The animals that compete in the rodeo are hand selected for a few moments of work.

RODEO STARTS ON THE ROAD – in this case, the highways leading to I-5 from Moses Lake, Washington. That’s where Leslie Lange and Mike Corey have a ranch.

Lange and Corey’s operation is one of eight stock contractors for California Rodeo Salinas. They have been in the rodeo business for over three decades, raising horses and bulls used in saddle bronc, bareback and bull riding competitions across the West. Each year from a selection of some 200 animals, they bring about two dozen horses and bulls to Salinas.

Stock ranching for rodeo requires the sort of labor one would expect on a farm, plus some science. “The horses and the bulls that we raise all have bloodlines that give them that natural desire to buck,” Lange explains.

And the list is carefully curated. “The rodeo in Salinas is a top-tier event. So for us as a stock contractor, we want to bring our top-tier animals.” For example, two of the animals arriving in Salinas are Diamond Fever and Monster – fiery horses that made it to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas last year. The NFR is the Super Bowl for Rodeo, for both cowboys and livestock. Only the best of the best compete.

The California Salinas Rodeo works with two contractors from Washington and six from California. The event draws over 700 contestants and 1,200 stock animals.

Many of these specialized animals are quite expensive. According to Scott Dorenkamp of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, a good bucking, roping or barrel racing horse can cost five to six figures. Then there is feeding, care and transportation.

The animals spend hours on the road to compete for a few seconds – bucking animals lose when a cowboy hangs on for eight seconds. Each animal competes in about 10 rodeos, so the burden is waiting.

“The rest of the time, they’re standing in the corral with fresh water and hay and grain,” Lange says.

About two days before the Salinas competition, caravans of semi-trucks and trailers arrive in the city. Driving to Salinas from Washington takes about 20 hours. Loading the stock is routine, but a smooth trip takes a bit of practice.

“We’ll mix some of our youngsters in with our old, seasoned veterans and the veterans kind of show the youngsters the way,” Lange says. When horses are reluctant, the team allows a bigger space for the animals and give them some time to investigate their surroundings and get comfortable before the ride.

Four or five days before the rodeo begins, Corey and Lange’s caravan of a semi-truck and trailers begins its journey. They bring bales of hay and other feed for the animals, traveling by night as much as possible, when the air is cooler. Halfway through, they stop to take a break. “They’re not on the trucks and trailers very long,” Lange points out. “We’d like to keep them maybe eight to 10 hours [a day].”

When they travel to Salinas, the trucks pause in Red Bluff, California to give the animals – and drivers – a break. Lange says coming to Salinas is pretty smooth. “We plan our routes and our travel times to keep continuous motion for our trucks for the comfort of our animals,” she says. Lange smiles as she describes the best part of the trip – when heading home and they get within about a mile from the gate.

“You can feel the truck and trailer kind of moving around a little bit,” she says. The animals know they are close to home, and they express excitement about returning. “They can smell their own ground.”