Fans cheer the cowboys, but the other athletes in the arena wear hooves. The bucking bulls and broncs that make rodeo possible are the product of careful breeding and years of investment by stock contractors, the businesspeople who supply the animals.

A top bucking bull is a prized athlete worth a small fortune, bred over generations for the strength, agility, and sheer desire to buck that make for a high-scoring ride. Contractors track bloodlines as closely as any thoroughbred breeder, and a proven bull can earn more from breeding fees than most cowboys make in the saddle.

The animals are pampered accordingly. They work only seconds at a time, a handful of times a month, and spend the rest of their days grazing in good pastures with attentive veterinary care. A contractor's reputation and income depend on keeping them sound and rank, so their welfare is very much in the business interest.

Contractors also shape the sport itself. By supplying the caliber of stock a rodeo can offer, they help determine the quality of competition and the excitement in the stands. The best of them are quiet celebrities in rodeo circles, their brands and bull names as familiar to fans as the cowboys who dare to climb aboard.