Trio of Winning Saddle Bronc Riders Prove That Iron Sharpens Iron

The event has done more for than these three than anyone can imagine.

2024 Southwest Region CNFR Qualifiers Bailey Small, Ira Dickinson and Gus Gaillard with their fathers. | Gus Gaillard Professional Saddle Bronc Ride

One thing about rodeo is that the time spent working on your craft isn't the only aspect that matters if one wants to win. There are many contributing factors outside of the arena that go into the big rides and wins that are seen every day on social media. Three competitors in the arena made a friendship of a lifetime to push themselves in ways that only winners understand.

College rodeo set the ride of a lifetime in motion for three cowboys who have found success both at the CNFR and now in the PRCA: Ira Dickinson, Bailey Small, and Gus Gaillard. After commanding the Southwest Region, the three decided to buy their PRCA cards the same year, with the goal of finishing first through third in the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings. That is exactly what they did.

By the end of the 2025 season, the three had combined earnings over $220,635 and all three finished in the top 40 of the World Standings. The trio will be seen competing in all of the big winter rodeos in 2026 for their success this year.

Journey Between Dickinson, Gaillard and Small

Gus Gaillard Professional Saddle Bronc Rider

Small and Dickinson founded their friendship initially with their time on the Oklahoma Panhandle State University team, but Gaillard knew them before they all joined the Tarleton State University team together. The program was already known for dominating performances at the CNFR, but the three helped lead the men's team to back-to-back National Championships.

"Everyone always says you're only going to be as successful as the people you surround yourself and it really is true. We all had a drive to get better and we were there to push each other to be our best every week," said Gaillard.

Tarleton was an easy choice for all three of them as they looked to continue to get better. Some of the best saddle bronc riders the event has ever seen competed there and went on to have incredible professional careers - 10-time NFR qualifier and World Champion Jacobs Crawley and $2.3 million dollar cowboy and nine-time NFR qualifier Brody Cress. If someone wants to be the best, this was the program to go to.

Gus Gaillard Professional Saddle Bronc Rider

"Coaches like Robert Etbauer (OPSU) and Mark Eakin (TSU) set a standard that we all bought into to hold ourselves accountable in every way. So much of rodeo is being at the right place at the time and being ready when the opportunity presents itself - that's God's part in all this. It is up to us as people to make sure that company we keep in our lives make us want to be competitors, but more importantly better people," said Dickinson.

After speaking with these three, there isn't enough time or space on the page to put into words what kind of brotherhood they have created. Their paths started in college, where they built a relationship that focuses on discipline with their abilities to compete, but that doesn't mean just practicing their skill set.

After living together in Stephenville during their time in the purple vests, they grew in every way. They pushed themselves to excel in and out of the arena. They spoke of holding themselves accountable spiritually, morally, physically, and mentally.

Rodeo is a mental game and it is important to have people in your corner who are always clapping for you, but more importantly pick you up when you're down. The lows always come, but climbing out of them is the ultimate challenge.

At the end of the day, they are always a phone call away from each other. The three make sure that if someone isn't acting right or riding the way that is expected, that they will be subjected to scrutiny with the best intentions in mind.

Getting to the NFR is ultimate goal for all three and it won't be long before they are nodding their heads at the Thomas and Mack. However, when their career is long over, they will still have each other and will continue to have fun no matter what they are doing. In the end, that is what matters the most.

Gus Gaillard Professional Saddle Bronc Rider