06/13/2026
What some people just don’t understand..
Rodeo’s luck of the draw factor has never been more important—or desperate—than now. Ropers and steer wrestlers everywhere are daydreaming of the days when skill was the greatest factor and the odds of being eliminated weren’t so dependent on which number the judge drew out of the hat and wrote down next to your name.
M-branded cattle have always been the cowboys’ choice for all the reasons, including giving more guys a chance at a check and longevity. It’s genetic, and it’s environmental. They’re just built tougher.
Due to the screwworm threat, the border between the U.S. and Mexico has been closed to cattle, horses and bison since April of last year. And it’s taking a very sad toll, starting with the competitive integrity at rodeos and ropings. People can’t afford practice steers, cattle charges have basically doubled, and some rodeos have even used the cattle shortage to back format changes that the cowboys don’t find favorable.
Don’t cuss the steer contractors. They can’t get their hands on freshies from our friends across the border right now.
Sad is the fact that the steers exist. They just can’t get them across the border. We’ve all heard of screwworm sightings in Texas and New Mexico in the last week or so. It’s been blasted all over the national news, and some of our sport’s best barrel racers have been proactively seeking options to ride at Calgary in the case that border is closed to horses from Texas come Stampede time. If that’s the case, every timed event will be impacted.
Imagine the frustration of a guy like Miguel Guerrero, who has over 2,000 head of fresh steers just sitting there waiting to make roping and rodeo a better place for cowboys, committees and fans again. And knowing that there is zero chance that the screwworms got to the States via Mexican steers from Chihuahua, because there is to date not a single case there, and strict protocols in place on both sides of the border do not allow for any error.
On Episode 106 of No Spin Rodeo, we had a wide-open conversation on this subject with Guerrero, who’s been fighting on the front lines on this issue since the start. Just letting my cowboy and cowgirl friends know, as the summer run is upon us and truck time has kicked into high gear.
https://player.captivate.fm/episode/abce6e76-3a6a-43be-9577-456e7d8d6164/
Las Tunas Performance Horses • Reliance Ranches
