Kelley Byrne, Author.
Kelley Byrne is the proud Mom of the Byrne Boys and is married to their father, Ryan. She gives a unique insight of her children's life's.
Growing up on the farm in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, accomplishing their dreams and what's it's like now to follow them and their families on the road and online.
Kelley Byrne is a writer and author who educates and entertain's through her words. She has 20 years of writing, editing and research experience. Her writing credentials are wide ranging from newspaper editing, journalist reporting, blogging and short story fiction.
Kelley was born in Edmonton, Alberta, raised in Polson, Montana and is a graduate of the Ronan High School. She was accepted to University of Montana in Dillon on a rodeo scholarship. She remains a competitor, competing in rodeo as a barrel racer, training horses and hosting horsemanship schools for everyone to enjoy.
Kelley has been fortunate enough to live the privileged perspective of what it takes to build a family from start to finish within a sport. She is the mother of three boys, Bo, Jesse and Tanner Byrne.
The boys’ are professional athletes.
Bo and Jesse are two of the best bull fighters in the world and Tanner is a bull rider, both Tanner and Jesse compete at the highest level of their sport within the Built Ford Tough Series of the Professional Bull Riders, Inc.
Kelley is a proud mother, wife and grandmother who in her stories gives a unique insight of her children’s life’s growing up and accomplishing their dreams.
She uses story-telling and exceptional word crafting to bring life to her characters. Kelley Byrne’s character Billy Buck inspires children of all ages to dream and believe in themselves.
Billy Buck is a fictional character created by Kelley Byrne. He is a rough and tumble type little boy who grew up on the family ranch knowing that when he grew up he would be a cowboy just like his daddy, Benjamin Buck.
Billy is a small boy who learns to follow his dreams. He is inspirational, caring , loves his animals and believes in himself. In the first children's book, "Bull Fighter Billy" learns how to perfect bull fighting moves while playing with the family pup, Snoop. He just knew that someday he would be a world famous bull fighter. The next two books upcoming are; "Bull Rider Billy" grows up playing on the trampoline in the back yard, perfecting his riding talent on an old plastic toy bull, jumping, twisting and making that 8-second ride. "Too Tall Billy" is a story line about where unexpectedly little Billy is told he is too tall to ride bulls. He uses his determination to continue on his path and proves he is not too tall at all. In fact he is perfect!
Billy is featured in a coloring book, called; A Day at the Bull Riding and here boys and girls can color what they might see if they go to an event near them.
Billy Buck also has his own t-shirt line.
.
Growing up on the farm in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, accomplishing their dreams and what's it's like now to follow them and their families on the road and online.
Kelley Byrne is a writer and author who educates and entertain's through her words. She has 20 years of writing, editing and research experience. Her writing credentials are wide ranging from newspaper editing, journalist reporting, blogging and short story fiction.
Kelley was born in Edmonton, Alberta, raised in Polson, Montana and is a graduate of the Ronan High School. She was accepted to University of Montana in Dillon on a rodeo scholarship. She remains a competitor, competing in rodeo as a barrel racer, training horses and hosting horsemanship schools for everyone to enjoy.
Kelley has been fortunate enough to live the privileged perspective of what it takes to build a family from start to finish within a sport. She is the mother of three boys, Bo, Jesse and Tanner Byrne.
The boys’ are professional athletes.
Bo and Jesse are two of the best bull fighters in the world and Tanner is a bull rider, both Tanner and Jesse compete at the highest level of their sport within the Built Ford Tough Series of the Professional Bull Riders, Inc.
Kelley is a proud mother, wife and grandmother who in her stories gives a unique insight of her children’s life’s growing up and accomplishing their dreams.
She uses story-telling and exceptional word crafting to bring life to her characters. Kelley Byrne’s character Billy Buck inspires children of all ages to dream and believe in themselves.
Billy Buck is a fictional character created by Kelley Byrne. He is a rough and tumble type little boy who grew up on the family ranch knowing that when he grew up he would be a cowboy just like his daddy, Benjamin Buck.
Billy is a small boy who learns to follow his dreams. He is inspirational, caring , loves his animals and believes in himself. In the first children's book, "Bull Fighter Billy" learns how to perfect bull fighting moves while playing with the family pup, Snoop. He just knew that someday he would be a world famous bull fighter. The next two books upcoming are; "Bull Rider Billy" grows up playing on the trampoline in the back yard, perfecting his riding talent on an old plastic toy bull, jumping, twisting and making that 8-second ride. "Too Tall Billy" is a story line about where unexpectedly little Billy is told he is too tall to ride bulls. He uses his determination to continue on his path and proves he is not too tall at all. In fact he is perfect!
Billy is featured in a coloring book, called; A Day at the Bull Riding and here boys and girls can color what they might see if they go to an event near them.
Billy Buck also has his own t-shirt line.
.
THE BOYS GROWING UP
By: Kelley Byrne
My children grew up in a community where bull riding or rodeo was not common, so it was easier for us to tell friends and colleagues that their father, Ryan was a rancher.
In no way were they not proud of their father and what their family did each and every weekend, it's just that people didn't get it.
Explaining what a bullfighter is in detail usually results in someone saying, "Oh, the clown!"
After a while you just don't mention it. As for me, their mother and a barrel racer, people were not familiar with barrel racing either and I got a lot of questions regarding my "barrel riding."
In school, the boy's played all sports including baseball in the summer, hockey in the winter and lacrosse in the off season. All of them were very talented and could have gone further in any of those sports. We felt as parents it was important to expose them to everything available.
Our oldest son, Bo, was the first to start riding at amateur rodeos. He was 12 years old and if we got to a rodeo and the steers had horns, we would not let him get on. It was just too scary for us as parents. When he got older, he started leaving us out and finding rides with other kids to High School Rodeos and bull riding events because he knew that it was hard on us.
When Jesse started, he pushed us further. He found the Little Britches Rodeo Association in Saskatchewan, Canada, and begged and pleaded for us to take him. We agreed that if he entered all of the events, and not just the bull riding, we would take him. These rodeos were not close and each rodeo was at least a seven-hour drive. He excelled in all the events and kept his promise competing in all the roping and riding events.
Tanner rode his first steer in running shoes at his first Little Britches Rodeo at the age of 7. I ran the video camera and his father and brothers all ran beside him, while he rode the steer with his chest pushed out, two hands in the rope and a big smile on his face!"
The boys never started with fancy chaps or equipment, but always a good vest and a hockey helmet.
We travelled many hours as a family in a truck and trailer to over 40 rodeos each summer. The boys went on to compete in the Little Britches Finals each year. They also competed in High School Rodeos and amateur events, as well as the professional ranks. They all rodeo bulls very well.
Again, other people questioned our sanity, but we knew we were building a family bond.
We were a family, always together through good days and bad, in the truck travelling to the next rodeo.
It wasn't long before Jesse hung up his bull rope to follow in his father's footsteps. Bo continued to ride bulls and then found himself drawn to the family business and, he too, became a bullfighter.
I was fortunate enough to have the privileged perspective of the life of a bullfighter from the beginning to finished product. These boys all watched video after video of their father fighting at the National Finals Rodeo and in the Wrangler Bull Fight Competitions. The four of them would talk for hours about the mechanics of their profession, and now I find myself explaining how I handle my family being in such dangerous professions.
It's something I never gave much thought to; it's something we didn't discuss until I sat alone one night watching the Built Ford Tough Series event in Nampa, Idaho.
I guess over all these years I took what they do for granted.
It's simply just been their job to protect the fallen cowboy at all costs. It's what they do.
That is, until that fallen cowboy turned out to be my youngest son.
Knocked out underneath a spinning bull, being trampled while the bullfighters worked frantically to distract the bull and take him out of the spin, I looked on as Tanner lay unconscious in the dirt.
I could only watch in horror as Jesse never once took his eyes off his brother and then at first chance, covered Tanner's body with his own to prevent further damage.
I am not new to this sport, I know what can happen. Over the past 30 years I have witnessed what can happen, but that night my life changed in that moment.
The emotions I felt overwhelmed me, not only for my injured son, but for the one who literally sacrificed himself for his brother.
When interviewed later, Jesse commented that, "It didn't matter if the fallen cowboy was my brother or not, I do whatever I can to help in the situation at hand."
Although that is true, I saw in his eyes something a mother can only see, I can't explain it.
I cried myself to sleep that night knowing what true brotherly love is and the strong family bond that was evident.
I was hit by reality that if something tragic ever happened to one of the bull riders Jesse was protecting, it would forever change his life.
It made me realize how serious Jesse's profession as a bullfighter is, and, as a parent, how grateful I am that he takes his job seriously.
It is reassuring to know that Jesse will do his best, no matter what the cost, to protect not only the bull riders, but someone else's child while we are home anxiously waiting to hear that everyone is safe to ride another day.
I am a proud mom who has raised three wonderful boys; all humble, gentle and caring men who have made their childhood dreams into reality.
These days, people don't question me about our lifestyle anymore, they just acknowledge how well the boys are doing. I would like to tell everyone they get their athletic ability from me, but that would be a lie.
One thing I know that is the truth, the understanding of the meaning to the saying, "There is nothing greater than a mother's love."
By: Kelley Byrne
My children grew up in a community where bull riding or rodeo was not common, so it was easier for us to tell friends and colleagues that their father, Ryan was a rancher.
In no way were they not proud of their father and what their family did each and every weekend, it's just that people didn't get it.
Explaining what a bullfighter is in detail usually results in someone saying, "Oh, the clown!"
After a while you just don't mention it. As for me, their mother and a barrel racer, people were not familiar with barrel racing either and I got a lot of questions regarding my "barrel riding."
In school, the boy's played all sports including baseball in the summer, hockey in the winter and lacrosse in the off season. All of them were very talented and could have gone further in any of those sports. We felt as parents it was important to expose them to everything available.
Our oldest son, Bo, was the first to start riding at amateur rodeos. He was 12 years old and if we got to a rodeo and the steers had horns, we would not let him get on. It was just too scary for us as parents. When he got older, he started leaving us out and finding rides with other kids to High School Rodeos and bull riding events because he knew that it was hard on us.
When Jesse started, he pushed us further. He found the Little Britches Rodeo Association in Saskatchewan, Canada, and begged and pleaded for us to take him. We agreed that if he entered all of the events, and not just the bull riding, we would take him. These rodeos were not close and each rodeo was at least a seven-hour drive. He excelled in all the events and kept his promise competing in all the roping and riding events.
Tanner rode his first steer in running shoes at his first Little Britches Rodeo at the age of 7. I ran the video camera and his father and brothers all ran beside him, while he rode the steer with his chest pushed out, two hands in the rope and a big smile on his face!"
The boys never started with fancy chaps or equipment, but always a good vest and a hockey helmet.
We travelled many hours as a family in a truck and trailer to over 40 rodeos each summer. The boys went on to compete in the Little Britches Finals each year. They also competed in High School Rodeos and amateur events, as well as the professional ranks. They all rodeo bulls very well.
Again, other people questioned our sanity, but we knew we were building a family bond.
We were a family, always together through good days and bad, in the truck travelling to the next rodeo.
It wasn't long before Jesse hung up his bull rope to follow in his father's footsteps. Bo continued to ride bulls and then found himself drawn to the family business and, he too, became a bullfighter.
I was fortunate enough to have the privileged perspective of the life of a bullfighter from the beginning to finished product. These boys all watched video after video of their father fighting at the National Finals Rodeo and in the Wrangler Bull Fight Competitions. The four of them would talk for hours about the mechanics of their profession, and now I find myself explaining how I handle my family being in such dangerous professions.
It's something I never gave much thought to; it's something we didn't discuss until I sat alone one night watching the Built Ford Tough Series event in Nampa, Idaho.
I guess over all these years I took what they do for granted.
It's simply just been their job to protect the fallen cowboy at all costs. It's what they do.
That is, until that fallen cowboy turned out to be my youngest son.
Knocked out underneath a spinning bull, being trampled while the bullfighters worked frantically to distract the bull and take him out of the spin, I looked on as Tanner lay unconscious in the dirt.
I could only watch in horror as Jesse never once took his eyes off his brother and then at first chance, covered Tanner's body with his own to prevent further damage.
I am not new to this sport, I know what can happen. Over the past 30 years I have witnessed what can happen, but that night my life changed in that moment.
The emotions I felt overwhelmed me, not only for my injured son, but for the one who literally sacrificed himself for his brother.
When interviewed later, Jesse commented that, "It didn't matter if the fallen cowboy was my brother or not, I do whatever I can to help in the situation at hand."
Although that is true, I saw in his eyes something a mother can only see, I can't explain it.
I cried myself to sleep that night knowing what true brotherly love is and the strong family bond that was evident.
I was hit by reality that if something tragic ever happened to one of the bull riders Jesse was protecting, it would forever change his life.
It made me realize how serious Jesse's profession as a bullfighter is, and, as a parent, how grateful I am that he takes his job seriously.
It is reassuring to know that Jesse will do his best, no matter what the cost, to protect not only the bull riders, but someone else's child while we are home anxiously waiting to hear that everyone is safe to ride another day.
I am a proud mom who has raised three wonderful boys; all humble, gentle and caring men who have made their childhood dreams into reality.
These days, people don't question me about our lifestyle anymore, they just acknowledge how well the boys are doing. I would like to tell everyone they get their athletic ability from me, but that would be a lie.
One thing I know that is the truth, the understanding of the meaning to the saying, "There is nothing greater than a mother's love."