Tough Draw Tuesday: Passing It On

Some of life’s most important lessons are taught through ordinary things.

A grandfather teaching his grandson how to build a fence isn’t simply teaching him how to stretch wire or set a post. He’s teaching patience. He’s teaching pride in doing something the right way. He’s teaching that a name stays attached to the work long after the job is done, and that even the smallest task can say something about the kind of person he’s becoming.

Looking back years later, the fence was never the point. It was simply a practical application for an important lesson.

Western sports have always worked much the same way.

The techniques can certainly be taught. A veteran can explain how to nod, study livestock, prepare mentally or make small adjustments that lead to better rides. Those things matter, but the longer we’ve spent around rodeo, the more apparent it becomes that the greatest lessons passed from one generation to the next often have very little to do with competition itself.

They’re about character, stewardship, and understanding that the lessons poured into us by others were never meant to stop with us.

The Lessons That Last

That idea came back during a conversation with bareback rider Jacob Lees on a recent episode of Tough Draw Talks.

Lees’ path into rodeo didn’t begin the way it does for a lot of competitors. He didn’t grow up in a rodeo family or spend every weekend behind the bucking chutes. His first real spark came from watching Chris Shivers ride bulls in the PBR.

From there, Lees started finding his own way in. He bought equipment, found places to practice, got on bulls and eventually discovered that bareback riding was where he belonged.

There wasn’t one moment where everything changed. It was one decision, then another. One opportunity, then the next. Over time, those ordinary steps became the foundation for a career that has helped Lee find a spot among the top bareback riders in the world.

Lees is now part of the Tough Draw Sports roster, but what stands out about his story isn’t just where he is today. It’s how he got there, and how much of that journey was shaped by people willing to pass along what they knew.

One of the moments that stayed with us after the podcast had less to do with world standings and more to do with the way Lees talked about Richie Champion.

Richie Champion after a high-scoring ride at the National Finals Rodeo.

Lees didn’t only talk about Champion as a world champion or one of the best bareback riders of his generation. He talked about him as someone younger competitors could trust, who was always willing to answer questions, help behind the chutes and share what he had learned.

“He’s the guy that I call whenever I have any kind of issue with anything,” Lees said of Champion. “He’s just a wealth of knowledge in the sport of rodeo.”

Later in the conversation, Lees was asked about the best compliment he had ever received. His answer wasn’t about riding or winning. He said he takes pride in being someone who is there to help.

Richie Champion signs autographs at the National Finals Rodeo. Photo by Kaycie Timm

Those two answers said a lot.

The kind of cowboy Lees looked up to is the same kind of cowboy he’s trying to become for someone else.

What Lane Left Behind

That sentiment brought back memories from producing LANE: Life | Legend | Legacy.

One of the gifts of making that film was sitting across from world champions, traveling partners, family members, stock contractors and lifelong friends who had known Lane Frost. Every interview started in a different place, but most of them eventually came back to the same thing.

People remembered how Frost treated people.

They remembered his humility, his kindness and the way he made others feel. Maybe the most humbling part was realizing how young he was when his life was cut short. He was only in his 20s when he passed on from his earthly life, yet decades later, people are still talking about the impact he had on their lives.

That kind of legacy doesn’t come from a buckle alone. It comes from character.

Lane Frost rides a rank one. Photo by Fred Nyulassy

It also became clear through those conversations that Frost didn’t become a legend on his own. He admired Freckles Brown. He looked up to Don Gay. Like every great cowboy before him, someone had taken the time to invest in him before he ever had the chance to influence the next generation.

That may be one of the biggest lessons the film left with us.

Legacy often starts long before anyone reaches the top. It starts when someone chooses to pour into another person without expecting anything in return.

Where the Dream Begins

The older we get, the more we realize that very few of the things that shape our lives are ever taught in a classroom. Most important lessons are passed to us by people who simply take the time to care.

A grandfather teaching the value of hard work. A parent introducing a child to something they love. A coach who stays a little longer after practice. A veteran willing to answer one more question behind the bucking chutes.

Those moments may not feel significant while they’re happening. Years later, they often become the foundation for who we are.

That same pattern continues to reveal itself throughout rodeo today.

Young breakaway ropers have spent years watching Jackie Crawford, not simply because of everything she’s accomplished inside the arena, but because of the consistency, professionalism and leadership she’s modeled throughout her career.

Barrel racers continue to look at Lisa Lockhart as someone who has represented the sport with excellence for decades, proving that longevity is built through discipline, horsemanship and an unwavering commitment to doing things the right way.

Lisa Lockhart lays one down in Las Vegas.

Bareback riders study Richie Champion.

Bull riders still tell stories about Lane Frost.

Every generation has its own version of where the dream begins. For some, it starts in the grandstands beside a parent or grandparent on a summer night. For others, it starts by staying up late to watch the National Finals Rodeo on television, pretending the arm of the couch is a rank bull or the backyard is the Thomas & Mack Arena.

A young girl swings a rope after watching her favorite breakaway roper. A young boy climbs down from the footrest of the recliner convinced he just covered the rankest bull in the world.

Those moments may seem ordinary at the time, but they’re often where the next generation first begins to dream. That’s why examples matter.

Because somewhere today, another young cowboy is watching Jacob Lees the same way Lees once watched Chris Shivers. Another young cowgirl is watching Jackie Crawford or Lisa Lockhart. They may be sitting in the grandstands. They may be watching from home. They may not even realize they’re learning. But they are.

The Responsibility of Influence

Long before athletes had social media platforms or personal brands, rodeo was already teaching the importance of influence.

It happened in practice pens, behind the bucking chutes, around campfires and during long miles on the road. Knowledge was shared because someone cared enough to pass it along. Advice was given because another generation understood that the future of the sport depended on investing in the one that followed.

Those investments rarely appear in the standings. They don’t show up on a résumé. They’re not measured by a gold buckle.

But they’re often the reason the next gold buckle is won.

J.B. Mauney sits down for an interview while filming Lane: Life | Legend | Legacy.

In many ways, that’s what has always sustained Western sports. Not simply great competitors, but great stewards. Men and women who understand that the knowledge, values and opportunities they’ve been given were never theirs to keep. They were theirs to pass on.

Every generation eventually arrives at the same crossroads.

Will what was given to us stop with us or will we choose to pass it on?

That’s the question a grandfather answers while teaching a grandchild how to work. It’s the question a parent answers while introducing a son or daughter to something they love. It’s the question every veteran answers when a younger competitor asks for advice behind the bucking chutes.

And whether they realize it or not, it’s the same question every athlete answers the moment someone begins watching them the way they once watched their own heroes.

Passing It On

At Tough Draw, one of the things we’ve come to appreciate most is that the stories worth telling are rarely confined to eight seconds.

The competition gives us a reason to gather, but the people, relationships and values being passed from one generation to the next are what give Western sports their lasting significance.

Every accomplished athlete can usually point to someone who helped shape their journey. Eventually, that same athlete reaches a point where they have the chance, and the responsibility, to become that person for someone else.

Maybe that’s what legacy has always been.

Not simply being remembered, but choosing to leave the sport, the people and the generations that follow better than before.

Continue the Conversation

This week’s Tough Draw Tuesday was inspired by a recent conversation with Jacob Lees on Tough Draw Talks.

While this article explores one theme from that conversation, hearing Lees tell his story in his own words gives even more perspective on the people, experiences and values that have shaped one of the best seasons of his career.

Listen to the full conversation with Jacob Lees on Tough Draw Talks on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you stream podcasts.

LANE: Life | Legend | Legacy is also available to watch, sharing more from the people who knew Lane Frost and the legacy he left behind.