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The 2007 Gilbert Days Budweiser IPRA Rodeo is dedicated to Buster Webb of W/A Rodeo's.
W/A Rodeo's was founded in 1966 by Buster and the late Barbara Webb. Buster Webb describes himself as a good old country boy that plays the game - rodeo. "I have a great love for rodeo and life long friends are more important than cutting the corners over money. Sometimes it hurts my game plan a little, but in the end, I can look them in the eye and know they're my friend," he says. "When it's all over, that's what you've got."
Buster lives in the same place his great grandmother homesteaded in the San Juan River Basin region of northwest New Mexico. "My folks lived in Aztec and Farmington before coming back to Bloomfield." As the grandson of a rancher, Buster learned to rope at an early age. "We always had cattle to rope. We'd buck the cows and rope the calves. I rode a few bareback horses, but not much. I had one kick me, popped my jaw and it was two weeks before it popped in."
In the fall of 1966, he bought his cousin's six bucking horses and started W/A Rodeo's. That first year, he bought 107 more and kept seven of them. "Back then, you bought a lot." In 1971, he bought a horse TIKI in Utah for $100 that turned out to be one of his best bucking horses. Tiki had been a Ranch Manager's personal horse in the rough country surrounding Blanding, Utah. After Tiki bucked him off for about the fifth time and he had to walk 25 miles to the house, Tiki was sold to W/A Rodeo's. At that time, $100 was a lot of money for a horse, but 18 years later Tiki proved to be a wise investment.
Buster's first year in business, he was the stock contractor for six rodeos. He worked on the Navajo Dam construction at night and took care of livestock related business by day. In the winter, he built on the Rio Grand Gorge putting rodeos on during the weekends.
Buster has two daughters, Suzanne and Lisa. Suzanne is now in Public Service in Fowler, Colo., and Lisa owns a real estate mortgage and development company in San Juan County, N.M.
Along with the stock contracting, Buster has a hay business at Bloomfield and runs cattle in Southern New Mexico . His rodeo contracts continued to increase over the years and in 1986, Buster put on 102 rodeos. "I put 82,000 miles on a new pick up," he remembers. In eleven days, he bucked 170 horses and 486 bulls. "My help hated me and my stock was wore out." That year he cleared $24,000 and vowed never to try to put on that many rodeos again. "I was going to run my business, it wasn't going to run me."
Buster realized he didn't have to have all the rodeos and through careful selection, he has narrowed his count to 35 or 40 a year. "I've been to Apache Junction for 33 years, Pagosa Springs, Wickenburg for 25 years and Gilbert Days for 22 years.
Along with picking better rodeos, Buster has found, over the years, that it vital to have good help. "My pickup man, Bennie Smith worked for me for 24 years and was as good a pickup man as I've ever seen." He admits it is getting harder to get rodeo personnel. "I pretty well have a winter and summer crew now depending on the location of the rodeos." He feels they work well together and make his job so much easier. As with any business today, many of the people are cross-trained and cover many bases during the operation of a rodeo.
The other aspect of rodeo that is becoming harder is the humane side. "The west is kind of gone," he said. "If a horse runs over and stomps the fire out of you, and you go and whip the horse, it's wrong. It's hard to reach a happy medium." Buster goes to every rodeo that his stock is at. "I bring them animals that can't protect themselves , so I want to be there." He takes a fifth wheel and parks next to the pens. "I like it when I can open the door and see everything. I want things better than they need to be. My wife said I was my own worst enemy."
Buster is a Gold Card Member of the International Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the New Mexico Rodeo Association (NMRA). He has been named the New Mexico Rodeo Association Stock Contractor of the Year twice. His dedication to business has earned his stock several honors including two-time World Finals Champion Saddle Bronc of the Year, Soccer, and two-time World Finals Champion Bucking Bull, Playboy (who he is pictured turning back on the front cover - inside his glasses). His most outstanding Bareback Horse was Hairy. A retired sheepherder's horse, he was a Thoroughbred / Arabian cross who was a seven time NMRA Bareback Horse of the Year plus won two World Finals Championships.
Buster has all his stock (60 bucking horses and 40 bulls) on 11 acres and at three pastures in San Juan County, N.M. "I used to have a big ranch in the 1970s. Between the drought and the cattle market, I couldn't afford to be a cowboy anymore. A big ranch is great if you get rain." Now he can take care of everything himself with the help of just a tractor.
"When it quits being fun and starts being work is when I'll retire."
Press Release and attached pictures provided by W/A Rodeo's (505) 320-3321. |
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• 2007 Gilbert Days Budweiser IPRA Rodeo dedicated to Buster Webb.
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