Students move between buildings. Livestock is led between arenas. Stalls are being mucked out. Feed and water are being changed. The aroma of slow-roasting hog billows from smokers outside the dining hall.
We guide Shawn through the chaos as he takes it all in. The training barns, the bunkhouses, the classrooms, the fitness center, the indoor arena, and the outdoor practice pens.
“How many students?”
“Twenty-four this session,” Bryce answers. “Six sessions this summer.”
“How many instructors?”
“Depends on the season and the enrollment.”
“How long before you’re in the black?”
“I just inked a sponsorship and endorsement deal with PBR. Along with projected tuition, lodging, and gear sales, we’re aiming to be profitable in just under thirty-six months.”
Shawn nods. “I like those estimates.”
We stop outside the indoor arena.
Royce is inside, running chute drills with a group of students. He spots us through the open doorway.
“Shawn!” He waves.
Shawn waves back. “They got you here too?”
Royce points to us. “Somebody has to actually work. All those two do is stand around, looking pretty all damn day.”
I flip him off.
He grins and returns his attention back to the gate.
“You’ve built something special here, Bryce,” Shawn says.
He’s right. This academy isn’t just another business built to line one man’s pockets. It’s an opportunity—a place where kids from all over the country can learn, chase dreams, and build futures. It’s something bigger than money. Something bigger than any of us.
Shawn’s eyes begin to scan, and you can almost hear his wheels turning.
“You need marketing.”
Bryce points toward the students. “We’re full.”
“Yeah,” Shawn says. “Today, you are.”
“We have a waiting list a fucking mile long.”
Once Shawn gets an idea in his head, there’s no stopping him.
He turns in a slow circle. “You know what this place needs?”
Bryce sighs. “No.”
“A professional content shoot. Photography. Video. Drone footage.”
Bryce rubs his forehead. “We did all that at the grand opening.”
“Nah, that was just press coverage. Which has its value, but it’s here and gone.”
He points at Bryce. “You’ve got one of the most recognizable bull riders in the world.”
