[ “He’s an old man trapped in a little kid’s body,”
– Gizmo McCracken of his grandson, Bronc Evans. ]
“In the rope horse world, you have to get your name out there so people will want you to train their horses,” said 13-year-old Bronc Evans. “I want to get to the NFR and get a world championship. Everybody wants to do that, and honestly, you can’t mimic Trevor Brazile because he’s the greatest. But I want to train horses when I’m done rodeoing.”
Bronc grew up with a rope in his hands. “Me and my dad were moving a set of cows,” Bronc said. “I was four. There was one little baby calf. Her mom ran into the herd. Dad told me to rope it, and it’s walking along, I roped it, and we took a picture and sent it to my mom.”
Bronc’s mom, Mandy, realized early that Bronc has special roping talents. “This is a special child with unique talents and gifts. We need to nurture these abilities, and take this where God wants this to go,” said Mandy.
A fourth-generation ranch in southwest Missouri is home to Bronc and his sister, Jaylen. Their maternal grandparents, Dianna and Jerry Evans, still work and live on the ranch. Along with yearlings, the family raises quarter horses and has been breeding horses for more than 20 years. In fact, Bronc raised and trained both his head and heeler horses.
“Bronc has been going with me and gathering cows for years,” said his dad, Jimmy. “He’s my right hand. He’s better than any help I can hire. He can drive almost any piece of equipment I’ve got. If it’s getting dark and I’m busy, he will bring in the horses and he’ll put them in the trailer and bring the truck and trailer to me.”
Now a rising rodeo star, Bronc said, “I don’t really try to get pumped up before a competition. I try to stay focused and keep my nerves under control, which keeps my horses calm.”
Bronc’s trail from Missouri ranch hand to competitive rodeo athlete is spurring him toward the top. Spanning only six years, his long list of titles and championships includes the 2021 Junior World champion breakaway roper coming in wearing #1 for ten and under, in Las Vegas, NV. In late spring 2023 alone, Bronc snagged reserve champion breakaway and reserve champion header in the Hooey Jr. Patriot Finale, winning almost $30k in Fort Worth, TX. He has won more than 100 buckles, which currently takes up an entire wall, as well as a dozen saddles.
“My favorite event is team roping,” he said. “In Feb. 2022, I bought my first horse using my own money. His name is Pinto, like the bean. He’s a red-and-white paint.” He uses Pinto for team roping and breakaway. “I like to go fishing on our ranch, but not as much as I like rodeo.”
Along with ranch life, Bronc and Jaylen spent many days on the rodeo road with their grandfather, the famous rodeo clown Gizmo (Dale McCracken). Giz has innumerable accolades and awards to his credit, winning 2017 Comedy Act of the year for his popular ambulance routine. Gizmo is a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), and has worked 19 PRCA circuit finals rodeos in ten of the 12 circuits.
With his wife Janice, Gizmo still spends a lot of time kickin’ up the road dust. As they travel, churches request their gospel music performances, and they’re happy to oblige. Also going strong for over a decade, Janice’s Power of Pink foundation has raised over $360,000 for women who are battling breast cancer in their small Missouri hometown.
Janice and Gizmo’s lives have remained a segue for their four grandchildren – Jaylen and Bronc, and Brimley and Raeley Crouch – from ranch life to the rodeo world. All the grandchildren have been performing in Gizmo’s comic routines since they were very young. As well, their daughters, Mandy and Cassie, have followed in Janice’s footsteps, and are home schooling all the children.
“When I was growing up, my poppy (Gizmo) would take my cousins and me to the rodeos and we’d be part of his acts,” said Bronc. “He knew most of the ropers and I got to talk to them. I liked what I saw at the rodeos. My dad was in the cutting world before we were born, and he’s a good horseman and we’ve raised horses all our lives. It takes practice to feel the different types of horses, and you learn how.”
Bronc wants to win a saddle in a USTRC roping heeling event. And his goal, to make the NFR in calf roping and team roping, is a 24/7 pursuit. To that end, the Evans home is full of roping dummies. While sitting in a saddle on a stuffed horse, watching Cowboy Channel live-streamed rodeos, Bronc ropes and ties calf dummies. And he’s got a rope in his hand at church, the grocery store, and everywhere else.
During the school year, Bronc finishes early each morning. His favorite part of school is when it’s over, and his least favorite subject is math. And his daily four hours of rodeo practice include working on horses and roping.
“Jaylen and I were born on the same day, six years apart,” Bronc said. “She just turned 19. Right now, she’s working at the hospital and going to start school to be a nurse. She preaches at a lot of church services. Growing up going to Cowboy Church, Jaylen has a gift for delivering the Word of God that has developed over the years of preaching at youth rodeos. She competes in breakaway roping, team roping, running poles, and tying goats.”
Gizmo said, “The coolest thing has been seeing my grandkids do something that my wife and I have been involved with all our lives. To watch them working with and caring for their horses.”
“I want to train rope horses for ropers when I grow up,” Bronc said. “I just want to keep the ranch we’ve got. I like ridin’ through the pastures. My favorite things on the ranch are dragging calves and when we bring the colts in to halter break. I just want to keep ropin’ all the way through life.”
However, the strongest roots, that run deep through all generations of this family, are their love for Jesus, and spreading that message wherever they go.
