← Back to all episodes

Ep. 500: The Rodeo Life with Zeke Thurston

Published: 2023-12-04 10:00:00
Description Show ▼

Steven Rinella talks with Zeke ThurstonRyan Callaghan, Janis Putelis, Brady Davis, Garrett LongPhil Taylor, and Corinne Schneider

Topics discussed: being a world champion saddle bronc rider; screwing up decoy placement; the canadian bronc scene; pre-order MeatEater's American History: The Long Hunters (1761-1775); renaming birds; deer birth control; feedback about Catalina Island's mule deer; Chetiquette: to check or not to check someone else's trail cam footage on public land?; wolverines protected under the Endangered Species Act; how to judge and score riding; the horse that loved riding so much; half the kickin' horses are mares; born into rodeo;  the earnings conversation; focus on the neck; all the injuries; cheer Zeke on at the National Finals Rodeo; the myth of the synched testicles; and more. 

Connect with Steve and MeatEater

Steve on Instagram and Twitter

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube

Shop MeatEater Merch

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Referenced Books

Journal of a Trapper
by Osborne Russell
Steve recommends this book to people and references it while discussing wolverines. He mentions that Osborne Russell describes wolverines as 'common' or 'abundant' in his journal, which surprises Steve given how rare they are today. Russell provides observations about animals in his synopses at the end of the journal.
Referenced at 00:59:09
Noodling for Flatheads
by Burkhard Bilger
Steve discusses this book by a Southern writer (he calls him 'Bricard Builder' but appears to be referring to Roy Blount Jr.) that popularized noodling for flathead catfish. The book brought the practice to public attention and made people want to try it. Steve also mentions the author wrote a profile on bull riders that compared communities in Nevada with Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Referenced at 01:42:13