Bronco riders have 8 seconds to prove their skill. With one arm in the air, they try to stay on and fight to get the best possible score. That score is half determined by the rider, and half by the horse. The wilder the horse, the better the score and the more dangerous the ride. That’s where pickup men come in. 

On a normal ride, a pair of pickup men come alongside the rider at the end of the event to help him get off the bucking bronco. In practice, that looks a bit like grabbing a cowboy off a wild beast and putting him down safely on the other side. Then, they lasso the horse and get him out of the arena. Sometimes though, a rider gets in serious trouble. 

Part of being a pickup man is watching the ride and being ready to intervene to keep anyone from being thrown to the ground. They don’t ever want to step in too early and ruin a score, but they also don’t want to come too late to make the save. It’s a delicate balance, and one that requires the most expert of horsemen. 

Skeeter Davis is that man. With 40 years of rodeo experience, including training youth for the International Miniature Rodeo Association, he knows just about everything there is to know about the sport. Now, he’s making a name for himself as the guy that you want with you in the arena. “I’ve been a pickup man all over,” he explains, “I was the first Black pickup man at Angola Rodeo.” He also worked at Houston Rodeo, the largest in the world.

Pickup men are typically quiet and unassuming.They don’t get the glory, but they get their riders and the horse to safety. Their presence in the arena allows riders to push their limits and perform at their best. So keep watching after the buzzer sounds. You’ll be rewarded with some of the best horsemanship of the entire night.