story by Lily Weinacht
Tye Eglin of Broadalbin, New York, has numerous irons in the fire in the livestock business, chief among them running his stock contracting company, Lucky E Productions. The 26-year-old and his girlfriend, Paige Reynolds, started the company three years ago, and as of last year, provided stock for 25 open rodeos.
Tye grew up riding horses and buying and selling livestock. While he enjoys competing, qualifying for the APRA and First Frontier Circuit Finals several times each in team roping, he enjoys producing competitions just as much. A pickup man for Shawn Graham of Painted Pony Championship Rodeo, Tye worked 40 performances last year between the APRA, IPRA, and PRCA. He also started working bull ridings and decided to produce his own jackpots at his home arena several years ago. “We were trying to help the kids and grow the sport a little bit. One thing went to the next and we bought our own arena and now we’re going on the road,” says Tye. “This year we purchased our APRA stock contracting card, and the biggest one we’ll be doing this year is the Utica Stampede July 11 and 12. It’s one of the biggest APRAs we’ll have on the circuit added money wise, and the committee is absolutely outstanding to work with. Why I like the APRA so much is that it gives an opportunity for all the young kids to come out even if they’re still in high school. It’s about growing the sport, and on the East Coast we don’t have a lot of roughstock riders.”
Lucky E Productions provides all roughstock and timed event livestock for rodeos, along with an arena, which they provide for 90 percent of the rodeos they produce. “For Double M Rodeo in Ballston Spa, New York, we contract all their bucking horses, steers and calves, and we have a few hired guys who help run the trucks and livestock. Most everywhere we go we have to set up, and most of the time we can be set up in about three hours,” Tye explains.
“My friends and family have always pushed me. Shawn and Shana Graham with Painted Pony have been absolutely phenomenal, and Sonny Williams with Bar W Ranch. Wayne and Cindy Martin with Double M got us started with where we were sending our stock. As far going out this year and getting rodeos, I couldn’t have done that without my girlfriend, Paige. She does all the bookwork. She’s mainly barrel racing but she also started breakaway roping, and she flanks all the bucking bulls and broncs.”
Tye and Paige have purchased all their livestock rather than going into the breeding side of the business. “We have a few young horses coming on that are really good, and a bunch of bulls that are exceptionally good. I’m hoping three or four of them will at least make the ARA finals this year,” says Tye. He also hauls seven horses with him for picking up and team roping off of. “Most all of them are horses that we bought as young ranch horses, and then throughout the winter months when we didn’t have much going on we concentrated on them and made them all. It takes a special, tough breed of horse to not be scared and go do their job so I can do my job.”
In addition to producing rodeos and picking up, Tye helps his family run their auction company, doing horse sales and small-animal sales twice a month, and he continues to produce jackpots at his arena through the winter. “I have the same goal as anybody,” he finishes. “I want to build this up slowly and steadily, and maybe one day buck at the NFR.”