True cowboys are hard to find, but not at the Houston Rodeo. Life on the road leads them here this time every year for the biggest rodeo in the world, where they’ll ride and wrangle livestock for cash and glory. Here we spotlight one person with enough dirt on his boots to call himself a cowboy — and mean it.
Name: Tyson Durfey
Age: 32
Hometown: Savannah, Missouri
Event: Tie-down roping
How did you get into rodeoing?
It was a family thing. My grandfather was involved with rodeo, and my dad. For me, it’s just a family thing.
What’s your favorite part about rodeoing?
Definitely the people you get to meet. I’ve been everywhere from Brazil to Mexico to Australia and Canada. The kind of people you meet rodeoing are a good group of people.
What’s your favorite rodeo you’ve been to?
Pendleton, Oregon. It’s the only rodeo out there of its style. It’s all on grass, no dirt. It’s definitely a cowboy rodeo. But the Houston rodeo is definitely my second favorite.
How many times have you been to the Houston rodeo?
11 years.
Tell us something interesting about yourself.
Most people know me as the Cowboy in Pink. I wear pink every time I compete in remembrance of the ladies and men that fight against breast cancer, and all kinds of cancer.
This article appears in Mar 3-9, 2016.