Double S Bull Co. brings excitement with bull riding tours
Quite possibly the most anticipated event at the Montgomery County Fair was the Double S Bull Company, LLC Extreme Bull Riding Tour Friday, July 16.
Owned and operated by Shad and Vicki Smith of rural Sidney, Double S Bull Company has a stellar reputation in the sport of rodeo. They have been named Stock Contractor of the Year for the Bull Riders of America (BOA) more than 20 times, have won Bull of the Year awards, event of the year awards and have provided bulls for the prestigious Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) events.
“We are successful at what we do. There is a lot of work that goes into this business people don’t see or hear about,” Smith said. “But I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
Smith grew up attending the annual Sidney Iowa Championship Rodeo and said all he ever wanted to do growing up was to ride bulls.
As a teenager that’s what he started doing, and he rose rapidly among the ranks of the best in the nation. However, he soon began to purchase bulls to practice on, and his life went from riding bulls to providing bulls.
“It’s wasn’t long before I had better bulls than the amateur contractors. I started leasing bulls to a few local rodeos and it quickly became a full-time deal. It got bigger, a lot faster than I thought,” Smith said. “My intention was to ride bulls, but it turned into this.”
Smith’s first organized rodeo was in 1994. Fast forward a couple decades, and they started the 2021 season May 29 in Brookfield, Mo. Their annual tour will end Sept. 17-18 in Nebraska City, Neb. In addition to the stop in Red Oak, there are tours in Clarinda on July 22; Atlantic, July 30; Sidney, Aug. 27-18 and Essex Labor Day celebration Sept. 4.
For the Extreme Bull Riding Tour stops, Smith provides the contestants, bulls, announcer, timers, bullfighters, and even the arena and chutes.
At other events he doesn’t organize, he is asked to provide bulls, such as for the National Western Stock Show in Denver, or the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo in Texas.
In addition to the daily tasks of providing for 100 head of bulls, Smith is also often buying or selling bulls to keep the stock fresh and at the top of its game. He explained what he looks for in a bull is similar to what a coach looks for in an athlete, such as athleticism, good conformation and those that enjoy what they’re doing. A bull in its prime is between 4 and 8 years old. However, Smith has had bulls that have bucked into their teens.
A misconception of bull riding is that the bulls are forced to buck. Having been a rider and a contractor, Smith said this is not true. He explained the livestock know when it’s time to work, and if they want to buck, they will.
“You certainly can’t make them. You can change the delivery, which way they come out of the chute, but you can’t make them buck.”
He added that his bulls and other livestock in the rodeo business are taken care of very well.
“This is how we make a living and we need these animals to be in top mental and physical shape. If they don’t feel well, they don’t perform. I want my bulls to last and have a long, successful career. I have 10-year old bulls that are in better shape then 5-year-old herd bulls.”
The majority of Smith’s bulls are located on Knox Road outside Sidney where he and his family live and farm. He and his wife, Vicki, have three children, Cash, Paige, and Cade, who all play an integral part of the business.
“My kids have grown up not knowing anything different than this. This is all they’ve ever known.
When asked if he missed riding bulls, Smith said he doesn’t, since he’s still around it every day.
“I stopped on my own terms. If it had happened another way, I might.”
For more information on Double S Bull Company LLC, go to doublesbulls.net or on Facebook at Double S Bull Riding Tour.