Keeping Stories Alive
Veterans day weekend in Athens, TX has started gaining attention in the past few years with the growth of Pat Hooper Leatherwrks Annual Veterans Day Steer Wrestling Jackpot.
Pat is a guy who is always looking to provide the best quality possible, and contestants at his event are quick to comment on the tough competition, fabulous arena, and great prizes. This year’s big winners were Riley Duvall and Brandon Harrison.
Sam Lewis is the steer wrestler you never saw coming who just appears with a buckle on his belt like he was born with it. Born and raised in a small town in lower Alabama, Sam’s family raises beef cattle. He knew his way around a cow, but hadn’t ever done anything with horses. Blessed with very supportive and loving parents, 15 year old Sam went to his mom one day and said he’d like to ride bulls.
He got on his first bull at a rodeo and while it wasn’t pretty, he was hooked. He began practicing during the week and finding ways to improve his rides. Before long, his hard work was paying off, and he found himself winning a year end rodeo in the Mid-south Little Britches Rodeo Association. He went on to be the Reserve State Champion in the Alabama High School Rodeo Association. While he was really enjoying the ride, he hung up his bull rope this past February because a new passion had popped up that he wanted to devote himself to: steer wrestling.
Glen Freels may have grown up near the city, but there was no keeping the cowboy inside him from emerging.
Glen grew up in a suburb of Atlanta but found himself spending every break from school with his uncle Mickey Freels in Tennessee. Although his dad roped a little, Glen had no horse experience, but his uncle Mickey was a calf roper and began to show Glen the ropes. Glen quickly became hooked.
It’s that time of the year–for NFR and holiday cheer. Custom saddle maker and PRCA steer wrestler Pat Hooper of Pat Hooper Leatherwrks will be …
On Saturday, November 11, horse trailers lined the roads of Athens, Texas as the top steer wrestlers from across the country descended upon Pat Hooper Leatherwrks Annual Veterans Day Jackpot.
Hooper, a PRCA steer wrestler, saddle maker, and veteran, proudly hosts this jackpot every year with the intention of providing quality competition and top notch prizes.
With the support of multiple sponsors, Hooper delivered on both, and winner Chase Crane took home $7,000, plus a saddle and other assorted prizes.
Have you ever wondered how a custom saddle is built? In partnership with Texas saddle maker and PRCA steer wrestler Pat Hooper of Pat Hooper Leatherwrks, I’m proud to walk you through the process from start to finish.
Pat Hooper may have grown up in east Texas, but he has been a part of rodeo culture all across America. His father James Hooper owned and operated Rawhide Productions and was one of the leading producers in the black rodeo movement of the early 1970s. The rodeos ranged from Memphis to D.C. and attracted greats such as the Bobby Blue Bland and B.B. King to add melody to the magic. These adventures continued at RFK Stadium and even led to a Saudi Arabian sheik calling the elder Hooper and asking him to come produce a rodeo. Pat traveled across the U.S. with his father and followed in his footsteps as a calf roper.
This past weekend, talented cowboys and cowgirls from around the country gathered in Topeka to compete and connect with old friends during the 60th annual United Rodeo Association (URA) Finals. With the support of businesses and individuals sponsoring events, the hospitality of the staff at the Stormont Vail Events Center, and the devoted attitude of its members, the weekend was full of high-quality stock and professional competition in a family friendly environment.
Some folks are born with rodeo in their blood. Maybe it is genetic, or maybe it is a God-given surprise. Perhaps it is both. From the first glimpse of the arena lights, a stirring happens deep inside. When this is paired with a love of horses, passion is born.
Occasionally people have the opportunity to act on this innate passion from childhood, but many grow up in neighborhoods removed from the rodeo world. These individuals have to work extra hard and burn up the highway to make their goals and dreams come true.
