By Kaitlyn Driscoll, Staff Writer, NBR & PBBA

Bull riding and rodeo events bring a new crowd with each and every performance. There are always new faces waiting in anticipation to witness the excitement and competition of each event. Of course there are the fans that attend as many events as their lives will allow, but they all started out s first-time spectators somewhere in their past. For many fans, their involvement in rodeo or bull riding may only go as far as watching the events when they come to town. For others, their involvement may grow to participation in the events as a competitor, contractor, investor, sponsor, concessions, retail, or performer. It may be the “come one come all” feeling or the rustic western atmosphere that invites you in, but regardless, it’s the sense of family and community that keeps the sport of rodeo growing year after year.

It is sometimes curiosity or chance encounters that lead people to rodeo events, but more often than not, it is the friendships outside of the rodeo life that bring in newcomers. Word of mouth is one of the most influential forms of advertisement when it comes to any business, whether it’s a doctor’s office or a restaurant. The same holds true for rodeo. People involved in the rodeo world are continuously bringing in the new faces from their lives outside of rodeo, whether they intend to or not. These people then bring their friends and family, who tell other friends and family members, and the dominoes keep on falling. And so the rodeo family grows.

Recently, the NBR and PBBA have welcomed a very unique and humbling family to its own rodeo family. The Brown family, comprised of father Mark, mother Angie, daughter Meagan, daughter Erin (Brown) Bailey, and Stuart Bailey, were virtually unaware of rodeo and its many events until 2008. Their involvement began, as most do, with a deep friendship between Angie Brown and Kathy Klein-Porter, wife of stock contractor, producer, and PBBA President Mike Porter. In 2003 the Brown family moved from Mississippi to Taylors, SC where husband Mark Brown worked with the music staff at Taylor’s First Baptist Church. Angie began a women’s bible study class, and one of her members was Kathy. Their friendship grew and the two maintained a relationship in and out of church. Mark and Mike met shortly thereafter during Kathy’s short stint in the hospital for surgery on a broken ankle, and they in turn began their own friendship. It was around this time that, as Angie told me, “God was stirring our hearts to leave the church to start a family ministry where we could reach out to people outside of the church and share the same love with them that Christ gave to us.” In June 2009, Mark resigned from his position, they sold their farm, and they began traveling and doing local outreach events (such as singles and youth events). They called the endeavor the Brown Family Ministries, and they operated on the simple principle of sharing God’s everlasting love.

Kathy and Mike invited the Brown family to attend one of their events, the 2008 PBBA Finals in Clemson, SC and as Angie admitted, she was quite nervous in the days preceding the event. “I had never been around cowboys or livestock. I didn’t even own a pair of cowboy boots! I knew that the people there would be good people, but I just worried about fitting in or being out of place.” So, true to a woman’s fashion, Angie went out, bought herself a pair of bona fide cowboy boots and they headed to the Garrison arena.

That night the Brown family were introduced to the exciting world of bull riding, and they’ve been a part of it ever since. It’s no surprise that they became instant fans, after all, it’s one of the most unique sports in existence; it’s a historical sport stemming from the lifestyle of cowboys of the wild west filled with all the modern touches: performers, fancy arenas and equipment, valuable livestock bred for competitive edge, and grand prizes that allow the contestants and contractors to make a living doing what they love. The people involved in rodeo events are just as inviting as well. While other sports such as professional football and basketball invite all levels of fans from infrequent to diehard, rodeo invites all fans to become a part of their family, a much deeper commitment to their inclusion in the events. Personally, I have never attended an event where I didn’t feel welcomed and respected by those around me. As Angie put it, “We instantly felt at ease. The people were so warm and inviting, willing to answer all of our silly questions or reassure us throughout the show. Since then, we have grown to love all of our new friends and we find ourselves praying for their continued safety and protection.”

So it began and so it continues. The Brown family attended PBBA/NBR events regularly and grew to love not only the people, but the sport itself. Wife and mother Angie soon felt the urge to become a more involved fixture in the NBR/PBBA community. Angie asked Kathy if it would be possible for the Brown Family Band to play at an event. The family band consists of Mark on the guitar and vocals, Angie on the soundboard, Erin on the keyboard and vocals, Meagan on the drums and vocals, and Erin’s husband Stuart who assists with the lighting and soundboard as well. (In February of 2011 Erin and Meagan released their first CD under their stage moniker Erin Elizabeth.) Kathy checked with Jeff and Linda Mullins, producers of the 2009 NBR Finals in Raleigh, NC and they readily agreed to allow the Brown Family Band to provide the pre-event entertainment. They played music for the crowd and contestants Friday night and then held a Cowboy Church service Saturday morning. It was an instant success. They quickly decided that at the next event they performed, they wanted to do something more involved with contestants. So, they devised a plan to have a cookout and guitar picking session prior to the Saturday night performance followed by pre-show concert. The family grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and invited everyone to sit around, talk, pick guitars, sing, and just have fun. They even went to the extent of making flyers with cookie-filled goodie bags to invite everyone to attend.

While at the Camden, SC NBR/PBBA they held a pre-bull riding cookout and guitar session. After the bull riding, they held a concert where they played hits songs from Lady Antebellum, Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam, Credence Clearwater Revival, The Beatles, Miranda Lambert, Johnny Rivers, Tom Petty, and Little Big Town. Mark jokingly added that he’s even “been known to sing Honky Tonk Woman” on occasion. While their lives show passion for spreading the word of God, their concerts center more on creating a fun and inviting atmosphere by playing music that the whole crowd can enjoy. Because of this fun and the welcoming feeling the family brings to the event, the concert was a success and the involvement of spectators and contestants was great.

A familiar face that often lends his talents on the harmonica to the performance is our very own Mike Porter! Many people know Mike as a stock contractor and producer but were unaware of his musical talents. The energy brought forth by the Brown Family Band enticed his harmonicas out of the grocery bag he kept them in. Mike has performed with the family on numerous occasions and he’s even traded in the grocery bag for a harmonica case!

While their involvement may seem trivial, the depth of such small gestures must never be overlooked. The family has a message and their message is simple: “God loves all of us, and we love all of you”.  Their strong understanding of God’s love for them allows them to reach out to people and treat them like family, allowing them to feel that very same love.

The Brown family has, in 2011, attended the PBBA Finals in Clemson, SC as well as the NBR Finals in Raleigh, NC. In Raleigh, they had a chili cookout and a spectacular post-show performance. The family plans to attend as many NBR and PBBA events as possible in the coming years and they hope to only further their involvement in the events through concerts, cookouts and cowboy church services. Their strong sense of God’s love (and their open arms to all) has allowed them to integrate themselves as a fixture in the bull riding/rodeo family. Their faith and giving hearts epitomize the fundamentals of this sport. Love your God, love your family and love your country. Ride hard, never give up, have faith, and be true to thy own self. You can attend sporting events all over this world, but only in this sport can you find a sense of these simple, yet meaningful, ideals. The Brown Family Ministry and Brown Family Band have brought something truly unique and valuable to this sport, and their continued involvement will be something we all can truly enjoy and appreciate.

To find out more about the Brown Family Ministry and their band, visit www.brownfamilyministries.org or check them out on Facebook! The see the latest from the NBR and PBBA visit www.nbrbull.com or www.pbbanow.com.