“I watched Mike Swearingen spur this bull to death and I said… that’s who I want to ride bulls like.”
Recorded last fall at Mike Swearingen’s Rodeo Reunion in Wyoming, New York, Doug Simcox and Sam Swearingen sit down with northeast bull rider Chris Anderson — a guy who came into rodeo later than most… married, with kids… nearly 30 years old… and still went all in.
Chris talks about getting his start at a backyard rodeo… discovering Mike Swearingen’s rodeo school… chasing rodeos across the Northeast… and building a life around bull riding.
The conversation dives into:
• Mike Swearingen’s Rodeo School • Starting bull riding at nearly 30 years old • Rodeo life with family on the road • Early northeast rodeo days • The Hard Way Bull Riding Association • Darlene Spafford’s important role behind the scenes • Weekly bull ridings, fair circuits, and legendary bulls like Flatline • Mike Swearingen, Sam Swearingen, and the riders who helped shape a generation of northeastern bull riders
This episode is full of rodeo stories, old friends, hard-earned memories, and the kind of conversations that happen when rodeo people gather after decades on the road.
Beyond the Chutes… presented by ParaSight System.
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