Rodeo and Faith - Dale Hirschman

When was the first time you heard about Christ? When did you receive him as your personal Lord and Savior?
I grew up in church but didn't hear about the salvation message until I was 13 or 14 yrs old. I thought it was a no-brainer to receive Jesus, so I did. While in college I really committed my life to Jesus and started living for Him. I had high morals but no relationship with Him until I got involved in FCA at college. When I became a real Christian it was long enough ago that being a Christian and being a cowboy wasn't hardly heard of. It was at the start of the Christian movement in the rodeo world. At that time a "Cowboy Church" was unheard of.


You accepted Christ early in your career, how did you apply him to your rodeo effort? (Especially throughout high school, college, and all your rodeo travels)
As I was saying earlier being a Christian and a rodeo cowboy was very rare when I started so, I had a tough time at 1st with the two going together. In Eph. 4:1 it says to "walk worthy of the vocation wherein you were called" I figured I was a PRCA bareback rider (not that I was making much of a living at it, but I was trying) so I started to let my light shine at the rodeos I was at and acknowledge Him in all my ways, plus God was moving in other Cowboys' hearts and that's when my 2 worlds started combining. Being a Christian and a cowboy became more common.


Throughout your career, you have had many qualifications to the Prairie Circuit Finals and have won many other events how do you feel Christ has played a role in this?
Any success I've obtain in rodeo was really affected by Col. 3:23 becoming real in my life. My worldly success in rodeo hasn't been as much as I wanted but to pull into a rodeo and compete as an act of worship to my Heavenly Father is a phenomenal feeling and became my goal every time I "nodded my head".


Tell us about your Ultimate Challenge Ministries and what inspired you to start this ministry?
The name "Ultimate Challenge Ministries" came to me once when I saw an add for the WNFR and they called it the "Ultimate Challenge". I thought, "No, it's not because it's limited by physical abilities, demographics, age, etc. However, following Jesus daily is the "Ultimate Challenge" because it's open to everyone, everywhere, at any time and it never runs out. And that became the name of our ministry when we became a registered ministry. I never set out to start a ministry. Another student while I was in college started holding church services at the college rodeos in the Central Plains Region where we were competing and he left the season early so I stepped in and did the last cowboy church service and the ministry started from that. That was in the spring of 1980 and we've been holding them ever since.


Through your ministry, you have the opportunity to share Christ to others, what does this mean to you?
Through my life I've had the opportunity to share Jesus with others. I've got GREAT NEWS to share... I have the love and acceptance of the Greatest Father, the forgiveness of the Greatest Savior, and the help of the Greatest Helper, and the Greatest Purpose to live everyday! I love to encourage people and in that process point them towards a relationship with Jesus.


Can you explain to us the book you wrote The Cowboy Call.
The book I wrote was fulfilling of a life long dream I had to write and illustrate a book. "The Cowboy Call" is a book of short stories/ testimonies about God's faithfulness in everyday life. They are events that I've been a part of or that I've seen. It was written to encourage people in their everyday walk with Jesus. We've gotten quite a few good reports from people about it and I believe everyone in the western world should read it. (just sayin' c: )


How do you and your family stay so connected in the word?
My family and I stayed connected in the Word through nightly family devotions and going to our home church. I personally have committed to read God's Word every day. Some days I read a lot, a lot I read a little, but, I try to read some everyday.


What is your favorite Bible story/verse and why?
My favorite Bible verses: For everyday living I really like Pro. 3; for my Father's heart towards us I love Luke 15 the prodigal son story. I believe it's more about our Father's heart towards us than it is about the son''s failures. The scriptures for tough times I like II Corin 4:8-9 & II Corin. 5:14 (KJV).

There are many young athletes who are just starting their rodeo career, what are some encouraging thoughts you have for them?
For young contestants starting out; Jesus is not a "good-luck charm" He is a real and loving God who wants an intimate everyday relationship with you! And the greatest thing you can do is compete as an act of worship to Him, fellowship with Him in every area of your life, and stand strong for Him allowing your warrior heart to show forth in everything you do.

Faith and Rodeo - Chuck Swisher

 

How did you get started bullfighting? 

My father rode Bulls and retired before I was born and I just got the idea in my head that I wanted to be a rodeo cowboy. I was a skateboarder until the age of 14ish. I made a transition from vans to boots and flat bill caps to cowboy hats. I thought I wanted to ride bulls like my dad but I was to scared. There was a cowboy/bullfighter that was a senior my freshman year of high school and I looked up to him and wanted to be like him. So I followed him around and my parents took me to a bullfighting school and the rest is history.

 

 

Can you share with us your testimony?

 I've "known" who God is my entire life, but I didn't really "know" Him. Grew up going to a Baptist church and as a young kid I was just excited for it to end and lunch to get here. I went to Fallscreek(church camp) when I was about 13 and one night at revival they did an alter call. I wasn't exactly sure what that was but a buddy(a kid I thought was cool) came up and said "chuck you should go down there, heck I'll go with you". So I thought if he's doing it I might as well, plus I wanted to be cool in front of my friends. I walked down to the front and was "saved" said the prayer and cried. But being a 13 yr old kid I didn't really know exactly what that meant. Few years pass and now I'm 21-22 and had some friends ask if I wanted to go to the Riding on Faith bullriding and bible camp. Once again these Friends of mine were the cool guys I wanted to hang out with. So I figured I'll go get to hang out with them, get to fight Bulls which I love and it'll be a great time. Needless to say when I got there it was a bible camp that just so happened to have Bulls at it. Went to church breakfast lunch and dinner and each night was a big sermon. One night we were praising and worshipping and the preacher said "now is the time if you haven't before and you really want to live for the Lord, now is the time." I hit my knees and I knew this time what I was saying. I ask God into my heart I confessed with my mouth and believed it in my heart. Iv never had such a peace come over me like that before. Laughed so hard, cried so hard all on my knees. Ever since, Swish is a Jesus Freak!!

 

How do you stay so connect in the word, especially since you are on the road?

Being on the road as much as we are is hard to have a set pattern of things to do. The good thing is there's a handful of rodeos that will have bible study each night after or church on Sunday's we get to go attend, such as Rodeo Houston. Ted and Linda Weise do bible study every night so it's hard not to stay connected that way. And I challenged myself as I challenged all of you. If God is the most important thing in your life like He should be, then He deserves our first. Which means when you wake up in the morning make facebook, Instagram and social media wait!! God deserves that moment. So the first thing I do is roll over grab my bible and give God my first. I thank Him for the day and read what He has for me that day. I know some days are harder than the others, but what's 5-10 minutes of your morning actually going to hurt? And if you have to be somewhere early set your alarm early and give that 5-10 minutes to God.

 

You have led bible studies and have had other opportunities to share Christ to others, what does this mean to you?

Getting to share my story and getting to share Gods story to people is one of the greatest things ever. I love being able to help people and love people like Jesus did for us. I plan on becoming a preacher some day, not sure when but I have a feeling that God is going to put me with a microphone in front of people to spread His word.

 

Do you have any crazy experiences bull fighting that you would like to share with us?

Every day is a crazy experience in my book. The group of guys we hang out with are all the best and that's because we push each other harder than anyone else. We are always goofing around and making each other better. The craziest or scariest bullfighting experience Iv ever had was probably walking 30 feet down the tunnel of the Thomas and Mack for the NFR. I was so nervous I stood close to the trash can the entire time I was warming up. But once I stepped foot in that dirt it was game on.

 

What is your favorite Bible story/verse and why?

Man this is a hard question. There are so many good stories in the bible, but the one that sticks out to me the most is probably David vs Goliath. David being a young kid having the amount of faith he had to fight Goliath being a 10 ft monster and he wins. It relates to my life just as me in this world. We all have hurdles to jump and hills to climb but we have to keep the faith and believe that God has our back because He does. My favorite bible verse is Romans 1:16. I'm a 11sixer all the way. It says "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." I am unashamed and that's how we should all be I believe.

 

Throughout your career, you have won many bull fighting events how do you feel Christ has played a role in this?

I'm smiling big at this question. God has played such a huge roll in my life and my career. If it weren't for Him I wouldn't have done anything. He deserves all the glory. I was dead broke and it was the same time as the Riding on Faith camp and I had a bullfight in Cody, WYO the next week. Barely had enough money to get there and then had to fly to Vegas and drive to Utah after that. I went to the bullfight and my cup literally overfloweth. In my round of the bullfight the kid before me was 90 points and that's pretty huge. I knew I had to do my best to make any money. Needless to say I went 92. Ended up winning the bullfight and making enough money to get me to the next one. That was all God there. So He plays a roll in my everyday.

 

For those who are aspiring to have a career as a bullfighter, what encouraging thoughts do you have for them?

When I started I watched film everyday all day and still do. I had an old VHS tape that I watched so much you couldn't see what was happening because of the grey lines in the screen. Always give your best and if you have a true passion for something and God has your back you can do anything.

 

 

Faith and Rodeo - Casey Tew

Casey Tew a young roper from Weatherford, Texas gave his live to Christ at an USTRC team roping in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 2009. To Casey, Rodeo isn’t a whole lot different than anything else. Even though there are times when things get pretty busy and seem to run together, his priorities stay the same. When in situations like this, he reaches for Matthew 6:33 “Seek God First.” Casey sets his priorities on reading scripture every morning.

As a young athlete, Casey looks up to many successful cowboys with Trevor Brazile being his favorite. However, there are many other cowboys that live a Christian lifestyle that he views as his role model including Clay O’Brien Cooper, Patrick Smith, Clay Tryan, Travis Graves, and Rickey Green.

Casey enjoys sharing his love of Christ by loving on people. He believes that if you are doing your best and keeping a great attitude than people should be able to see that. In Casey words, “The best sermon is the one you live, not the one you preach.”

Casey has been blessed with the opportunity to share his testimony at various cowboy church services, roping, and rodeos. His testimony has touch many people. He considers himself blessed to be the blessing to others.

Although, Casey Tew has a knack for roping, he also finds himself doing leatherwork. From bracelets to headstalls, Casey uses his talent and love for Christ to accomplish beautiful leather work.   

 

Casey's Leather is pictured below. If you would like him to do any custom work for you, you can reach him through his facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/casey.tew.3
 

 

 

Faith and Rodeo - Kory Keeth

Kory Keeth, a young professional rodeo announcer, remembers accepting Jesus Christ into his life at the tender age of 11.  With strong Christian influences guiding him, Keeth knew that accepting Christ was something that he needed to do.

 

As a rising rodeo announcer, Kory often finds himself on the road traveling between rodeos and bull riding events. With every opportunity to travel, he views it as a mission field to share Christ. Whether he is on the ranch working or on the road, there is always someone who needs Jesus. In the words of Keeth, “Behind the wheel or in front of the crowd, I speak Jesus. I speak what God puts on my heart.”

 

Although Kory Keeth grew up in a Christian household, he looks up to many other individuals in the rodeo industry who have strong Christian values. Justin McKee, Trey Johnson, and Dale Hirschman all serve as Kory’s Christian influences. Justin has been blessed with a successful career announcing many professional rodeos and bull riding events. When Justin isn’t in the arena announcing, he continues to serve Christ out of his Church in Oklahoma.  Another individual that serves as a role model for Keeth is Trey Johnson. Trey was fortunate to win PRCA Rookie of the Year in 2000. However, it isn’t his accomplishments that inspire Keeth, it is testimony of faith and dedication to Christ to serve one service, one roping, one rodeo, one person and one thought at a time. Keeth also looks up to cowboy minister Dale Hirschman as he encourages Keeth to have a deeper relationship with Christ.

 

As Kory progresses forward in his career, he continues to serve as a Christian example for other young professionals in the industry. His hope is to show others that Jesus Christ is the reason that they get to ride and swing a rope. By speaking life into other young professionals, Keeth’s goal is that they will realize that Christ is missing piece of their life.

Faith and Rodeo - Dane Kissack

Tie-Down Dane Kissack is a man who is easy recognized by his huge heart, positive attitude, and firm faith with Christ. Spending many days at a time on the road and long hours traveling between rodeos, Dane finds himself growing in his relationship with Christ everyday. 

 

Dane was introduced to Christ at a young age and found that he could have a one on one relationship with Christ. At thirteen years old, Dane realized that roping was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. In his words “ I want to take my life and give it 110% for the Lord in whatever I do. When things don’t go my way, I know God has bigger and better things planned for me and it makes me excited to see what He is going to bring me next in my life.”

 

All too often we see the goody-too-shoes, the buckle bunnies, and the trailer parties. With road life and free range there is a possibly of poor decision-making. For Dane, it can be discouraging at times but also encouraging to see that there is a need for good wholesome people to be leaders in rodeo. As a role-model to tie-down ropers of all ages, Dane focuses on why God has him in rodeo. It’s easy to get caught up in the sinful actions that happen behind closed doors; however Dane stands true to his values. “I can made a difference if I set an example and follow that.”

 

God has specifically placed Dane in the shoes he is wearing now, sharing his love and compassion for the Lord with each person he interacts with. When the opportunity arises, Dane leads Cowboy Church services and also hosts bible studies with friends and family. He encourages them to grow in their relationship with God and to find a personal reason, an interest to love the Lord and serve him with your actions.

 

                                                                                                                    

Ride Cowboy Ride (Clint's Song)

Ride Cowboy Ride (Clint's Song)

This is an original song that I recently wrote about a friend of mine who's brother past away due to a bull riding accident. From the stories I've been told, Clint was a man of God. He loved the Lord with all his heart. Bull riding was his outlet for him to show others Christ.

This song is for Clint and his family. Enjoy!

Lyrics: 

And I remember him climbing in the chute 
He'd grip his hat down tight 'fore all hell broke loose
And he always wore his favorite leather chaps 
Pulled his boots on tight and tucked in his snaps

Ride cowboy ride 
You're Taking life 
by the horns 8 seconds at a time
your holding on for dear life
So ride cowboy ride 

no stranger to pain, not a tear in his eye
His fear was over ruled by his passion and pride
And he always said that bruises never last
And what don't kill me better run fast

Ride cowboy ride 
You're Taking life 
by the horns 8 seconds at a time
your holding on for dear life
So ride cowboy ride

Oh he never rode for the glory, and never road for the fame 
He only rode for one man, and Christ Jesus was his name

On his last ride in those Logan Co. Lights
He grew a pair of wings and rode off to paradise 
he's riding in heaven in arenas made of Gold 
With the Lord there beside him pulling his rope

Ride cowboy ride 
You're Taking life 
by the horns 8 seconds at a time
your holding on for dear life
So ride cowboy ride

And I remember him climbing in the chute 
He'd grip his hat down tight 'fore all hell broke loose