He keeps records of the number of contests the bull has bucked in. The Treadway bulls come from several different bloodlines, with all being Brahma crosses.Īsked about record keeping, Treadway didn’t talk about the usual measures of cattle performance and growth such as rate of gain or even body condition. The second or third generations seem to be better at bucking than first generation animals, he added. Most of the bulls in his rodeo are the progeny of animals on his farm, both bulls and cows.Įrnie said most of the bulls he sends to riding events are second or third generation animals. One winner, Chicken on a Chain, was a PBR Champion Bucking Bull a few years back, he said.Įrnie said he purchased that bull as a two-year-old and while he does buy some bulls, it is not the norm for his operation. Their bulls win in a lot of their competitions. Some of his bulls are sold for Professional Bull Riding and will end up on television in national events. Treadway said they have about 75 bulls, including futurity bulls.

While the Treadways were working and talking, the big animals were resting in pens at the end of the show ring. The Treadways supply bucking bulls for bull rides through the eastern United States and sometimes beyond. Ernie and Caty Treadway, owners of Ernie Treadway Rodeo, were working to make the event happen later in the day.

Their arrival promised the bull riding contest would be filled with excitement. Trailers loaded with bulls destined for the fair’s bull riding contest, rolled into the fairground after hours on the road. This was true here June 27, the last day of the New River Valley Fair. Sometimes it just takes a lot of bull to get the show on the road. Ernie and Caty Treadway check on a pen of bulls before the final event of the New River Valley Fair’s bull riding contest.

Raising bucking bulls