#182 Bruce Brannen - So Broke, I Couldn't Pay Attention

About this episode

Bruce Brannen shares his life experiences in rodeo and art, highlighting the impact of trick roping and cowboy culture.

Recorded live at the Kickback Ranch Rodeo Reunion in Ramer, Alabama, this episode of Beyond the Chutes features lifelong cowboy Bruce Brannen. Bruce takes us from his first rodeo as a 9-year-old at the Montgomery Coliseum, to years of calf roping, college rodeo at Sam Houston State, and a 33-year career teaching art and drafting. Along the way, he shares how trick roping unexpectedly changed his life, opened new doors in performance, and connected him to legends like George Taylor and Monte Montana Jr. It’s a conversation full of grit, humor, poetry, cowboy history, and the kind of stories that only come from a life spent in and around rodeo. If you enjoy rodeo roots, old-school cowboy wisdom, and the people who helped shape the culture, this one’s worth your time. #BeyondTheChutes

People in this episode

Host: Doug Simcox

Guest: Bruce Brannen

Topics covered

• rodeo
• cowboy culture
• performance art
• storytelling
• history

Keywords

• rodeo
• Bruce Brannen
• trick roping
• cowboy history
• performance
• art education
• calf roping

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sam Houston State

Places: Ramer, Alabama, Montgomery Coliseum

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