Bulls Aren't Only For Boys

Bucking stock isn’t your average every day staple crop for ranchers. But for the Juma family of Torrington, Wyoming, they have succeeded in breeding and producing high quality offspring for the past 30 years.

This operation is a family run ordeal, and the next generation is looking for their stake in the family business. Sabrina Juma, a 24 year old college graduate of the University Of Wyoming, has dedicated her time going down the rodeo trail with her family. She is one of four kids, with a twin sister named Brooke and two younger brothers, Tyler and Cameron.

Starting out as a small herd of practice stock for her father Byron Juma, it quickly grew after Byron was forced to quit hauling to rodeos for himself. “Once he tore his bicep and no longer could ride bulls, he had to make a decision to either get rid of the stock he had or go forward and start contracting,” says Sabrina. "It started out as subcontracting for other contractors, then we were able to pick up contracts on our own as time went on. Each year, Juma Rodeo Stock kept getting more contracts and raising more stock to meet the rising demand."

The Juma family also raised and hauled bucking horses up until 2010. However, as things grew, they had a reduction sale and decided to focus mainly on bulls. But when one door shuts another one opens. In the fall of 2018, Jess Hill presented them with the business opportunity to buy into Summit Pro Rodeo with JD Hamaker and Daniel Beard. Sabrina says, “We, fortunately, were able to capitalize on this business opportunity and are now a part of Summit Pro Rodeo. This has been a blessing to our family."

Their accolades for their hard work is plentiful. “We’ve had stock at every national level finals,” explains Sabrina. "The High School National Finals Rodeo, College National Finals Rodeo, Senior Pro Rodeo Finals, Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the once CBR Finals and the PBR Finals." For a while they didn’t have as many rodeo contracts and had a fairly talented pen of bulls, so they hauled to bull competitions (ABBI, UBBI, MBBA, BULLC) for a few years and had quite a bit of success with that.

Sabrina has spent the past few years hauling the stock to amateur rodeos while her father hauls to the Pro events. “Being a woman behind the chutes has never phased me because that’s all I’ve ever known," Sabrina says. "Initially when we first started hauling with Summit, the guys must’ve thought I had cooties, because they would barely talk to me. Now, I’m good friends with a lot of the guys in our circuit.”

But, it’s always a learning curve. “At rodeos, where we either subcontract for other contractors or we’re hired as subcontractors, I’ve had the opportunity to meet a handful of contractors and learn how they operate their business, which I’ve really enjoyed. Recently, I’ve gotten to really know our committee members at each rodeo.”

“I have been told I’m not like most women. I’d have to agree because the things that fuel my fire are some of the simplest, yet unique things. It’s not the big glamorous events that really get me. Although, don’t get me wrong, those are a good time too. It’s the times being outside admiring all of God's beautiful creation while taking care of, and working with, the livestock He’s blessed us with. It’s going out to the pasture to cake the rodeo cows, watching baby calves buck and run around with their tails in the air, putting the first couple trips on young bulls, getting to see them grow and figure things out with each experience, having a bull put a good trip together, bareback horses rattling the chutes while the national anthem is playing, gathering bulls to go to a rodeo and getting to watch the sunrise while horseback, or hauling bulls down the road and getting to see new places and meet new people.”

-Sabrina Juma