Cache Burnside: Living His Dream as a Rodeo Cowboy

Join the Excitement: Council Bluffs PRCA Rodeo Brings Thrills and Action, March 21-22

Omaha, Neb. (March 16, 2025) – Cache Burnside, a passionate 26-year-old rodeo cowboy, is living his dream by transitioning from a contestant to a stock contractor in the rodeo world. His journey is marked by dedication, hard work, and an unwavering love for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).

Burnside’s entry into rodeo contracting as a pick-up man was driven by his passion for handling and taking care of animals. “Getting into the rodeo contracting as a pick-up man was one of the tasks that seemed to have similar traits to catching wild cattle as far as handling and taking care of the animals. It’s something I am very passionate about, and the similarities drove me to gain a strong liking for picking up,” Burnside explains.

On March 21-22, 2025 the Council Bluffs PRCA Rodeo will include Burnside working as a rodeo pick-up man. He plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and smooth operation of the rough stock.  As a pick-up man he is responsible for assisting bareback and saddle bronc riders with safely dismounting following their eight-second ride.  He along with his fellow pick-up man partner help guide the bucking horses out of the arena, turnback timed-event cattle and shag bulls.

This role requires excellent horsemanship skills, quick reflexes, and a deep understanding of animal behavior. Pick-up men must be able to read and control situations in the arena, ensuring both the contestant and the horse are safe. They often work in pairs and use seasoned horses that are trained for this specific task. The adrenaline and action in the arena make this job both challenging and exhilarating.

Burnside rides three seasoned horses owned by Cody Flitton – Queen, Hank, and Opa – who are well-versed in their roles, making the job easier for him. Additionally, Burnside has three newer horses – Patrick, Chad, and Wedge – that have been transitioning smoothly from ranch work to picking up. “They are newer to picking up but have been ranched on lots and have been switching over to picking up really nicely,” Burnside adds.

Every moment in the arena is a cherished memory for the Nevada cowboy. “I would have to say every time I have gotten to pick up has been my favorite memory because you get to be a part of the action every time. You have to be able to read and control the situation. The adrenaline in the arena is unmatchable; almost everything I have ever done would come second to it,” he shares.

Burnside’s love for the cowboy lifestyle runs deep. “All of my life I’ve known I wanted to be a cowboy; you could say it runs in my blood. I grew up on a ranch in southern Nevada, where training horses and raising cattle was life. Almost all of my memories have been on a horse’s back,” he recalls. Throughout his upbringing, Burnside spent countless hours training horses, building a skill set of horsemanship good enough to train high-quality horses for ranch work and rodeo events. He also spent a significant amount of time gathering wild cows, calves, and bulls for another ranch in southern Nevada.

The transition from contestant to contractor brought significant changes for Burnside. “There were a lot of things that changed from only taking care of a couple of animals to taking care of a lot more – probably 10 times more animals. The time and energy went from trying to perfect a skill and performance to lots of work towards keeping bucking stock safe and healthy, getting them to the rodeo and home plus the arena,” Burnside explains. Despite the challenges, he enjoys the collaborative effort involved in making a professional event happen. “Lots of work to be done, but I like the fact that it’s a production and event where a team and family come together to work and make a special/professional event happen,” he says.

Burnside’s contestant rodeo journey began in Utah Junior High Rodeos and continued through the Utah High School Rodeo Association. He won three state championships in 2017 – Rookie of the Year, Team Roping and All-Around Cowboy. He then competed in college rodeo for Central Arizona College, winning Rookie of the Year, team roping twice, steer wrestling once, and all-around cowboy twice. Burnside also spent four years in the ProRodeo Wilderness Circuit, achieving notable placements in events such as the Ogden Pioneer Rodeo, Red Lodge Montana, Denver Colorado, and Days of ’47 in Salt Lake Utah.

In the last year, Burnside and his family, along with the Flitton family, purchased the Big Bucks Pro Rodeo Company. This turn of events has seen Burnside go from entering rodeos to putting them on, as well as being a pick-up man at the rodeos.

Burnside’s love for old western movies like “Tombstone,” John Wayne films, and “Lonesome Dove” reflects his admiration for the cowboy spirit. When asked who he would want to portray him in a movie, Cache mentions Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Val Kilmer, Kurt Russell, or John Wayne himself. “I think they all portray a cowboy in the way I’ve always seen the real cowboys to be,” he concludes.

The next stop on the Big Bucks ProRodeo Company 2025 Winter Tour is Council Bluffs, Iowa March 21-22, 2025, followed by Fargo, North Dakota March 28-29, 2025.