One family is celebrating the presence of three generations of incredible cowboys at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this year. The rodeo is a place rich with history, family and tradition. Rocker Steiner, 18, is living up to his own name and his family’s name, as he continues to bareback ride.
“This is a rough, tough grueling sport,” Rocker said.
Rocker has done well at the rodeo, managing to wow the crowd, and will advance to the final night of a three-day Super Series II.
“We can’t sleep on these horses. They’re trying to get us off and we’re trying to stay on,” Rocker said.
“You sometimes pay for your naming. So he has been a little rock star ever since he came out,” Jamie Steiner, his mother, said.
Rocker’s whole family has made headlines for their talent. Both Rocker’s mother and his grandmother, Joleen, were world-class barrel racers who made it to National Finals Rodeo. Jamie went in 2000 in Las Vegas and Joleen went in Oklahoma City in 1970 and 1971.
“My dad’s a World Champion bulldogger and he won the worlds in 2002 and my granddad is a bull rider and he won the World in 1973, and it means a lot to me to be at the same rodeo that they were going to,” Rocker said.
Rocker, his parents and his grandparents made for three generations of cowboys and cowgirls present at RodeoHouston. That’s not all.
“My son Sid and I were inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame,” Bobby Steiner, Rocker’s grandfather, said. “and my dad and my granddad were both already in it, so we became the only four-generation family in the history of rodeo or cowboy-isms to be in the hall, so that was very meaningful and hopefully we can keep it going!”
The family said coming back to RodeoHouston means so much.
“To see hard work pay off and for their dreams to come true for a dad--it’s everything,” Sid Steiner, Rocker’s father, said.
Rocker’s sister, Steely Steiner, is also a barrel racer and quite talented as well. They learned from their parents and grandparents. Rocker said he learned to connect with horses, learning from his mother.
“My mom is very good with horses,” Rocker said.
“Now I’m really confident in him. When he was young and starting it made me really nervous because... it’s the learning process but it was kind of scary!” Jamie said.
The hallowed ground at RodeoHouston is the place love grew.
“We got engaged here at the Astrodome 50 years ago and she still looks great after 50 years!” Bobby said.
Generations of Steiners now get to watch their youngest generation rock on.
“It’s incredible. We never know what that child is going to do,” Joleen said. “I call it confident because he’s a lot like his grandfather and his father.”
“These people don’t know what a good ride is--so I got to show ‘em what a good rise is!” Rocker laughed.