Catching Up With Hunter Herrin Sharing Wisdom Gained in Two Decades of Pro Rodeo

With over $2.5 million in career earnings, 14 National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifications, and wins at many of the biggest events in professional rodeo, Hunter Herrin has had quite a journey in his career. The Apache, Okla. cowboy has been around the block and has some great knowledge to share with the next generation. Herrin held his first Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association card in 2004 and competed in his first full season of professional rodeo in 2005. By 2006, he had qualified for his first National Finals Rodeo.

After two decades in the sport, Herrin is a true veteran of the event. For 2025, he has added a new horse to the team and is excited about the addition.

"She's a little bit green, but she really fits what I need to be doing. She is going to take a little time and seasoning to really be finished and developed, so we're just king of working on that as we go."

Herrin is currently battling some knee issues, but they will hopefully be resolved in a few weeks.

"I had an MRI on it and they thought maybe a strained meniscus and a partially torn MCL, but everyone I've talked to said that's just 4-6 weeks of rest. They said it's one of those deals, it just heals itself and I can't overdo it."

Like most rodeo cowboys, Herrin is not new to nursing an injury, "I've had some injuries and would've liked to have been able to do things a little bit different the first time I had hip surgery. I came back way too early and it felt good, then I re-injured it, so a year later, I had to have the same hip surgery done again. The second time I was more patient and how they wanted to go about rehab, then got back into rodeo in 2020."

Herrin has returned with a vengeance, after missing the finals for a couple years while dealing with the injury, he has been a fixture at every NFR from 2020-2024. The mental side of rodeo is one of the biggest challenges for any athlete. Regardless of how elite the competitor, no one wins a check on every single run. Between drawing good cattle and the unpredictable elements of rodeo, there are many things out of the control of a rodeo athlete.

"I didn't come from money, so we had to work and fight for it and just keep griding. You just figure out the best you can do, whether to stay on the road and how to just keep moving forward. But really it is just a grind and you get a good flow of things and keep your mind right. No matter how you draw, you could draw bad and rope really good and not win anything, but if you get on the good side of the draw and you don't rope well, you don't win. You just do your best, move onto the next one, and leave that one where it was," Herrin explained.

Herrin also shared his insights on rodeo as a profession, "Around August 1, you have to make a decision. Do you try to make the NFR? Or do you just try to win enough to make it into the winter buildings and then go replenish your rodeo funds the best you can and get started again when the next season starts? It's an expensive profession and I don't know the answer for that, it is a tough way to make a living."

As he's watched rodeo develop over the past 20 years, Herrin sees the positive changes coming from that.

"Rodeo is growing and getting better and I'm happy for these younger guys. If they stay healthy and can stay on the top of their game, they'll definitely be able to continue to grow."

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