story by Lori O’Harver
Texas Bronc Rider’s Association Saddle Bronc Riding Director Clint Lindenfeld is the first cowboy to hold that office in the organization. In fact, after his first year of membership, he went to TBRA President Daryl McElroy and told him he saw the organization growing and knew he needed help. For a young father of three holding down a full-time job while making a bid for the TBRA championship, that’s an offer that screams dedication, love of the sport and citizenship in Bronc Riding Nation.
Last year, he and his saddle, Delilah, traveled to find the wicked, feather-footed broncs of the Pacific Northwest and enter The American Qualifier at Albany, Oregon. Hosted by Wild West Events, Lindenfeld was 88 points on a horse from Gold Buckle Rodeo to win. With that win, the cowboy from Lebanon, Oklahoma, had earned his slot at RFD-TV’s The American Semi-Finals beside some of the best in the bronc riding business. They all came loaded for bucking horse bear and to ride for a shot at the $1,000,000 side pot offered to qualifiers in addition to the $100,000 for the round win.
“I grew up riding in that building,” said Lindenfeld. “Cowtown Coliseum has always been lucky for me. I’d never heard of the Dakota Rodeo Company horse I drew, Fortunate Son, and didn’t know many guys in the round that night. Logan Allen knew him and told me what he could. I just tried to stay focused and in that zone beside NFR guys like Cole Elshere, Isaac Diaz, Wade Sundell, Heith DeMoss and young talent like Shorty Garrett and Taygen Schuelke.
“It wasn’t the trip I’d hoped for, but just to be there was an amazing experience. I got there, and that’s something,” Lindenfeld said. “I’m committed to making my way back there in 2019.”
Clint Lindenfeld nodded for his first bucking horse at the tender age of 13, although to him, just doing that felt like he’d grown up. He’s a native son of Texas, moved to Oklahoma to ramrod his cousin’s cutting horse operation.
His daddy before him and his daddy before that both had romances with bucking horses and felt the call to find the best of the best to test themselves on.
“Ever since I was a little boy, I wanted to get on the biggest, baddest, ugliest broncs out there,” said Lindenfeld. ““I worked for Bennie Beutler of Beutler & Son Rodeo company for several years and learned a lot. I picked up, flanked, sorted, entered some,” said Lindenfeld. “One day, my dream is to have my own string of bucking horses from the Commotion line over Burch’s Lunatic Fringe and Sutton’s Chuckulator mares. I know that’s not going to be easy, but nothing that’s good ever is.”
