional Bull Riders kicked off its very first event. Now, as an organization with more than 500 members, we look back over the last 30 years of the PBR and learn how 20 bull riders decided to go all-in on a sport they love the most.

If you’re a hardcore rodeo fan, you know that over the last few years, the fastest-growing rodeo segment is women’s rodeo. Rural Media Group, the team behind the Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV, has invested in the future of women’s rodeo with the launch of the all-new Cowgirl Channel. We sit down with Rural Media Group President and CEO Patrick Gottsch and on-air host and Miss Rodeo America 2022 Hailey Frederiksen as they share with us what fans can expect from this new endeavor.

Cody, Wyoming, a stone’s throw away from the historic Yellowstone National Park, kicks off June 1st with 92 days of consecutive rodeo competitions. The Cody Nite Rodeo grounds are known to bring in rodeo competitors from across the nation who are ready to prove they have what it takes to make it as ropers and riders. We spend some time with bullfighter Dusty Tuckness as he shares with us how Cody, Wyoming, was the building block for his career and how special of a place it is to visit.

Rick and Lori Bizzell, the founders of Western outfitter and lifestyle brand Ranch Life, live the American dream through purpose. Their quality apparel and accessories made from American-sourced materials gives rodeo fans what they’ve been looking for: authenticity. The Bizzells believe in faith, family, and freedom, which are the same core values as the rodeo community as a whole.

Finally, we head out west to a town nestled in the Rio Grande Valley called Socorro, New Mexico. The pleasant year-round climate attracts rodeo fans and travelers from all across the US looking for adventure outdoors with incredible scenic hikes, historic trails, and the type of southwestern cuisine that makes you want to immediately pack your bags and head west!

We want to give special thanks to our advertisers and readers for making American Buckle such a success. Also, a special shout-out to our staff for doing an amazing job!

Blessings,

Chris Dize Publisher