Chris and Russell interview Shadd Parkinson at the 2025 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity
Hear from the Trainers Trainer, Don Murphy, about the beginning of Cow Horse and early shows in California.
Chris & Russell interview the 2024 Run For A Million Cow Horse Challenge Champion, and the 2024 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Bridle Champion, Kyle Trahern.
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Sign the petition to stop USDA overreach with The Horse Protection Act: https://www.ruralamericainaction.com/petition/stop-the-horse-protection-act
Chris and Russell sit down with Dave Duquette, Scott Dorenkamp, Karen Gerfen Glueck, and Colton Woods to discuss what the revised Horse Protection Act will mean for all horse shows nationwide.
As the February 1, 2025, implementation date for the revised Horse Protection Act (HPA) looms over the horse industry, many people involved with horses wonder exactly how they will be affected. Simply put, the revised version of the HPA would make unnecessary, heavy-handed government overreach the norm, devastate all levels of horse show communities, and effectively cripple much of the equine industry in the United States.
Dave Duquette has been a loud and clear voice of reason for agriculture and rural rights in the United States. With a passion for rural American causes, Western Justice founder Dave Duquette has experience fighting some of the most challenging battles in Agriculture.
Dave’s career as an animal welfare and agriculture advocate started over two decades ago. Dave, a Marine, has built several businesses, including his horse training facility in Northeast Oregon. During his career as a horse trainer, he began seeing the unjust policies inflicted on rural America and believed they needed someone to stand up for them, their families, their beliefs, and their way of life.
The Meat Board
6314 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76116
themeatboard.com
844-693-6328
EJ Laubscher talks about his childhood growing up in South Africa and being chased by hippos, baboons and all sorts of other dangerous animals as a kid. After making the move to America with his family EJ worked on hog farms and started all kinds of horses as well as a couple zebras chasing his dream of becoming a trainer. Since discovering the world of cowhorse he has already won over a quarter million dollars and recently made the move with his wife and kids to Winnewood, OK to further grow his business.
This episode is brought to you in part by War Horses For Veterans
COWHORSE FULL CONTACT EPISODE #86 Todd Bergen Part 3
Todd Bergen talks about:
- Filming the cow horse scenes for Yellowstone and getting the an epic fence turn that almost wrecked Jimmy and Rip. - The American Performance Horseman experience - The story behind Teton Ridge and the TR9 Training Facility Thank you to our sponsors: UltraCruz & Globe Life Insurance for all their support allowing us to bring you this great interview.
COWHORSE FULL CONTACT Episode #86 Todd Bergen Part 2
In this episode Todd reflects back and talks about:
- Working with Annie Reynolds learning to transition his training towards the cow horse events and developing that connection with a cow. - Building relationships and working horses with Ascension Banuelos, Tom Lyons, Matt Gaines & Clint Allen - How Todd and his wife Missy met and the not so flattering introduction to her family. - Learning to deal with customers and day to day operations of a training business. - Raising kids and parenting - Lip Syncing as the Village People at the Sun Circuit - Jack knifing the rig in a snow storm outside of Flagstaff heading home after the Reserve Championship at NRHA Futurity - Dealing with back issues - The call from Thomas Tull and moving to TR9 Ranch in Weatherford, TX. - Pre Show rituals and uncertainty due to lack of preparation - The story behind Smart Luck & Todaysmyluckyday who helped launch Todd's career. - Balancing the kids with work This episode was sponsored by UltraCruz & Globe Life Insurance.
Be sure to tune into the 3rd and final part in this series - COWHORSE FULL CONTACT Episode #86 Todd Bergen Part 3
Todd Bergen sits down on the back porch at Dawson Performance Horses with Chris Dawson & Russell Dilday and takes a deep dive into his past going right back to the beginning: Highlights from this episode include: - Growing up in Salem, Oregon - From baseball to motorbikes, 4H, College years and contemplating becoming a professional Ski Bum ,Todd talks about how he gravitated back to the horses - The life lessons learned while working for Bob Avila learning all the aspects of how to train, how to win as well as the business side of running a Professional Training Operation - Reflecting on the "Dream Team Years" with John Slack while at Bob's - The progression of the Reining Horse breeding and competition - Breaking down the mental side of horse training. - Learning from watching other people - How Horse Training Intrigues him and drives him to be the best no matter what the discipline. Thanks to UltraCruz & Globe Life Insurance for sponsoring all three parts of this great Interview. Be sure to check out Part 2 coming up next ....
THIS EPISODE PROUDLY SPONSORED BY: ULTRACRUZ
Chris & Russell are all moved into the Tulsa Expo Center and preview the inaugural Mars Equestrian Hackamore Classic as a stand alone event this year. Chris also talks about his recent NCHA Limited Open Championship and what it meant to him.
The guys also talk about their recent adventures and clinic with the War Horses For Veterans and talk about the obstacle course Challenge, drinking some good Bourbon and smoking cigars with some of the special forces guys who will be showing off their fence work skills in Vegas next month.
Be sure to stay tuned Cowhorse Full Contact social media to learn more about news & upcoming episodes from the Performance Horse World.
Chris Dawson & Russell Dilday were at the National Reined Cow Horse Association/6666 Ranch Cowboy Clinic in Guthrie, OK. last week and restore their faith in humanity catching up Spurs Leathers to discuss everything from his dating habits, life lessons, unique names and horse showing. They also wrap up some of the highlights from the recently completed NRCHA Kimes Ranch Derby in Scottsdale, AZ. SPECIAL Sneak Preview to an upcoming interview with NRHA & NRCHA Open Futurity Champion and Hall Of Fame Rider Todd Bergen.
This episode presented by Performance Horse Central
PerformanceHorseCentral.com
Mark Michels, the Founder, and CEO of Performance Horse Central/Cutting Horse Central, is interviewed by Chris Dawson & Russell Dilday. Before starting one of the top media companies within the Western performance horse industry, Mark was a horse trainer for over 13 years. Chris and Russell dive deep into Mark's Australian background and discover what led him to switch from training horses to starting an equine news production company.
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Chris and Russell interview NRHA Million Dollar Rider, Matt Mills, at The American Performance Horseman in Arlington, Texas.
Born and raised in Southern California, Matt began riding horses at an early age. He enjoyed a successful career as a youth rider, earning multiple championships throughout California in a variety of disciplines including western pleasure, horsemanship and trail. In 1996 he switched his focus to reining and a few years later established his own training operation in Scottsdale, Arizona. He trains and shows futurity and derby horses and also coaches several successful non-pro and youth riders.
Matt is consistently ranked on the NRHA Top Twenty Professionals Riders list and has NRHA lifetime earnings of over $1,000,000.00. He is regularly a finalist at major NRHA events and has received several titles including NRHA Intermediate Open Futurity Reserve Champion as well as multiple titles at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC). He has also earned several large futurity and derby titles including RMRHA Summer Slide, High Roller Reining Classic, SWRHA Futurity and NRHA Cowtown Classic.
Matt's Online Video Series: https://mattmillsreining.com/
Chris and Russell interview NRCHA Hall of Famer and Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion, Kenny Pugh, Sr.
Born in 1938, Kenny Pugh grew up in LeGrande, California. His family had a ranch in the mountains, in Squaw Valley, and he had some ranching relatives. At thirteen, he began going to Idaho to work with a relative, and when he was fifteen he never went home. He began cowboying, mainly in the high country, where at times, it could get as cold as forty below. He moved back to California, working on a large ranch for Jack Reynolds. “I cowboyed and broke colts,” Kenny explained. “In the winter, we did a lot of leather work. At the time, I was only interested in rodeos.” In 1961, Jack took Kenny to the fair to watch the stock horse classes. While watching the class, he decided that he could do it. Kenny met a young trainer at that show. Greg Ward and Kenny became friends, oftentimes traveling to shows and sharing rooms. “I’d pick Greg’s brain quite a bit,” said Kenny. Kenny worked on that ranch for five years, but when many people started bringing horses by to be trained, he decided it was time to try to make it on his own. Later on, in the 1970s, Kenny had a mare named Minnie Gal, whom he won a lot with. She later produced Kenny’s Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion, Sanpeppy Smoke. Kenny had many other Snaffle Bit finalists, Top Ten finishes, and a Reserve Championship in 1979.
Arena Werks (Snodgress Equipment)
(800) 644-3724
arenawerksinfo@sbcglobal.net
https://arenawerks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/arena.werks
Million Dollar Rider Jon Roeser takes his place in the National Reined Cow Horse Association Hall of Fame, joining his father, Jim, and oldest brother, Dan. The Roeser family is a legacy within the NRCHA. The Meridian, Idaho trainer doesn’t remember a day when he was not horseback with his father or three brothers completing a number of chores on their ranch in Idaho.
Gifted with starting young horses as well as riding broncs in the rodeo arena, for some time, Roeser considered becoming a rodeo athlete instead of a horse trainer. His dad’s suggestion to apprentice with other reined cow horse trainers turned the tide. Roeser moved to California and first worked with Benny Guitron and then Greg Ward, both NRCHA Hall of Fame members and masters of cow horse. He rode with Ward for several years, soaking up knowledge and learning not only horsemanship but how to run a horse training business.
In 1984, Roeser struck out on his own and trained out of California before moving back to Idaho in 2016. The Hall of Fame horseman is known for his smooth showmanship skills and ability to take a horse from homegrown to the winner’s circle.
With more than $1.6 million dollars in reined cow horse earnings, Roeser has claimed every major NRCHA event champion title, including the 1990 Snaffle Bit Futurity, as well as the 2005 World’s Greatest Horseman win. He’s given back to the association through his time serving on the board of directors and through the NRCHA limited aged events, cattle, ground, ethics, and executive committees.
Triple Crown Feed:
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Jeff Medders, the President of Cowboy Channel, is interviewed by Chris Dawson and Russell Dilday. Growing up on a cattle ranch in southeastern Oklahoma, Medders had a passion for rodeo and all sports in general. He was an all-state football player in 1981 and headed to college to pursue his dream of being a television sportscaster. All was going according to plan until 1989, when he was approached by a Tulsa-based company to host America’s Horse, AQHA’s new television show on ESPN. Soon after, his hosting role grew to include the Wrangler World of Rodeo and the National Finals Rodeo. Having grown up in Oklahoma and attending the NFR in Oklahoma City every year, it was a dream come true.
Over the next two decades, Medders’ resume grew by hosting thoroughbred racing and LPGA golf coverage on ESPN, poker, and motorcycle racing on CBS Sports, but nothing tamed his passion for the sport of rodeo and the National Finals Rodeo. Today his company, Geronimo Productions, produces more major cowboy events than any other production company in the nation. Championship Bull Riding on Fox, Cinch High School Rodeo Tour on RFD-TV, and of course, all of the PRCA’s events on CBS Sports Network, including the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Jeff Medders has been the television host for over 20 National Finals Rodeos.
Martin Saddlery:
(888) 308-2386
www.martinsaddlery.com
Chris Dawson and Russell Dilday interview NCHA and NRCHA Professional Horseman, Boyd Rice. Boyd Rice has amassed earnings in excess of $3.8 million in the Western performance horse industry. Well respected professionally and personally, his successes have come from natural talent, hard work, and family support.
Accomplished professionals surrounded Boyd as he grew up within the Rice family. His father, Sonny, uncles Raymond and Ronnie, along with his cousin, Tag, and brother, Matlock, all earn a living as cutting horse trainers. With all that genetic background in 'show biz,' one might deduce Boyd's career was a given. Not so – it took a lot of sweat and elbow grease.
REO - Ranching Equine Operations Insurance Agency
rpritchard@reoagency.com
https://www.reoagency.com/
817-614-4046
Chris Dawson and Russell Dilday interview the creator and host of the Converse Cowboy podcast, Mike Roberts. Mike has a passion for horses and is very competitive. These things make him hungry to learn and grow, so he set out to create a platform to allow him to sit down with elite-level horsemen & women to apply what he knows to his own life. The Converse Cowboy focuses on mindset as it relates to performance and life. The Converse Cowboy has allowed Mike to sit down with some fantastic people to tease out their habits and routines so that listeners can apply and test them in their own life. With a growth mindset, Mike is constantly asking questions and pursuing knowledge. The Converse Cowboy Show allows Mike to do just that.
Martin Saddlery
(888) 308-2386
www.martinsaddlery.com
Chris Dawson and Russell Dilday interview Jim Jirkovsky! From breeding to judging, Jim Jirkovsky has been involved in virtually every facet of the Appaloosa industry for more than four decades. From his high school days when he would sneak out of class to go to rodeos, a deep passion for horses was instilled in him, turning into his life's work and a mindset that revolves around showing everyone how good an Appaloosa is can be. An ApHC-carded judge since 1987, Jim has served multiple terms on the national board of directors, has supported and served his regional club loyally for decades, and was recognized for his contributions beyond his barn throughout the region over a long period by his induction into the Nebraska Hall of Fame.
Known to be a formidable competitor in the show ring, "Cowboy Jim" had many wins that predated the national pointed system, and since 1979/1980 has amassed a staggering 9,646.3 open points in everything from Halter to Reining to Driving and Heritage, and shown more than 400 horses to 334 Top Tens, 38 National Championships and Reserves, and 45 World Championships and Reserves. But it is the mentoring, coaching, and training that have helped his clients and friends achieve their highest goals that he is most proud of.
Exhibiting, training, and coaching for years, Jim has played a significant role in producing 12 World's Best Appaloosas, three Iron Horse Award winners, and two of the only 16 Appaloosas in history to earn Gold Medallions. Ready with advice and assistance, Jim has lived daily as a mentor in every arena. He has represented the Appaloosa breed as an ambassador in open competitions, venues, and events worldwide.