How cowboys survive the roughest rides in rodeo history

The rides that made history at the American Rodeo 2025

Before rodeo became a big-money, TV-ready sport, cowboys like Ramon “Ray” Castro were already legends in the chutes and dusty arenas across the Southwest. This story digs into the forgotten side of rodeo history, where Mexican American cowboys and vaquero families shaped the way bronc riding, calf roping, and steer wrestling were done long before the bright lights and sponsorships showed up. If you care about real cowboy history and the riders whose names never made the highlight reels, this one