Tough Draw Tuesday: The Summer Run

TJ Gray takes the Xtreme Bulls win at Reno Rodeo. Photo by Sam-Sin Photography

Every rodeo season has defining stretches.

A big win can shift momentum. A strong weekend can move an athlete up the standings. A few weeks on the road can turn a season into a serious run at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Ask almost any rodeo athlete, and they will tell you the same thing: summer run is where seasons are won and lost.

As the calendar turns toward July, professional rodeo enters one of its most demanding and rewarding parts of the year. Athletes crisscross the country chasing opportunities, competing at rodeos large and small, managing livestock, hauling equipment, spending countless hours on the road, and doing everything they can to make the most of a stretch that can dramatically impact the world standings.

For some, summer run is where NFR dreams become reality. For others, it's where the margin gets tighter.

Either way, this part of the season has a way of shaping careers.

Building Momentum 

Over the last several weeks, Tough Draw Sports athletes have been building momentum at exactly the right time.

Jacob Lees has had a strong start to summer run. Photo by Sam-Sin Photography

Few have capitalized on the start of summer run quite like Idaho bareback rider Jacob Lees. Over the course of June, Lees has earned more than $27,000, including victories at the Snake River Stampede and Old Santa Ynez Days Rodeo, along with a string of strong finishes across the West. That run has moved Lees to number three in the PRCA Bareback Riding World Standings and positioned him squarely in the NFR conversation as rodeo’s busiest stretch continues.

TJ Gray, Colton Byram, and Jace Trosclair all went two-for-two at the Reno Xtreme Bulls, with Gray continuing that momentum by capturing the title at the Snake River Stampede in Nampa, Idaho.

TJ Gray at Reno Rodeo. Photo by Sam-Sin Photography

After working his way back into the rhythm of competing full time, Trosclair’s success in Reno represented another important step forward. Fellow Tough Draw Sports athlete Ethan Skogquist continues building momentum of his own as summer run intensifies.

In barrel racing, Carlee Otero added another major win to her already impressive season

by capturing the title at the Ridgeview Pro Rodeo in Driggs, Idaho.

Elsewhere, Tough Draw Sports athletes Byram and Clayton Sellars have continued adding to strong seasons of their own, finding success across multiple rodeos as opportunities continue to present themselves throughout June.

Beyond competition, athletes like Madison Schalla are seeing years of preparation come to life as their summer schedules ramp up. For Schalla, one of the most accomplished trick riders in the country, summer run means a packed calendar of performances and appearances that bring rodeo entertainment to thousands of fans throughout the season.

While Tough Draw Sports was originally built heavily around the bull riding community, this summer’s success across bareback riding, barrel racing, trick riding, and other disciplines reflects the continued growth of the agency and the expanding opportunities available throughout Western sports.

The results matter, but they are only part of the story.

The Road Between Rodeos

For many fans, summer run is a chance to attend rodeos, watch their favorite athletes compete, and experience some of the biggest events in Western sports.

What often goes unseen are the decisions being made behind the scenes.

Athletes are managing travel routes, entry selections, physical recovery, vehicle maintenance, scheduling, and family logistics. In events like barrel racing, those decisions become even more critical as athletes balance the physical demands placed on their horses while strategically selecting opportunities throughout the summer.

For five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier Otero, summer run represents both the busiest and most rewarding time of the year.

“The summer run is my family's favorite time of year,” Otero said. “We have our favorite rodeos and favorite places to visit when we're on the road. Even with my goal of making the NFR every year and winning a gold buckle, the most memorable part is being able to rodeo with my family.”

That family experience is part of what makes the season meaningful, but Otero also knows how much work it takes to keep going rodeo after rodeo.

Carlee Otero at Reno Rodeo. Photo by Sam-Sin Photography

“Behind the scenes, summer run takes a lot of support and planning,” Otero continued. “I have to fly my farrier in and coordinate that between rodeos and places we can get him into. I also have relationships with veterinarians across the United States and Canada because my horses' health and soundness are my top priority. Without my horses, I wouldn't be who I am.”

Otero’s perspective points to one of the realities many fans never see. Success during summer run is not simply about entering the next rodeo. For athletes across every discipline, it often requires months of preparation, a strong support system, trusted professionals, and decisions made long before the first performance begins.

The miles may belong to the athletes, but the effort often extends far beyond the competitor alone.

Where Seasons Are Made

Summer run also represents some of the biggest opportunities available anywhere in professional rodeo.

From iconic rodeos like the Snake River Stampede, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Pendleton Round-Up, and the Calgary Stampede to premier events like the Reno Xtreme Bulls and the growing slate of Rank 45 Xtreme Bulls competitions, athletes have more opportunities than ever to earn meaningful money and position themselves for a run at the National Finals Rodeo.

TJ Gray has capitalized on opportunities at Xtreme Bulls events this year to help him secure a spot in Las Vegas. Photo by Sam-Sin Photography

The continued growth of rodeo purses, standalone events, and athlete opportunities reflects the evolution of the sport itself.

At the same time, Western culture continues to gain visibility. More people are discovering rodeo and the Western way of life through mainstream entertainment, social media, and increased exposure to the sport’s biggest stars and events.

The result is a rodeo landscape filled with opportunity.

Today’s athletes are competing for checks and standings points, but they are also building brands, creating content, engaging with fans, growing partnerships, and finding new ways to create value inside and outside the arena.

For many athletes, summer run is where those opportunities come together.

More Than the Miles

As important as the competition is, ask most athletes what they remember years later and the conversation often shifts away from the standings.

They talk about the people. They remember the friendships formed on the road, the families who travel together, the mentors who helped them along the way, and the memories made somewhere between one rodeo and the next.

Summer run has always been one of the greatest gathering points in Western sports. It is where athletes, families, fans, stock contractors, committees, and partners come together to celebrate a shared way of life.

It is also one of the most valuable times of year for the brands and partners investing in the future of rodeo. Whether they are connecting with athletes at events, hosting customers and guests, creating content, or strengthening relationships, summer run creates opportunities for meaningful engagement that help move the sport forward.

For Sellars, that community is one of the things that makes this time of year so meaningful.

“Summer run is special because it's when rodeo really feels like a community,” Sellars said. “You're on the road chasing your goals, but at the same time you're getting to see friends, family, and people you've known for years. That's something a lot of people on the outside don't always understand.”

As his own life has changed, this part of the season has only become more meaningful.

“Obviously, we're all competitors and we want to win, but some of the best memories come from the people you get to share it with along the way,” Sellars shared. “As I've gotten older, gotten married, and now have two little boys, those moments mean even more. Being able to do what I love, provide for my family, and spend time with people who have become like family is something I'll never take for granted.”

Clayton Sellars values the memories made during summer run. Photo by Lindsay Hughes

Sellars’ perspective speaks to something that has always made rodeo different. While competitors spend much of the year chasing individual goals, the road has a way of bringing people together. Friendships are built over countless miles, shared meals, late-night drives, and summers spent chasing the same dream.

For many fans, places like Cheyenne Frontier Days are bucket-list experiences. For athletes, they are opportunities to change the trajectory of an entire season.

For the Tough Draw team, events like Cheyenne have become places to film documentaries, record podcasts, build relationships, and introduce our own family to one of rodeo’s most iconic traditions. Every visit serves as a reminder that summer run is about more than competition.

It is about the experiences, memories, and opportunities that continue long after the final performance ends.

The Heartbeat of the Season

For many people, summer means vacations, family gatherings, and time spent making memories. In rodeo, it means many of the same things. Those memories are often made somewhere between the next rodeo, the next state line, and the next opportunity.

Summer run represents some of the biggest stages, biggest payouts, and most meaningful moments the sport has to offer. More importantly, it represents the people who make rodeo what it is.

The athletes chasing a dream. The families supporting them. The fans cheering them on. The partners investing in the future. The communities that gather every summer to celebrate a way of life that continues to endure and evolve.

Championships may be won during summer run, but the relationships, memories, and stories created along the way continue to define the sport long after the dust settles.