Cowboy Tales From The Rodeo: Loving It, Good Days And Bad

Bull rider Shawn Hogg.

​Rodeo cowboys basically live on the road, traveling with men and women crazy enough to ride, rope and wrestle live animals for a paycheck. Each day, Hair Balls is asking for a different cowboy to tell us a little bit about himself and his wildest story from a life of rodeo.

Name: Shawn Hogg
Age: 24
Hometown: Odessa, Texas
Event: Bull riding

I got into rodeo because my dad got me started in it. I've done it since I was pretty young, started junior rodeoing and stuff like that. I was about five years old the first time I rode. I was 18 when I started professionally, and I started with the [Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association] when I was 19.

I'm on the road for roughly 100 rodeos a year, and that's quite a bit. I'm away from home for half or three-quarters of the year. I do more driving than anything, but if it's necessary, I fly.

When I'm on the road, there are times when I'm alone, but mainly I'm traveling with two to four other guys. Most of the time it's the same group of guys, but sometimes you'll jump in with another group. We all get along pretty good.

If I didn't rodeo, I really don't know what I'd do.

The best thing about rodeo for me is being able to make a living doing what I love. I enjoy my job, I enjoy it everyday. I love what I do everyday, every time I come to work, whether it goes good or bad, I'll still love what I do.

I don't know when I'll quit rodeo. None of us knows the future, but unless I feel like God calls me to do something else, I'm going to be in the rodeo.

The craziest thing that's happened to me is tough to say. I've seen it all. I've definitely seen a lot, a lot of stories. Too many of them really.