Redefining Victory: How the AgTruckTrader Pro Rodeo Team is Changing Lives Beyond the Arena

The AgTruck Pro Rodeo team is doing more beyond the arena than just competing.

Tim Nichols

Unlike team sports, where victory is shared, rodeo is a solitary quest for glory. Here, amidst the crowd's roar, each contestant faces their own limits, fears, and aspirations. Success is measured in seconds, marked by each rodeo athlete's courage, skill, and grit. So, I was certainly intrigued when I was invited to spend the day with the AgTruckTrader Team of rodeo athletes from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) at the Ag Rally celebration of National Ag Day, hosted by the Certified Ag Dealers, on Tuesday, March 19th in Ft. Worth, Texas. 

Surrounded by this team of National Finals Rodeo greats, Leighton Berry (Team Captain), Jackie Ganter, Clayton Sellars, Jordan Jo Hollabaugh, and Taylor Santos, opened up with me about their passion for this project. It truly sounds like something to get excited about. In an interview with Peyton VaIentine, the AgTruckTrader Pro Rodeo Manager, she explained, “Rodeo is typically an individual sport, but here at the Certified Agriculture Group and AgTruckTrader, we like to shake things up and think outside of the box. Rodeo and Agriculture go hand in hand so it was a natural step for us to take the leap into the professional rodeo world.

When selecting the AgTruckTrader Pro Rodeo team members, we were very selective. We didn't just focus on what they did inside the arena. It was just as important for us to see who they were as a person, what values they stood on, and how they would represent not only us but all of our Certified Ag Dealers as well as our AgPack Partners.

Since day one "Unity" has been an underlying theme for our team. We know that when we come together as one and do good things for the right reasons, we can accomplish more than what we can do alone. We strive to set ourselves apart with our team. We want to be something rodeo fans can truly rally behind and believe in.

For example, the team decided to launch a charity initiative over the past few months. In November each member nominated a charity that was close to their heart. We then wanted rodeo fans to have a voice in the matter so we asked them to vote for the charity that they wanted to see the team support. During AgRally 2024, on National Ag Day, the team announced the winning charity, The Golden Circle of Champions. We were blessed to make a $7,250 donation, with plans to support them further throughout this next year. 

Valentine continued, “The Golden Circle of Champions is an incredible organization that supports children battling pediatric cancer. As they like to say "There is no greater Champion than a kid fighting cancer."  We are just honored to make a difference in these kid's lives.”

This unique fusion of rodeo's rugged individualism with a shared purpose spotlights the collective heart of these athletes. Their victories are not just measured by personal accolades but by the collective impact they can make in the lives of others. The AgTruckTrader team's partnership with The Golden Circle of Champions is a testament to the powerful synergy that arises when individual courage meets collective action. These rodeo athletes remind us that while the rodeo journey may start as a solitary quest, its true legacy is carved in the community it uplifts, leaving an indelible mark on the world.