Cervi Championship Rodeo Company Stock Contracting Cowgirl Magazine
Cervi Championship Rodeo Company. Photo by Impulse Photography.

When it comes to a family that embodies the true meaning of rodeo, the Cervi’s are the first that come to mind.

The family patriarch, Mike Cervi, brings over 50 years of experience to the table, “Mike Cervi started out his rodeo career at age 14 traveling the United States and Europe with Gene Autry. Between clowning, steer wrestling, and bull riding Mike guides his sons with experience and wisdom. Mike purchased the original Cervi Championship Rodeo string in 1967. The bloodlines of the original horses are still being passed down today.”

Mike’s two sons, Binion and Chase, are in charge of running the stock contracting company in the present day. Binion, who manages the business side of the operation, and Chase, who has won the prestigious title of NFR Pickup Man of the Year on several occasions, along with a multitude of other awards, are two of the handiest men in rodeo.

Operating such a successful rodeo company is a task that not many people are fit for, but the Cervi’s, who have years and years of rodeo in their veins, were literally born for the job.

To give some quick insight into the day to day life of stock contractors, their lives are spent predominantly on the road, traveling from town to town. When stock contractors are not on the road, they are at home tending to their animals, breeding, and training.

Speaking more on stock contracting, Binion told The Fence Post, “The most challenging part of raising bucking horses is that it is a long term commitment. It takes several years, financial investment and patience before you really know whether or not an animal will buck. Since we are constantly trying to raise the bar on quality, we are often making small modification to our genetics and breeding program, and those changes are not often readily noticed as it takes time. Also, all stock contractors in the business are constantly improving and finding ways to make rodeos more exciting and appealing to their fans, so that adds an element of challenge as well.”

The work and dedication that is put into the Cervi’s livestock can be seen by everyone in the rodeo industry. The prized bucking horses that belong to the Cervi’s are all treated as family, and receive the highest level of care. It’s no joke when people say that rodeo stock gets treated better than the contestants!

Skipping to the present day, the Cervi brothers are already having a great 2018, having just finished another successful National Western Stock Show, and preparing for the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

Don’t expect the Cervi’s to slow down anytime soon! Keep up with all the action by following Cervi Championship Rodeo Company on Facebook.