Rodeo cowboys and cowgirls spend much more time on the highways than in arenas. It’s just the nature of the beast for contestants who work their tails off for just a few seconds of time in competition at a time.

I’ll get a sneak peak at their life on the road when I head to the Texas Panhandle tomorrow with my wife and oldest daughter. Google maps says it’ll take more than nine hours to get to our first stop, then my wife and I will continue another two hours.

From the time we leave until we unpack at our final stop of the night, I’m figuring it’ll be 15 hours.

That’s nothing new to rodeo folks, who do that dang near every day. But most likely, I’ll be making several more pit stops than my buddies scurrying back to Reno, Nev., for the short go-round. Bathroom stops are a must, you know.

And, I suspect, I’ll be the one requesting those breaks; it comes with age.