Pro Rodeo and the older years

In today's professional sports, you don't see many people at the top of their respective 'games' in in their forties, or even in their late thirties. It's just not a concept that many people are used to. It's just a reality 90% of professional sports favor the young. Except for rodeo.

It occurred to me that this is one event, that is still an actual physical sport, that the best aren't necessarily the youngest and fit. It is also possible for the very old (50-70) are still able to compete in rodeo events and win money when most other athletes just get to stare at their trophies from days gone by. Where else can you make a national finals over 20 times, which is how many times calf roper Mike Johnson has made the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Billy Etbauer is probably one of the more well-known older cowboys. He is 46 years old and at his 21st finals this year, won his 51st NFR round. That is unheard of. That is the same as winning every round at the finals for a 5 year period. He is also rodeo's first $3 million dollar cowboy. A Las Vegas article described Etbauer as a Timex, he just keeps on ticking, and ticking, and ticking. Etbauer is a true testament to the toughness of cowboys and how even the older guys can still dominate over the fit and young 20-yr-olds.