Teton Ridge CEO, Deirdre Lester Talks Western Industry, Rodeo and The American

A quiet meeting room, away from the Las Vegas Strip, yet still within walking distance of the hustle and bustle, the ringing of the slot machines and the constant flashing lights was the setting for an exclusive sit down with the woman who is leading the company that has taken the western industry by storm. CEO, Deirdre Lester offered some insight into what everyone seems to want to know - who and what exactly is Teton Ridge and what are their plans?

Every time the company name is mentioned, people on both sides of the fence seem to surface but none really have the backstory - literally just guessing, sometimes educated other times just pure exaggeration.

Rodeo On SI has been intrigued as well by the moves that Teton Ridge has made in our industry. Purchasing associations, events, and most recently acquiring the Cowboy Channel, Teton Ridge has everyone's attention.

So, we asked the questions.

Q: From the beginning of Teton Ridge's entrance into the industry, everyone wants to know what is Teton Ridge and what are the plans for the future?

A: That's a fair question. I think Teton Ridge for the past several years, or at least in its initial years was very much looking to enter into the western sports and lifestyle space through a variety of avenues. Some of these being acquisitions of media properties, sports properties, some being starting entirely new businesses within the western space.

We built a state-of-the-art new ranch in Weatherford, Texas where we have a breeding program. We made strategic investments in a variety of companies. We own the majority of Hyer Boots. There is a lot in our portfolio. I think that a lot of it came about quickly and maybe left a bit of overwhelmed confusion in the industry. As we have evolved, the primary focus for Teton Ride within the western space is to elevate the sports and lifestyle aspects from a media and entertainment perspective. Where we are really pushing forward and continuing to invest is on the media and entertainment side.

We have recently acquired the Cowboy Channel, we have Cowboys and Indians magazine, we own Pro Fantasy Rodeo. You can see how all of those things can really work nicely together to elevate the sport of rodeo and other western sports. We also own the Arizona Ridgeriders with the PBR.

We have further invested into the American Performance Horseman so that it is now a stand alone event. The American Rodeo is no longer just a one weekend. It is now a series that starts in August and continues through April with the culimination of the championship round at Globe Life Field. We also will be in the scripted film and television section of the entertainment section of the western space as well.

Q: Within the industry there seems to be a lot of skepticism about moves made by Teton Ridge. How do you address that?

A: I think the important part to think about is that everything we have acquired or invested in, we have elevated. There seems to be some trepidation about the Cowboy Channel right now because it is something that the folks that are the viewers and the fans love a lot. People don't want to see it be changed in a way that wouldn't benefit the fans or the sport. If you look at what we have done with the American, we have only invested further into it to make it more exciting for the top athletes in the world to compete in. We have also put it on national television. So we are putting rodeo and rodeo athletes on a national stage as well as we have partnered internationally to distribute it.

Q: Let's talk more about the Cowboy Channel acquisition. Tell us about the future plans.

A: Well, with the acquisition, our plans are no different. We believe that the Cowboy Channel is a great brand and an incredible product.

The PRCA is our partner now in terms of having their media rights. We are here at the NFR to elevate that production. This is the first year in three years that the Cowboy Channel app didn't crash on the first night of production. That is due to Teton Ridge getting behind them and supporting them from a tech perspective.

A lot of the changes that we will make right away won't even be noticeable at least initially. Then anything that we do that may come into light will be just because we are elevating the production value of some of the top rodeos or we are partnering to distribute to national television.

You know, I live in New York and you can't watch the Cowboy Channel in New York. That is something I want to change. A lot of people don't realize that the Cowboy Channel had limited opportunities and we are looking to advance it from a production stand point. I want the Cowboy Channel to be available to every single household in the United States.

Q: Expanding on the American and your recognition that you are now partners with the PRCA in terms of media rights. The American used to be or had been in the past, approved by the PRCA. Do you see that happening again in the future?

A: To date, the reasons for The American to stand on its own was from a media rights and sponsorship perspective. There could be a path to getting it PRCA approved again. Currently we are focused on building the American as its own series. Of course, it closely aligns with the PRCA given that the top athletes from the NFR are invited to compete. I liken the American to the US Open in golf. It is where the amateurs are able to come and compete against the best in the world for life-changing money. I think right now it is standing alone as a series.

Q: The American has hosted different Contender series in various areas. How do you see that moving forward and do you see expanding into different markets?

A: Absolutely. Our home for our championship weekend has found a nice location in Globe Life Field and that is a multi-year deal. We have great partners there. The fans have come to know and expect the American to be in Arlington, Texas.

The Regional Contender Series and now the Super Contenders, which are rodeos that we partner with to create opportunities for qualifiers into our Regionals, those are probably ones that could evolve and move into new markets to reach more fans and just grow the overall fan base of the American Rodeo. Currently we are in Las Vegas (Nevada), Tulsa (Oklahoma) and Lexington (Kentucky). We love all of those destinations, but of course we would love to also take it to some new places. We have our eyes on a few.

Q: Will you keep those Regionals limited to just three events?

A: Well with the addition of the Super Contenders we have expanded. That has allowed us to go international without making the full investment of putting on the whole event. It does allow us to bring a more diverse group of athletes into the competition.

Q: We have witnessed the Brazil competition, where else have you expanded internationally?

A: We have partner in Quebec and also in Brazil. As far as Super Contenders we partnered with Denver, San Francisco, the Cody Johnson and Kimes Ranch productions.

Q: Expanding to the overall vision of rodeo. You talked about how Teton's main vision is to expand rodeo and the industry. What does that vision look like?

A: I think giving rodeo the attention it deserves from a variety of different areas. One would be production. If you look at the production we have been able to give The American and The American series, it has just never been seen before in the Western Sports industry. That's one part.

Expanding it by getting it in front of more eyeballs, more people both international and domestically. It might be that we may host exhibition events with The American internationally. I believe that the brand would lend itself really well to do that and it would give both the human and animal athletes another stage as well.

Q: When talking about elevating things, what about the athletes?

A: That's another thing. Fans should be already seeing it, but we are focusing on elevating these athletes. They are truthfully amazing in what they do and how they compete. Sometimes they are not given the brightest light in the way that it has been covered and produced on television. Our goal is to celebrate the stars of the sport.

We are currently taping season two of a documentary series called Untamed. Season one was focused on the bareback riding cowboys who competed at the 2023 National Finals Rodeo. Season two is now continuing to follow those stories and we are incorporating the barrel racers into this season.

Q: That's incredible news. When will this new show air?

A: We don't know yet honestly. This was a project that the founder of Rural Media Group, Patrick Gotsch, started last season. When he shared it with me, he had a very specific vision for it and he agreed to let us take that forward. This is really new to us given our new acquisition but we gave it the green light for season two so that we wouldn't miss any of the action or great stories that would develop at the 2024 NFR. We are looking forward to and working on the plan of distribution. It could live on the Cowboy Channel but it could also be on other streaming services.

We have done this really because we believe this is a great way to shine the spotlight on the sport of rodeo and give it that high quality production. It will draw in that casual fan and get them intrigued by the sport of rodeo and these athletes.

Q: Talking about casual fans. If we compare rodeo to other major sports, for instance the NFL, many people watch the NFL who will never have the opportunity to compete. For rodeo, the general fans are usually people who compete or have in the past or in general have some kind of ties to the western industry. What is your plan to expand that audience to people who maybe live in condominiums in the middle of a metroplex?

A: As you start to broaden out and start to reach a broader fan base, you aren't going to have people who have grown up in the industry. It is just as compelling as any other major sport and you have to treat it that way. You have to give people the opportunity to see it and experience it. If you can get people to a rodeo you can create a fan for life. I am a great example of that. We have to make sure that we make it easier for fans to follow the season of these rodeos. They need to be able to follow from the beginning of the season all the way through the NFR. We want the casual fan to be able to turn it on television on a Saturday afternoon and be intrigued.

This is just a portion of the conversation and there will be more follow ups to continue down the Teton Ridge path but one substantial take away is that both Teton Ridge and their CEO have a vision for the western industry and the demographics. Things are changing, just as they are in all parts of the world. Rodeo is no longer just the gathering in the pasture on a weekend. Millions of dollars of advertising, sponsorships, and rodeo purses have changed the landscape.

In just a few days The American Rodeo will take over Globe Life Field with the opportunity of a lifetime for cowboys and cowgirls. No other place offers the chance for cowboys or cowgirls to walk away with a $1 million dollar bonus. The PBR stepped up the game of bull riding years ago and has made several millionaires at their finals, but no where else in the world can cowgirls compete or tie-down ropers, or even bareback riders for a million dollar prize.

Time will ultimately tell the story of the influence of Teton Ridge in the western industry. With the sport growing and changing sometimes new ideas and people have to be injected to keep a fresh perspective.

As the events and associations, along with the investments that Teton Ridge has purchased or become major players in evolve, the story will tell itself. For now, there will be many incredible stories come out of The American Rodeo April 11-12 at Globe Life Field and Rodeo On SI will be there to tell them.

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