Highlighting a Legend: The William Wallace of the Rodeo Arena

No one deserves more credit for success in the rodeo arena than the livestock that take the cowboys and cowgirls to the top. Here is a look at one of the stand-out performers.

William Wallace in all his glory / Cervi Championship Rodeo

In the world of rodeo, Cervi is a legendary name. From the stock to rodeo production in general, when you are looking at the best of the best, Cervi Championship Rodeo is certainly in view.

In a hard look at the stars of our industry, the stock including the bucking horses, bucking bulls, and equine performance horses should really be the ones getting the credit.

A wise voice said, "Of course, the animals are the stars. Ringling Bros. wouldn't be a show without the animals."

The same is true of rodeo. Without the animals, where would we be? It's time to shine a light on these superstars and share some of their incredible stories. Join us on a journey to delve into their world.

We begin with William Wallace. Wait. William Wallace? The character Mel Gibson played in "Braveheart"? Well, sort of. The horse that William Wallace rode in the movie was solid black with one blue eye. He was majestic and a champion of his world. Thus, the namesake for William Wallace of the Cervi Championship Rodeo Company.

He's solid black, has one blue eye and is certainly a champion of his trade.

The 15-year-old gelding has been to the Wrangler National Finals nine different times in the bareback riding event. If you do the math, that means the horse has been there every year for the last nine consecutive years and started as a 6-year-old.

Not only does William Wallace show up at the WNFR, he helps cowboys win. When cowboys see his name next to theirs for the draw, they are nearly guaranteed a paycheck.

"You know, they win rounds on him, but more so, they place on him. Every single time he has been to the WNFR, they have placed on him. He is so honest and gives them a great chance. I think they have won two rounds on him at the finals. The thing about him, though, is that a cowboy can be having a bad finals and draw William Wallace, and they will turn it around and get a check," remarked Binion Cervi of Cervi Championship Rodeo.

In his outs at the WNFR, William Wallace has earned the "high marked horse" at least three times. This award goes to the horse that marks the highest of the night which is not always the same as the horse the cowboys win the round on. The scoring system allows for the cowboy and the horse to be scored separately and then added together to get the total. William Wallace has pulled his weight and more for the cowboys to earn checks on him.

Known for his small circle to the right, the horse is consistent in his bucking style. Whether he is in the massive Rodeo Houston arena or the hockey rink-sized Thomas and Mack, William Wallace is the same. The black beauty stays close to the chutes and bucks hard in a right-hand circle.

He is a favorite, having been raised on the Cervi Ranch. His dam was a WNFR bucking horse who was injured and then spent the rest of her days raising superstars like William Wallace. His "great-grandmother" was a horse named Roan Angel, who went to the WNFR 15 times.

While William Wallace excels in the bareback riding event, he has also been bucked three times in the saddle bronc riding.

"You know, I think they won two out of the three rodeos that he was bucked out in the saddle bronc. The thing is, though, that he shakes his head a little bit at the end of the saddle bronc rides, and it is as if he is saying that he doesn't want to be in that event. That's ok, too, because he is great at what he does in the bareback riding," Binion said.

Knowing the stock and what they like is imperative to being successful in the rodeo arena. Whether you are a cowboy or a stock contractor, taking care of and loving the animals is a priority—one that isn't taken lightly around the Cervi Ranch.

It was easy for Binion to talk about the majestic black horse, "We all love William Wallace. There's nothing about him that is hard to deal with. He loves his job, he's easy to be around, and he's a winner. What's better than that?"