Saddle bronc rider Kade Bruno is back in contention for a world championship. He is fourth in the world standings and is heading to the National Finals Rodeo for the fifth straight year.
(PRCA PHOTO BY LARA ST JACQUES)
CHALLIS, Idaho – Winners have a distinct mindset when it comes to competition.
For saddle bronc rider Kade Bruno, consistency plays a major role in his success. He’s built a career with fundamentals as a foundation and an eye toward a steady approach that is accentuated by greatness. The proof didn’t come from rodeos he won this year; no, that’s reserved by the more than $100,000 he earned at rodeos he didn’t win.
“It’s exciting to win any of them big rodeos, whether you win Calgary or Fort Worth (Texas) or Houston,” said Bruno, 26, a five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier originally from Challis but now living in Stephenville, Texas. “We all want to win those rodeos, but at the same time, if you haven’t drawn good enough to win them, you’ve got to keep winning checks.
“That’s the name of the game: Consistently winning checks every time you nod your head, and there’s good enough money out there now.”
Bruno’s biggest payday came with a third-place finish at the Calgary Stampede, a rodeo he won two seasons before. Bruno captured $22,750 in Alberta this past July, of which 80 percent ($18,299) counted toward the world standings. For the year, he has amassed $217,915 in earnings and is fourth on the money list when he arrives at the NFR, set for Dec. 3-12 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Calgary was just one big payday. He also garnered large sums in Houston; Denver; Billings, Mont.; Austin, Texas; Reno, Nev.; and Sioux Falls, S.D. On top of that, he had key victories at the NFR Open, the national circuit finals that takes place in Colorado Springs, Colo.; the Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo in Redmond, Ore.; Jackson, Miss.; Lawton, Okla.; North Platte, Neb.; Elko, Nev.; and Driggs, Idaho.
“When you place in the Top 5 at those kinds of rodeos, that adds up quick,” said Bruno, who credits much of his success to his sponsors, Justin Boots, American Hat Co., Cinch, King Rodeo Co., Ingram Quarter Horses, Ontario Auto Ranch Ford, Capri Campers, Western Heritage Insurance, TD Angus and Buffalo Trace Whiskey. “A guy kind of forgets about that sometimes if you’re trying to win all them rodeos, because that’s what we want, but consistently placing will do more for you than winning one big one every time.”
It’s something he has learned, but the groundwork was done in his youth by his folks, Mike and Mindy Bruno, who raised their three children in the central Idaho community of Challis, a town of less than 1,000 resident. That’s where Kade Bruno learned work ethic and competition.
“I was horseback from the day I could be,” he said. “There are probably pictures somewhere of my dad or mom holding me on a horse. We’ve had horses ever since I can remember. My first real memory of rodeoing was when I was probably 4 or 5, and I was entered in the local rodeo – we used to have a rodeo in Challis, but we don’t have it anymore.
“It was called the North Custer Stampede, and my grandpa put it on. He was the head committee guy, and I remember being on my first sheep there, and I got on my first calf there. As far back as I can remember, that’s all I can remember.”
Mike Bruno is a supervisor at a molybdenum mine. A couple decades ago, he was a bull rider and competed on both ProRodeo and the PBR, qualifying for its premier tour over the years. Mindy Bruno sells insurance at Western Heritage, a company she founded. Both competed in high school rodeos before starting a family.
“On top of that, they also run a set of cows, along with mine,” he said. “I’ve got dad taking care of mine while I’m out here rodeoing. They’re grandparents; my older sister has some kids. They just stay close to home, run some cows and see the grandkids when they can.
“I wear Western Heritage Insurance on my shirts. That’s more or less a thank you for everything she’s done for me from Day 1 until now. She’s been a life sponsor.”
It’s a powerful shout-out to his mom, but the lessons he gained as a youngster still guide him today, whether he’s on the rodeo trail or hanging out with his sisters. Vanessa is the one who made him an uncle of four; Jacey is the younger one. They helped form the middle child from a rambunctious brother to a world-class athlete.
“Dad was big into playing sports and being a team player,” Bruno said. “In the summertime, we junior rodeoed everywhere we could. My sisters played volleyball and basketball, and I wrestled and played football. We were just super active. In the summertime, we were always outside messing around with horses and playing around. We lived out in the middle of nowhere, so we spent a lot of time outside.
“It was awesome.”
It’s hard to beat Mother Nature as a proving ground, but he had another in from a small town, where everybody is family or related to family. There are no strangers in Challis.
“I think a big part of who I am is because of how I was raised,” he said. “I tend to think I’m a very giving person. My parents did anything for any of their kids. My parents are awesome. I’d do anything for the people that are close to me and my traveling partners, a team player in that aspect.”
His traveling posse is an extension of his family. He travels tens of thousands of miles with fellow bronc busters Jake Clark, Weston Patterson and Wyatt Casper, so their bond is beneficial to success in the sport.
“Who you travel with is a big part of what we do,” Bruno said. “You’ve got to travel with some guys that are like-minded and willing to jump in the rig and put some miles on. We only get 100 rodeos that count (money that goes toward world standings), so when you go to enter, you’d better be willing to get on over 75 percent of them.
“Wyatt had made the NFR a couple of times before I did, so getting to jump in with somebody who has had a little more knowledge and understanding was huge. Weston and Jake are great traveling partners. We’ve all got a great attitude about it. Traveling with guys that have good mindsets and good attitudes is huge.”
Support is critical, whether it’s making it from one rodeo to another with three other guys or stopping by home between competitions just to be with family. He’s got some more support on the road, too, with his girlfriend, Kinlie Brennise, a 2025 National Finals Breakaway Roping qualifier from Craig, Colo.
“This was our first year getting to rodeo a little bit together,” he said. “I’d never had a girlfriend that rodeoed, and it was pretty special. We actually got to go a little bit more together than I thought we would. Being there for each other in the highs and being there for each other in the lows was pretty special. You’ve always got your parents and your traveling partners, but having her out there was awesome.”
All that encouragement will come in handy when Bruno arrives in Las Vegas.
“Any year you’ve done good enough to go to the NFR is a pretty good year, but five straight years seems like you’re in a little bit of a dream,” he said. “I’m thankful for every moment.”