Steer wrestling. It’s one of the fastest events in rodeo, it’s probably the most dangerous, and it’s for people with a slight disregard for self-preservation. Also known as “bulldogging,” steer wrestling requires strength, agility, speed, timing, and, most importantly, understanding the principles of leverage.
Competing against each other and the clock, cowboys mounted on horses charge after steers released from roping chutes. And here’s where it gets hairy. When the cowboy catches up with the steer, he leans over, jumps off his horse, and grabs hold of the animal’s horns, digging his heels into the dirt before tossing the steer onto its side. To be competitive, all this action must take place in four seconds or less.
Some people choose to make a living out of this. Take, for instance, Los Alamos steer wrestler Luke Branquinho. The 32-year-old cowboy is one of just six Californians competing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas (WNFR).
Branquinho placed fourth in this year’s 2012 world standing. At the 2011 WNFR, he won five of nine rounds on the way to his third world championship. This year, Branquinho returned to Vegas to compete for his fourth world title, and while such an event might make most people nervous, the steer wrestler is ready for whatever comes his way.
“It’s routine; I don’t get scared,” Branquinho said in an interview with the Sun. “More than anything, I’m anxious before a competition.”
Starting Dec. 6 and running to the 15th, Vegas goes country for 10 nights and plays host to the best contestants from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. Contestants had to rank among the top five in world standings for a shot at the WNFR.
With $6 million up for grabs in prize money, the rodeo will crown contestants in steer wrestling, bareback riding, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, bull riding, and women’s barrel racing.
Branquinho grew up with ranching parents John and Brandy Branquinho on a cattle ranch in Los Alamos. He started steer wrestling when he was 11 years old and hasn’t stopped since. He attended West Hills Community College in Coalinga and debuted in the PRCA in 2000; he was named Steer Wrestling Rookie of the Year.
“Steer wrestling ended up being the best fit for me,” Branquinho said, noting that it’s taken him since he started the sport until he was in college to perfect his technique.
Rodeo is a family affair for the Branquinhos; Luke’s older brother Casey has won titles, while Luke’s other brother served as rodeo coach at Cal Poly. Since he grew up around steers and horses on a prominent ranch, rodeo is in Branquinho’s blood.
“It takes a lot of hard work,” he said of being a steer wrestler. “But there is a rush from start to finish.”
As Branquinho prepares for another run at the WNFR steer wrestling title, he said he’s trying not to let anything get to him or to put too much pressure on himself.
“It’s just another run, and I have to do my best to beat the steer I’ve drawn,” Branquinho said.
The Los Alamos native said he enjoys the excitement of the WNFR.
“I get to see all the fans and enjoy the best of the best in rodeo,” he said.
While there’s plenty to keep him busy, amid all the sights and autograph signings, Branquinho admits there are some challenges that come from a career in rodeo—mainly the time spent on
the road.
“The toughest part of rodeo is travel and being away from the family,” he said, adding that he travels to about 70 rodeos a year in the United States and Canada.
Branquinho is more family man than anything else. Married to wife Lindsay, the steer wrestler also has two young sons: Cade, age 4, and Jameson, age 2. He said if he could find another job closer to home that pays as well as his job now, he’d take it.
“You have to be mentally tough to maintain when you’re on the road,” Branquinho said, and the cowboy was happy to report that his family is there to support him at the WNFR.
And a life in rodeo doesn’t come without its risk of injury. Branquinho, at 6 feet tall and 235 pounds, spends his career wrestling 450- to 600-pound steers to the ground. As a result, he now wears knee braces to help with past injuries; he’s also dislocated his left shoulder in the past. Of the worst injuries he’s had, Branquinho tore his pectoral muscle and missed the 2005 WNFR. That year, he called the action for the ProRodeo Radio Network.
After this year’s rodeo, Branquinho will take the rest of December off to rest and spend much-needed time with his family before starting again in January. When he isn’t grabbing steers by the horns, he likes to hunt, fish, and train horses in his free time.
Branquinho admitted he would like to compete a couple more years before finding another job. If he could pass on advice to younger steer wrestlers, it would be that it all comes down to hard work.
“The harder you work, the more it pays off,” he said. “Don’t lose sight of your goals.”
Branquinho will be competing against top steer wrestlers from around the world at the WNFR in Las Vegas. First place in each competition will walk away with a hefty sum of money, a new saddle, and the legendary gold buckle. m
Staff Writer Kristina Sewell has done her share of arm wrestling. Send comments to ksewell@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 13-20, 2012.