CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO LISTEN ON APPLE AND SPOTIFY

Rodeo Life is thrilled to announce a new partnership with renowned rodeo announcer and TV personality Steve Kenyon, bringing his acclaimed “Steve Kenyon Podcast” to our publication. Kenyon will share insider perspectives on top rodeo events, contestants, and news from the rodeo community. With his extensive knowledge of the sport and exceptional interviewing skills, this addition will captivate rodeo fans everywhere. Last month, the American Hero Celebration with Charly Crawford came to Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. Spanning from November 8-10, the event consisted of an open roping, a team roping in which first responders and military members are paired with a professional team roper, a military and first responders exclusive team roping, the ThirdAnnual Heroes Gala, and the Imus Ranch NFR Showdown presented by JP Morgan Chase. The weekend-produced by Liberty and Loyalty Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to uplifting military members, first responders, and their families through Western lifestyle events and ropings-honors the men and women who sacrifice to keep Americans safe and protected. Earlier in the week, the Horns and Heroes Clinic took place in Decatur, Texas, at the NRS Arena. Kenyon sat down with clinic instructor, team roper, and cowboy preacher Trey Johnson to discuss the foundation’s reach and effect, not only its recipients but the rodeo community as a whole.

Q&A with Trey Johnson

SK: You’ve been involved in this program that Charlie’s put together since the beginning, right?

TJ: Yes, sir. He called me the first year he did it, just wanting to honor our men and women who have served our country and asked if I wanted to come and do the heeling side. And itwas a no-brainer for me. You know, it’s just a privilege.

SK: November 5 at NRS Arena up in Decatur all the way through November 9, then November 10, which is the day before Veterans Day at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, a big team roping will take place. The top 15 in the world will be there at that roping. Plus, some of these guys will get a chance to rope alongside those guys who get to rope in a professional–amateur. Trey, it’s going to sound corny for me to say this because you’re the minister, not me-the roping is almost a vessel whereby Charly gets a chance to reach out to these people and give back to them, right?

TJ: Oh, for sure. Yeah, it’s just a tool that attracts the guys, and they have fun; we have fun. You know, it’s cool because they feel so honored to get to come spend time with us. But like we tell them, we don’t have words to express how honored we are to be in their presence and just to get to spend a few days with them, honor them, bless them, and add value to their life.

SK: Charly told me that some guys will come up and find Junior Nogueira, Kaleb Driggers, or somebody like that and thank them for what they do. The guys are immediately and rightfully ready to say, “Hey, wait a minute, you’re the one who fought for my freedom.”TJ: Yeah, that’s right. Without what they do, we couldn’t do what we do, for sure.

SK: Tell me about the school and the events that will happen at NRS on November 5 and 6. You’re going to be there, you’re going to be teaching, you’re going to be helping. Tell me about all of that.

TJ: The [November] fifth, they’ll kick it off that evening, but then the sixth and seventh, Charly will do the heading side, and I’ll do the heeling side. It’s just a great two days of helping them with their roping. But usually, every day, whether at lunch or at the end of the day, I’ll do teachings just to add value to their life. It’s been really neat to see what God’s done in their lives. There’s been so many guys accepting the Lord through our couple of days together this year. There are some guys who want to get baptized. We’ve just made some divine connections. We’ve seen families restored. We’ve seen their bodies healed. Their mind set free, stuff that only God could do. It’s neat because God uses a rope to get them there, but then they have an encounter with God, and God brings freedom to them. It’s just really a neat process. An encounter with God and God brings freedom to them. It’s just really a neat process.

SK: Charly’s told me you’ve ended up doing a few baptisms out of this. So you’ve had some guys give their lives over to Christ as a result of this event.

TJ: Yeah, I don’t even know. We’ve had a lot over the years. It’s just neat because these are big, tough men and women that have fought. They’ve seen a lot, and they have a lot of questions. God’s okay with that. If we can help any of them take one step closer to knowing God, to getting peace, to walking in freedom, to discovering what God has for them now that they’re out because they still have that heart of a leader, they have that heart of a warrior, and that’s in them by God. Now, it’s a different phase of life. There’s a different grace upon their life, and God still wants them to add value to our country. If we can create an environment where they can hear the voice of the Lord, and they get free, and they go back to their families revived and full of faith and fresh, then, man, that’s awesome.

SK: From talking to Charly, it sounds like more people wanted to get involved in this than you guys physically had the ability to take, which is kind of a good thing, in a way.

TJ: It is a great thing. Every year, as soon as the entries open up on it, they’ve got to shut it off pretty quick because we have people on the waiting list from all over the country. It’s just a great several days. It’s been fun to see how God has used Charly to add value to so many people and to raise money to build homes. So, if anybody wants to come out and just
experience it, just watch what’s going on; they’re welcome because it’s a life-changing event.

SK: November 8 and 9, the Hillwood Land and Cattle Company American Hero Celebration, join us in celebrating the hard work and effort of the Horns and Heroes Roping Clinic participants as they compete in the Military/First Responders/Professional Roping. Talk about that a little bit because there are some guys that really don’t have a lot of history, certainly with a rope in their hand or maybe even with a horse. All of a sudden, they become team ropers.

TJ: It’s fun to see them kind of scratch that competitive itch, so to say, because all of them have so much to try. Then they get to compete against one another. They get to do the pro-am, where they get to rope with the pros. They get to see their heroes and watch their heroes compete. All of us look at them as our heroes. It’s great too, because you have the top cowboys in the world getting to rub elbows with our military. I know the cowboys feel more honored or just as honored as the military people do. I think it’s just a win-win for our industry. It’s a win-win for the cowboys and the military. It’s neat to see all the divine relationships that have been built out of this.

SK: Have some of the guys that are the best ropers in the world, the guys that will be at the
big roping on Sunday, November 10 – we’ll be watching starting December 5 in Las Vegas at the National Finals Rodeo– and you had a chance to develop some long-term friendships and relationships with some of the people who come to the roping that are not just military but first responders?

TJ: For sure. It’s fun to see us helping one another. I’ve had the privilege of going to different places and different outreaches that are doing stuff with our military because of this. Even this week, I’ve been talking to several of the military guys trying to get help. Some of the guys that are struggling with their mind, maybe their family. They’re hurting. They don’t know what to do. It’s an ongoing, all-year-long relationship-building process just to addvalue to our industry and to our heroes.

SK: These are men and women who have been through the fire. I’ve heard a lot of organizations, and I’ve talked to entities that are taking advantage of the opportunity to be involved with horses as a way of providing therapy to men and women who maybe are suffering, dealing with PTSD, things like that. Have you seen that, Trey?

TJ: Oh yeah. I had the privilege, earlier this year, of going up, and I flew into Oklahoma, went over to Kansas, and had a chance to spend some time and to speak life into some of the guys and do some leadership development. They bring these guys in that might be hurting or tough and have a lot going on in their lives. They put them in this round pen with this horse. To see the men and women develop a relationship with the horse. Their guard comes down, and the horse’s guard comes down. Just to see the change that takes place is life-changing because the horses are so sensitive, and they feed off of us. These men and women have given their lives for us. To see God use an animal to bring softening and healing, it’s just a beautiful thing.

SK: Somebody really smart once said, “The best thing for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse. “I think that person was right. There are a lot of stories about that, and there are other organizations that are involved, as you mentioned. Tell me about Trey Johnson Ministries. What do you guys do?

TJ: My purpose and everything that I do is I want people to know God. I want them to be the best they can be. When I first gave my life to the Lord when I was in college, I was asking the Lord, “What does success look like?” To some people, it’s money, a gold buckle, or a saddle. Just on the inside of me, He said, “Trey, true success is a person being in the process of knowing Him, the One who made us and created us and wired us.” When we step out and we’re operating in our gifts, our strengths, then we start becoming the best version of ourselves, the best person we can be. So, my three main areas of influence areministry, leadership, and roping. When I’m doing any of these roping clinics or competing or doing leadership conferences or development, I just got back from Africa for 16 days. In the mornings, we would do pastor conferences, then we’d do crusades in the evening, then we’d feed the widows and go to orphanages-so I’m always asking, “Does this help people know God more?” and “Can it help them be the best them that they can be?” I think last month, I probably preached 60 times. It’s not always like that. But it’s probably at least 25 to 30 times a month, I’m speaking. I’m doing leadership. I’m doing roping clinics. When I do get a chance to compete at the top level, I just want to add value to people. We’re getting ready to go to Las Vegas, and I’ll preach in the morning after South Point Casino. Then, every night before the rodeo, I do what we call a “power-up time” with all of our contestants before they ride down into the Thomas and Mack. I just want to make a difference. I want to add value to people, and if I can be a small part of doing that, then I want to do it.

SK: There’s an image of the rough and tough, independent cowboy that you know “is on his own” and “doesn’t need any help.” Occasionally, the image has been creative of the hard-partying, hard-living kind of person in our industry. Would people be shocked if they found out how many people of deep faith compete in the sport of rodeo?

TJ: I believe it would change their perspective, and I think that’s happening. In the beginning, when I first started competing, there was only a handful of guys. I won the Rookie of the Year in 2000 and that’s been some years ago. I think I even had hair back then, and my whiskers sure weren’t great. There weren’t a lot of guys who just took a stand that really loved God and wanted to know how to walk with Him. But that’s not the case today. There are so many men and women who want to add value, who want to be who they’re created to be, and who want to use their gifts to reach people because they realize that they have influence and that they’re leaders in our industry.

SK: I’m frequently asked to-I’m not sure I’m the right guy that should be doing this, but I sure do enjoy it-say a prayer before a rodeo I’m announcing. I’m always amazed when I look down behind the bucking chutes or if there’s a bunch of bull riders lined up in the arena; how many were on a knee at that point. Again, some smart person, I think, once upon a time said, “There are no atheists inside those bucking chutes.” It really is interesting to see how many people are taking advantage of that opportunity to reach out to the guy upstairs.

TJ: Yeah, for sure. It’s real to most of them because when you’re dealing with horses and cattle and people and circumstances, you realize that there is a Creator, and this just didn’t happen. What I enjoy so much about our industry is that there is still an honor for God. There’s still an honor for our flag, for just what God has done for our country, and it’s not
just lip service. There’s just a reality of the power of God, the life of God in our Western industry. It’s just a great thing to be a part of.

SK: Did I see you getting a little emotional when you were talking about some of the relationships you’ve developed with these guys that you’ve met through Charly’s roping and through the American Heroes Celebration?

TJ: It’s hard not to get emotional. Some of them got really mad at me when they came to the clinics, and I started to teach God’s Word and share God’s heart with them. They get emotional. Some of them haven’t cried since they’ve been on the battlefield. To see God start healing their heart and for them not to have words because once you have an encounter with God, nobody can take that from you. I know it’s only God’s goodness that brings healing to their heart. It’s only God’s goodness that restores their marriage, their family, and their sense of purpose and destiny. This is very special to me. I’m very thankful to be a part of it.

SK: What’s it like to teach a guy who has, maybe, a little bit of experience with a horse or none at all and who doesn’t have very much experience with a rope or none at all? What’s it like to be able to teach him how to rope?

TJ: Well, the rope is about relationships. Because everybody’s wired differently and everybody understands differently, taking somebody that’s never ridden or roped or maybe they’re just starting and they want to do this and see them progress, taking leaps and bounds within a couple of days. To see life and joy and excitement just to go off on the inside of them, and that’s fun. That’s exciting because all of us desire that. Every one of us desires to be fulfilled, satisfied, enjoy life, and have fun. So, when you see that come alive on the inside of people, it’s like, wow! This is why, with all the years of working at what I’ve done and my craft, being able to add value to these guys and girls is just an honor.

SK: November 10, the Imus Ranch NFR showdown presented by JP Morgan Chase. The event finale is held in the historic Cowtown Coliseum. The top 15 team roping teams in the PRCA will be there for a pre-NFR showdown, including the Military/First Responders/Professionals, and there’s a stray gathering ranch rodeo, which is a kick. Things get a little Western in that deal. You’ve roped and preached in front of big crowds and in front of small crowds. I’ve announced in front of big crowds and small crowds. It would be fun to fill that place up. It would be a little kick to have Cowtown Coliseum full
when that thing’s taken place on that Sunday afternoon.

TJ: Oh, they would come alive. If anybody wants to come, please come out and join the event because you will have so much fun and just the cheering and encouraging our men and women. You’ll see some stuff that you won’t see just anywhere.

SK: That’s a good way of describing it, especially in that ranch rodeo part that gets Western in a hurry. I know you’re expanding your outreach constantly. I’d love to know more about that trip you just took to Africa. I don’t know if you’ve done that before or not. Is that a once-in-a-lifetime or a first-in-a-lifetime? Tell me about that.

TJ: It was the first. I talked to some of the people on the ground over there in Africa. Right now, we’re looking for me to go back in February. I won’t go as long this time. I’ll just go for 10 days, but I’ll just preach as many times as I can, go to as many places as I can. It waslife-changing to go into the orphanages and feed the widows. We’ve had close to 600 widows. I just saw the lifestyle that they lived and the privileges that we have. I could go on for hours and tell you story after story of what all God did while we were over there. Maybe we can do that another time or in the near future, or we can do it now; it’s totally up to you.

SK: Give me a little synopsis. We’ll preview an upcoming show sometime soon; how’s that?

TJ: The first orphanage I went into when I was a minister, and there are probably 125 junior high and high school kids in this orphanage. I’m just talking about the power of belief and how believing in God and believing in ourselves always lifts us to the next level. By the time I got done ministering, I had led over 50 of them to Jesus because they realized that Jesus was for them, He was good, and He wanted to help them no matter where they were. From there, I was praying for this one widow. She had blind eyes, and I laid my hands upon the eyes. The Bible says to lay hands upon the sick, and they will recover. I just asked the Lord to open her eyes. Her eyes opened, and she had never seen. My interpreter said, “If you can see, reach out and grab his nose.” She just reached out and grabbed my nose. I’m thinking, “You should have told her to grab your nose.” But there was just story after story after story of just seeing God show up because they’re so hungry. They’re willing. God looks for that. God shows up in an environment where people are hungry. It’s not about religion or denomination or all these rules and rituals. I mean, these pastors would walk for hours and hours to these pastor conferences we were doing. They would stay the night in the church on the floor so they would be there the next day. They would worship for hours and hours, from little kids to 70-year-old people. They didn’t care what anybody thought about them.And it was beautiful. They would worship and praise God. The sound system would go out because of the electricity, and they would never stop. They just kept going. They kept giving God their best. I had some of them tell me, “We worship like this because we know that
without God, we might not have our next breath.” It’s just real to them. They don’t play church over there. They’re not just going through the motions. They know they have to have God in order to move forward in life. If we brought that same hunger over here, the sky’s the limit of what we can do with God.

SK: I can’t imagine that that could be anything but life-changing, Trey.

TJ: It was. Yes, sir. We’re looking to go back and do great things over there for the Kingdom and add value to as many people as we can. We’re looking at getting together with a lot of the college kids the next time I go back over. I’m trying to reach as many of them as we can as well at some of the universities.

SK: One of the beneficial side effects of doing what you do for a living is you get to see a lot of people’s lives change.

TJ: You get to see a lot of people’s lives changed. But there’s always more pressure at the front of the spear than there is the shaft. So, when you’re at the forefront, there are a lot of things to overcome. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I never set out to be a preacher. I just want to know God. I want it to be real. I want to know Him for myself, and that’s my heart every day. Now, I get to stand in front of leaders of countries, teaching leadership and adding value to people, and I still get to rope. After I won the Rookie of the Year, I laid my roping down for almost nine years and started churches and pastored churches. Now, to see what God’s doing. We have our TV show on Cowboy Channel and RFD TV every Sunday morning. We’re on a lot of different networks. We’re reaching millions of people a week around the world. And I’m just so honored that God would let me be a part of that. That’s what I get to do, which is add value to people, and I’m just very thankful.

SK: I believe it. Trey Johnson, thanks for being a part of the American Hero Celebration, and thank you for your time. I know that you are very, very busy, and giving me a few minutes means a lot to me. You and I talked about doing this two years ago, and I never got around to getting it done. I am so thankful for your time, for all the people that you’ve reached, and
for the message that you deliver. Enjoy the heck out of this American Heroes Celebration. I like the fact that Charly included not just the military but, you know, our first responders and the people who serve us here at home as well. They deserve way more credit than they’ve been getting lately, don’t they?

TJ: Yeah, they do. They do. They’re so important to what God’s doing in our country. The value they add to people and the strength they have; we are so thankful that they’re able to be a part of this and come and enjoy it with us. But anybody who’s watching can go to treyjohnsonministries.com on the website. We write daily devotions, my wife, Heather, and I. We have a podcast, “Being Your Best with Trey Johnson.” We have a YouTube channel. Of course, we have TV shows on a lot of different networks. We just want to add as much value as we can. Steve, thanks for letting me be on this. Once again, I want to invite everybody to come out and watch what takes place during these four or five days with our heroes and our military and first responders coming in. I just appreciate Charly and the whole team for what they’re doing. It’s making a difference in the lives of people, for sure.

If you want to join the 2025 American Heroes Celebration, you can find more information at libertyandloyaltyfoundation.com. If you want to hear more from the accredited Steve Kenyon, subscribe to the Steve Kenyon Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.