Saddle bronc rider Cort Scheer has his sights set on making it back to the bright lights of Las Vegas for what would be his seventh National Finals Rodeo qualification this year in 2024.
Scheer kicked off the new year at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, Colorado this week. Thursday night he was matched up with Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix Payback to earn 79 points and Friday afternoon got on Cervi’s Signature for 82 points to be leading the average going into the semi-finals. With Denver being the first large rodeo of the year, cowboys know how having success early on can set you up well for the rest of the season.
“It’s the start of the first big rodeos,” Scheer explained. “I love coming here, Denver’s always been good to me.”
Since first joining the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2008, Scheer has witnessed firsthand the evolution of the sport of rodeo from new competitors on the scene to elite horsepower.
“You watch the talent nowadays, it’s unreal. It’s a different ball game and you literally have to be on top of your game every single day,” Scheer expressed. “You used to come to Denver or Fort Worth and you could be 69 or 71 and make it back sitting pretty good – now you’re not even going to win any money.”
Although Scheer has been riding bucking horses for most of his life, he’s recently gotten into the business of raising performance horses which he finds strongly relates to riding broncs.
“That’s one of the main things the Etbauer’s always taught us was riding a saddle horse is just as good for you as anything. It’s a lot of core, balance, and using the same muscles,” Scheer said. “A lot of people get on a spur board or a bucking machine but in my mind, there’s no replacement for a live animal.”
For Scheer, he finds value in being around horses every day and learning from them regardless of whether it’s a young saddle horse or a seasoned bronc.
“I think kids should get on a few colts just for the simple fact of learning by experience. If I jerk the back cinch up against his belly and he kicks, you’re probably not going to do that again. An old saddle horse would probably let you get away with it, but colts allow you to learn how to deal with horses. To me, your ride starts as soon as that horse comes into the bucking chute, so you learn what it means if they’re worry-eyed or if their ears are twitching.”
With a new wave of bronc riders hitting the scene, Scheer has shifted into a new role of being one of the veterans in the industry.
“I don’t care if you travel with me or not, I don’t care if it’s the first time I’ve ever seen you or it’s the last – if I see something and I can help, I want to help,” Scheer stated. “You want them to do good because you’re only as good as your competition and you always want to leave something better than when you found it.”
Regardless of being a veteran, Scheer let his experience and skill speak for itself at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo as he came out on top of bracket one in the bronc riding with a composite score of 162 on two head. Although the 2024 rodeo season is far from over, Scheer is making it known that this year he’s here to compete and this is only the beginning.
