What would be your first, big purchase if you wont big money?
Rocker Steiner, a bareback bronc rider, and Kade Bruno, a saddle bronc rider, joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast ahead of the Music City Rodeo to talk about the upcoming event, as well as their lives as rodeo stars. The two discussed their favorite country artists, why Nashville is the perfect place for a rodeo, and how their lives as touring rodeo competitors aren’t that much different from touring country singers.
The guys also spoke on the risk that comes with their profession, and the sport’s largest misconceptions. Rocker and Kade then touched on celebrity and country star runs in they’ve had during their careers, and how Taylor Sheridan has helped rodeo popularity through shows like Yellowstone.
Part of the sport becoming more popular is bigger payouts for the rodeo stars. When we touched on the sport’s misconceptions, Rocker mentioned that a lot of people just assume all of the rodeo guys participate in competitions all across the country as a side job:
“It’s funny how many people we talk to and they’re like, ‘Oh, do you just do this for fun? Do you just do this on the weekend? What’s your actual job?’ And it’s like, ‘I made $100,000 last week doing this. And I’m doing it again tomorrow.’ This is a real job. And if you are the best at it, you can make a lot of money.”
$100,000 in a week doesn’t sound too bad, eh?
For young stars like Rocker and Kade, getting awarded that kind of money can be a blessing and a curse (but mostly a blessing). We asked what their first big-time purchases were earning that much moolah in a short amount of time, and the two rodeo stars couldn’t have had more different answers.
Rocker Steiner said he opted to get himself a vintage muscle car:
“My first big check was probably Houston. When I was 18, I won probably $27,000. That kind of money when you are 18? All year I made $300,000 in the area, and signed some deals and stuff. I bought a car that was pretty expensive for an 18-year-old kid. It was a 1970 Nova.”
While Kade Bruno is more of a “put it away for a rainy day” kind of star:
“That’s a pretty common thing. Some guys are serious about buying a place at a young age. They’ll buy a place, or whatever toys: skid steers, trucks, fancy cars. I don’t really think I spent a whole lot… I save money. I never really had money growing up, so when I finally started winning a lot, I was stock piling it. The first big check I ever wrote was for taxes. It was like $50,000.”
@whiskeyriff @Rocker Steiner @kadebrunoooo @musiccityrodeo #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff
The tax man always gets his cut.
And speaking of big money, there’s going to be a lot on the line when Music City Rodeo rolls into Nashville later next month. The event will take place Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena May 28 through 30 (following a sold-out inaugural event in 2025). The Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) is returning to Downtown Nashville for another thrilling event filled with broncs, barrel racing, team roping, and country music.
Music City Rodeo will run across three days, and each night will be capped off by performances from Miranda Lambert (May 28), Charley Crockett (May 29) and Jon Pardi (May 30). Simply put, it’s going to be a can’t-miss event, and Rocker Steiner and Kade Bruno will be there to compete.
You can hear them talk more about it in the full interview below. Check it out on YouTube or make sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here.
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Cheers, y’all.
