#191 Chris Anderson | Mike Swearingen, Hard Way Bull Riding & Life on the Rodeo Road

#191 Chris Anderson | Mike Swearingen, Hard Way Bull Riding & Life on the Rodeo Road

“I watched Mike Swearingen spur this bull to death and I said… that’s who I want to ride bulls like.” Recorded last fall at Mike Swearingen’s Rodeo Reunion in Wyoming, New York, Doug Simcox and Sam Swearingen sit down with northeast bull rider Chris Anderson — a guy who came into rodeo later than most… married, with kids… nearly 30 years old… and still went all in. Chris talks about getting his start at a backyard rodeo… discovering Mike Swearingen’s rodeo school… chasing rodeos across the Northeast… and building a life around bull riding. The conversation dives into: • Mike Swearingen’s Rodeo School • Starting bull riding at nearly 30 years old • Rodeo life with family on the road • Early northeast rodeo days • The Hard Way Bull Riding Association • Darlene Spafford’s important role behind the scenes • Weekly bull ridings, fair circuits, and legendary bulls like Flatline • Mike Swearingen, Sam Swearingen, and the riders who helped shape a generation of northeastern bull riders This episode is full of rodeo stories, old friends, hard-earned memories, and the kind of conversations that happen when rodeo people gather after decades on the road. Beyond the Chutes… presented by ParaSight System. Follow Beyond the Chutes for more real stories from the rodeo road. #BeyondTheChutes #BeyondTheChutes #BullRiding #ChrisAnderson #MikeSwearingen #SamSwearingen #HardWayBullRiding #RodeoHistory #NortheastRodeo #WesternSports #RodeoPodcast #CowboyLife #WesternHeritage #RodeoRoad #BullRider #IRA #RodeoStories

#190 Inside The American Rodeo with Lane Peterson | The Road to Arlington, $2 Million & The Eastern Regional Finals

How do you get to The American Rodeo? How do the qualifiers work? What happens in Lexington… and what waits in Arlington? In this special standalone conversation pulled from our larger Lexington coverage, Doug Simcox and Sam Swearingen sit down with Lane Peterson, Competition Manager of The American Rodeo, inside the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park during The American Eastern Regional Finals. Lane breaks down the American’s unique format… the grassroots qualifier system… super qualifiers like St-Tite, Quebec… redemption rounds… regional finals… and the long road that leads to Arlington, Texas. Then comes the big stage. May 22 & 23 — Globe Life Field — Arlington, Texas. The contenders who survive the qualifier trail face off against the top PRCA rodeo athletes in each event… with $2 million dollars hanging in the balance. If you've ever wondered how The American really works… this is the episode. Beyond the Chutes… presented by ParaSight System. Follow Beyond the Chutes for more real stories from the rodeo road. #BeyondTheChutes #BeyondTheChutes #TheAmericanRodeo #AmericanRodeo #LanePeterson #RoadToArlington #GlobeLifeField #LexingtonKY #AlltechArena #KentuckyHorsePark #ArlingtonTexas #Rodeo #PRCA #IPRA #WesternSports #CowboyLife #RodeoPodcast #RodeoRoad #RodeoLife #WesternLifestyle #RodeoFans #BullRiding #SaddleBronc #BarebackRiding #TeamRoping #BarrelRacing #TieDownRoping #SteerWrestling #BreakawayRoping #RoadToTheAmerican #MillionDollarRodeo

#189 Rolling Smooth: Behind the Scenes of Podcasting on the Rodeo Road

What really goes into building a podcast from the road? In this special crossover episode, Doug Simcox of Beyond the Chutes joins Stan Cromlish on the Wandering Gypsy RV Life podcast for a behind-the-scenes conversation recorded at Kickback Ranch in Raymer, Alabama. From rodeo arenas and campgrounds to editing bays and RV dinettes, Doug and Stan talk about what it really takes to build podcasts while living and traveling on the road. They dive into audio gear, video production, editing workflows, YouTube growth, RV systems, storytelling, sponsor relationships, and the challenges of creating content from inside motorhomes, horse trailers, and campground setups. You’ll hear conversations about: * Podcast editing with Audacity, Descript, and the Zoom PodTrak P4 * Recording inside RVs and managing sound, storage, and video workflows * The rise of reels, shorts, and YouTube podcasting * RV life parallels with rodeo life * Building authentic brands without losing editorial freedom * The story behind ParaSight System and their AI-driven veterinary technology * Why storytelling still matters in both the cowboy and RV worlds This episode also introduces the upcoming Cowboys and Cowgirls Rolling Smooth collaboration series between Beyond the Chutes and Wandering Gypsy RV Life. Real conversations. Real road life. Real storytelling. Visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel for full video episodes, shorts, reels, and behind-the-scenes content from the rodeo road. Follow Beyond the Chutes for more real stories from the rodeo road. #BeyondTheChutes #RollingSmooth #WanderingGypsyRVLife #RodeoRoad #RVLife #CowboyLife #Podcasting #WesternLifestyle #FullTimeRV #RodeoPodcast #RVPodcast #CowboyStories #WesternHeritage #RoadLife #ContentCreator #YouTubePodcast #PodcastLife #RodeoFamily #CampgroundLife #TravelPodcast #StanCromlish #DougSimcox #HorseTrailerLiving #RVTravel #CowboysAndCowgirlsRollingSmooth

#188 Cowboy to Full-Time RVer: Stan Cromlish’s Rolling Smooth Story

Stan Cromlish has lived the cowboy life—and now he’s built a new one on the road. In this first episode of Cowboys & Cowgirls: Rolling Smooth, we sit down with Stan—rodeo man, author of the Rolling Smooth series, and full-time RVer—to talk about the journey from the arena to life behind the wheel. This isn’t theory. It’s real-world experience from someone who’s lived both sides—rodeo roads and RV roads—and understands what it takes to keep moving forward. We talk about: * The transition from cowboy to full-time RVer * What life on the road really looks like * The mindset it takes to make it work * Why being “rolling smooth” matters more than you think If you haul horses, chase rodeos, or live life mile to mile—this series is for you. 👉 Start here. Then keep going—because every episode builds on the last. Follow Beyond the Chutes for more real stories from the rodeo road. #BeyondTheChutes

#187 Jim Swearingen | He Set the Table for a Rodeo Dynasty

Recorded last fall at Mike Swearingen’s Rodeo Reunion in Wyoming, New York, this episode of Beyond the Chutes sits down with a true patriarch of rodeo in the East—Jim Swearingen. Husband to Nancy, father to Mike, Sam, Danny, Pearl, Patty, and Beth, Jim didn’t just raise a rodeo family—he helped build a rodeo community. From a small riding stable in Western New York to the early days of Little Britches Rodeo in the late 1960s, Jim put kids on horses and gave them a place to start. What followed shaped generations of cowboys and cowgirls across the Northeast. If you’ve ever been to the Attica Rodeo—founded in 1959 and still filling the stands today—you’ve felt the impact of the Swearingen family. This is more than a conversation. This is legacy, hard work, and the foundation of rodeo east of the Mississippi. Follow Beyond the Chutes for more real stories from the rodeo road. #BeyondTheChutes #BeyondTheChutes, #Rodeo, #JimSwearingen, #AtticaRodeo, #LittleBritchesRodeo, #RodeoHistory, #CowboyLife, #WesternHeritage, #RodeoFamily, #BullRiding, #CalfRoping, #CowboyLegacy, #WesternLifestyle, #RodeoPodcast, #AmericanRodeo, #CowboyStories, #RodeoLife, #PRCA, #IPRA, #EastCoastRodeo