Beyond the Chutes

Beyond the Chutes

by Doug Simcox
Society & CultureSports
Season 1
#194 Inside the Buckhorn with Kelly Clark
Step inside The Buckhorn with longtime rodeo cowboy, historian, and collector Kelly Clark for a guided tour through a remarkable collection of rodeo history. Kelly shares the stories behind championship saddles, famous hats, buckles, photographs, chaps, shirts, back numbers, and other artifacts connected to generations of rodeo legends. Along the way, he reflects on his father, IRA World Champion John Clark, his own career in bareback riding and bull riding, the early days of the IPRA, Madison Square Garden, Northside Coliseum, Gilley’s, and many of the cowboys who helped shape the sport. The collection includes pieces tied to Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Donnie Gay, Larry Mahan, Bill Hash, Rick Chatman, Lenore Roe, JB Mauney, and many more. This episode was recorded as a visual tour, but the stories stand on their own. To see the photographs, saddles, hats, and artifacts Kelly describes, watch the complete video on the Beyond the Chutes YouTube channel or Spotify. The Buckhorn is more than a collection. Kelly has given these artifacts a home—and he gives them a voice. These stories matter. This history matters. Beyond the Chutes is presented by ParaSight System.
S1 · E194
Jul 14, 2026
25:25
#193 Building the Rodeo Archive: Where Beyond the Chutes Is Headed
In this special episode of Beyond the Chutes, as presented by ParaSight System, Doug Simcox sits down on the back porch in Taylorsville, Kentucky, with his son Ben Simcox for a candid conversation about where the show is headed and why the release schedule is slowing down. This episode pulls back the curtain on the growing Beyond the Chutes archive project: collecting rodeo artifacts, digitizing Tom Woods’ historic rodeo photos and slides, scanning old Rodeo News magazines, preserving podcast transcripts, and building a searchable wiki-style database to connect the people, places, events, stories, and forgotten pieces of rodeo history. Doug and Ben talk about the three-prong approach to preserving rodeo history: gather the physical artifacts, digitize and modernize them, and organize them into a working historical archive. They also discuss how this archive can support future shows, books, documentaries, articles, and deeper storytelling around the IRA, IPRA, Longhorn Rodeo, World’s Toughest Rodeo, and the broader Western lifestyle. This is a call to the rodeo community: if you have old photos, programs, magazines, VHS tapes, stories, or memories from the rodeo road, Beyond the Chutes wants to hear from you. These stories matter. This history matters. And now is the time to preserve it.
S1 · E193
Jun 30, 2026
36:31
#192 Rolling Smooth: Tires, Weight & Road Safety with Stan Cromlish
In this episode of Beyond the Chutes, presented by ParaSight System, we continue the Rolling Smooth series with Stan Cromlish from Wandering Gypsy RV Life. We’re talking about one of the most important parts of any rig headed down the rodeo road: tires. Stan and Doug cover tire pressure monitoring systems, tire heat, rig weight, proper tire pressure, GVWR, blowout prevention, and why knowing your numbers can save you money, time, and maybe even your horses. Whether you’re hauling a horse trailer, pulling a camper, driving a motorhome, or running miles during Cowboy Christmas, this episode is about staying safe, avoiding roadside disasters, and keeping your rig road-ready before trouble finds you. Keep it safe, keep it smart, and keep rolling smooth. #BeyondTheChutes #RollingSmooth #RodeoRoad #CowboyChristmas #RodeoPodcast #RodeoTravel #HorseTrailerSafety #RVSafety #TrailerSafety #TPMS #TirePressure #RigReady #KeepRollingSmooth #WesternLifestyle #CowboyStories #CowgirlStories #TheseStoriesMatter #ParaSightSystem #WanderingGypsyRVLife #StanCromlish
S1 · E192
Jun 16, 2026
30:19
#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
S1 · E191
Jun 2, 2026
14:19
#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
S1 · E190
May 19, 2026
39:36
#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
S1 · E189
May 12, 2026
36:45
#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
S1 · E188
May 5, 2026
38:17
#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
S1 · E187
Apr 28, 2026
19:33
#186 American Rodeo Eastern Qualifier: Winner Interviews - $2 Million on the Line
From the dirt of Lexington, Kentucky at the Alltech Arena, this episode of Beyond the Chutes takes you inside the moment—live, unscripted, and right after the win. At The American Rodeo Eastern Regional Finals, the stakes are simple: win here, and you’re headed to Arlington, Texas… Globe Life Field… and a shot at a record $2 million. We talk with the winners as it happens—no retakes, no reset, just real reactions from the arena floor. They break down the rides, the runs, the horses, and the mindset it takes when everything is on the line. But this episode is more than just results—it’s a turning point. For the first time, Beyond the Chutes steps fully into video. New cameras. New workflow. Real-time pressure. One shot to get it right. Because if we’re going to grow this thing… we’ve got to go where the stories are—and capture them as they happen. Next stop: Arlington, Texas. Globe Life Field. May 22–23. $2 million on the line. One step closer. Follow Beyond the Chutes for more real stories from the rodeo road. #BeyondTheChutes
S1 · E186
Apr 21, 2026
30:27
#185 The American Rodeo: From Lexington to Arlington: Winning Rides, Big Stakes, One Step Closer
From the dirt of Lexington, Kentucky at the Alltech Arena, this episode of Beyond the Chutes brings you inside the moment—right after the win. We talk with Tilden Hooper, Dawson Hay, Jayden Roy, Austin Stewart, Brandon Edwards, and Lane Peterson following their performances at The American Eastern Regional Finals. With $10,000 on the line and everything pointing toward Arlington, Texas, these rides mean more than just a paycheck—they’re a shot at advancing to Globe Life Field and competing for a record $2 million. You’ll hear how the rides came together, the horses that made the difference, and the mindset it takes when the stakes are this high. This is rodeo at its sharpest—preparation meets opportunity, and the margin is razor thin. Short. Real. Right from the arena floor. And it’s all heading to Arlington, TX… The American Rodeo Championship Weekend, May 22–23 at Globe Life Field. One step closer. #BeyondTheChutes #TheAmericanRodeo #SaddleBronc #TildenHooper #DawsonHay #JaydenRoy #AustinStewart #BrandonEdwards #LanePeterson #RodeoLife #WesternSports #GlobeLifeField #RoadToArlington #ProRodeo #CowboyUp #RodeoPodcast #EightSeconds #RodeoStories #AmericanRodeo #KentuckyHorsePark
S1 · E185
Apr 14, 2026
1:17:16
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