Tale of Two Cowboys
Longtime pals take their rodeo talents on the road
By Laura Thill

Not even ranch-raised kids are natural born steer wrestlers. The sport calls for years of developing horsemanship skills and mastering technique, and it culminates in a three-second event in the corral. Steer wrestlers may never actually master their technique, according to Ote Berry, an Oklahoma-based sales rep for Lextron Inc. (Graham, Texas) and longtime friend and colleague, Doug McMillen, a Nebraska-based rep for Lextron Inc. (Greeley, Colo.)

“It’s one of those sports where you always can work harder to get better,” says Berry. “Even when you win a competition, there’s always something you could have done to be one-tenth of a second faster. You can work all your life, and still not reach the top.” Some may come close, however. In the 20 years he competed professionally, Berry qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 14 times. Organized through the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), the National Finals Rodeo features the top 15 steer wrestlers in the country. It’s a lot like the Super Bowl of rodeos, he adds.

Berry was born and raised on a ranch in a town just south of Rapid City, Neb. His dad was a rodeo competitor, as were his five siblings. “Ranch-raised, country kids grow up in this environment,” he explains. In fact, it’s common for them to take their first horseback ride soon after they learn to walk. So, it’s no surprise he entered his first steer-riding (also known as bulldogging) competition at the age of 6 years. Steer riding is a watered down version of steer wrestling, in which junior riders ride steers. At 12 years, he graduated to steer wrestling, a competition for men. The next year, in eighth grade, Berry’s family moved to Nebraska, where he met fellow steer wrestler Doug McMillen.

Like Berry, McMillen grew up on a ranch. The Sydney, Neb.-native recalls horseback riding as young as 2 years old. As he got a bit older, he would get on a horse to help his dad gather cattle for branding and weaning. Horseback riding was fun, as well as a natural part of one’s chores on the ranch, he points out. He, too, began steer riding while still young (under 10 years old) and steer wrestling at age 13. “Steer wrestlers must be 19 years old to compete professionally, but younger [wrestlers] can compete in junior rodeos,” he says. “My dad, uncles and older brother all steer wrestled, and I just followed suit. We all loved the competition.”
Berry concurs: “Having so many siblings probably made me more competitive. I’d practice every chance I’d get,” he says.

Turning pro
By high school, Berry and McMillen were seasoned steer wrestlers and fast friends. In 1980, their senior year, they both qualified for the National High School Finals Rodeo. “There were four of us from Nebraska who went to the national finals in Yakima, Wash.,” says Berry. “Three of us were in the top 12 and qualified for the short go.” In the end, Berry won the championship, and McMillen finished 6th.

Following graduation, Berry and McMillen both attended college on rodeo scholarships, and both steer wrestled with their college teams. McMillen pursued an agri-business degree, while Berry’s studies ranged from general agriculture to specialized classes in welding. “I thought, if I couldn’t become a professional steer wrestler, welding would be a lucrative profession,” he says. And while his welding education has come in handy for building fences and repairing his barn on his 20-acre ranch, a career in welding has never materialized.

For the next 20 years after college, Berry and McMillen pursued - and excelled at - professional steer wrestling. In fact, the two hazed for each other during competitions. “The hazer rides on the right side of the steer and keeps it running straight for the wrestler, who rides on the left side,” says Berry. “Steer wrestling is one of the only sports where you work alongside your competition to help [one another] - even though you still strive to win. There is great camaraderie at rodeos.”
“Ote and I traveled together,” says McMillen. In fact, they would travel between 80,000 and 100,000 miles each year, attending rodeos from California to Florida and even Canada. One year, the two went to 125 rodeos.

“We had to drive everywhere in order to haul the horses (owned by Berry),” he continues. “A good horse must be trained and seasoned, and [generally] you can compete on them five to seven years, depending on how hard you haul them. To avoid burnout, we would rotate the horses.”
“Professional steer wrestling is a business,” says Berry. “There are travel plans involved, as well as managing your horses and entering competitions.” It calls for goals and organization, he adds. “I developed a lot of people skills during those years.”

If steer wrestling was a “business” for Berry and McMillen, it was a successful one at that. In the 20 years they competed, Berry qualified as a national finalist 14 times, and four of those years he was world champion. McMillen qualified twice as a national finalist, with a top finish of 7th place. Although he modestly defers to Berry as the stronger steer wrestler of the pair, he does take credit for one thing: “I showed Ote how to bulldog,” he laughs.

A graceful finish
It’s not that adults can’t steer wrestle. But, most athletes know when it’s time to bow out of professional competition. Berry and McMillen were confident that, after two decades, it was time to move on.

“Rodeos involve a lot of work and self-motivation,” says McMillen. “Steer wrestling requires a lot of physical and mental strength and hand-eye coordination.” Although he didn’t sustain any major injuries apart from being stuck by a steer horn, “the wear and tear and travel grew old,” he explains. “I was ready to settle down.”

“I reached a point where my body was worn out and I couldn’t compete at the same level anymore,” says Berry. Still, it took a lot to convince him to bow out. He underwent back surgery in 1994, elbow/shoulder surgery in 1997 and knee surgery a year later, yet managed to continue competing for another seven or eight years. “Then I had a horse fall on me, and I tore my MCL (medial collateral ligament) in my left knee,” he says. “I elected not to have surgery, and my knee never quite healed completely. So, while I continued competing for a while, I was no longer making nationals.”

Indeed, most steer wrestling injuries are knee- and shoulder-related, he continues. “You’re riding at 30 or 40 mph,” he notes. “Then, you land hard on your feet.” Hence, the knee injuries. Shoulder injuries occur when the steer stops suddenly and the wrestler impacts his arm and shoulder.

It is common for people to compete until their late 30s or early 40s, although there is always the exception. “There have been guys who compete into their 50s, but this is rare,” he says. Although steer wrestling can be learned at any age, the ideal time to pick it up is in one’s 20s, he adds.

Moving on
What better transition from ranching and wrangling than to join a veterinary products distributor? At least, it made perfect sense to Berry and McMillen. “I had friends tell me about a sales position opening at Lextron, and it looked like something I would enjoy doing,” says McMillen. “And, I have [indeed] thoroughly enjoyed the 14 years I’ve been with Lextron.”

Similarly, Berry also had a friend at Lextron. “I had stayed in touch with him since college,” he says. “When [my friend] told me Lextron needed a sales rep in Oklahoma, it sounded like a great opportunity. I appreciate the fact that Lextron hired me as a new rep in a new territory.” Still, although he and McMillen admittedly had no professional sales skills, they were rich in people skills.

“I really have enjoyed working with ranchers and others in the cattle industry,” says McMillen. And, there are a lot of parallels between selling and bulldogging. “There are ups and downs in both steer wrestling and sales,” he explains. “You must keep your head on straight and be self-motivated. One day, your customers might make a purchase from your competition, yet you must remain confident. Similarly, the next day you may have a big sale, but you can’t become overconfident.”
“Just as you don’t win every rodeo, you can’t come out ahead on every sales call,” adds Berry. “One day it may feel like you can’t make a sale, and the next day your customers will be calling you.”

Competing as professional steer wrestlers may be a thing of the past for Berry and McMillen, but they find ways to stay connected to the sport. For a while, Berry taught steer wrestling through organized schools. Today, he is always happy to pass along his know-how to interested individuals. And, he enjoys watching his 14-year-old twins, Jayci and Denver, succeed at such events as barrel racing and chute dogging.

“Occasionally, I take advantage of opportunities to team rope,” says McMillen. Roping is a much easier sport on the body, he explains, plus “it’s a great way to stay in touch with old rodeo friends.”

To any fellow reps who may consider trading in their territory for a horse, saddle and rope, the pair has this advice: Professional steer wrestling is not a weekend activity, but one that calls for much dedication and continuous hard work. And, if you are going to learn the sport, learn it from one who is knowledgeable and can pass along the right techniques and safety precautions. After all, notes Berry, “bumps and bruises go with the territory, no matter how many precautions one takes.”