FROM BRONCS TO BUSINESS, MONTANA’S ROB ERICKSON HAS DONE IT ALL.

Rob Erickson, from the Big Sky Country of Montana, is a man of many endeavors; an all-around rodeo cowboy, entrepreneur, horse trainer and family man.

Though the years have since limited Erickson to the team roping boxes, there was a time the cowboy worked both ends of the arena. On the professional rodeo circuit, he focused primarily on the bareback riding and bull riding. When things would quiet down, he would ride a few broncs and work the steer wresting as well.

At 25, he began working at Western Ranch Supply in Billings. He went on to purchase the two-store establishment alongside his business partners, Keith Robinson and Shayne Vandivort, in 1998. The trio has remained best friends throughout the growing of their business, which now includes a third location, off of the Zoo Drive exit in West Billings. The new location supplements the existing locations in Billings and Great Falls.

“I had been working there a while and they started in the early ’90s. So we were all working there and we just decided to team up and purchase it,” Erickson said.

The WRS stores carry everything from feed, tack and animal health of sorts, that stars in their television commercials. He is known as Rusty, the “World’s Smartest Horse” and he comes complete with his own Facebook page. Erickson raised the now 16-year-old products to boutique women’s clothing gelding, who, according to his Facebook and more—including one of the largest rope inventories in the country. The company has salesmen that travel, selling profile, can open any gate, anywhere. His pedigree includes legendary equine athletes like Zan Par Bar and Joe Reed, and delivering ranch direct as well as and Rusty exemplifies many of the same supplying all of Montana and Northern Wyoming with complete arenas, panels, gates and a variety of livestock and rodeo equipment.

great qualities represented in his lineage.

Aside from his vocation as the oncamera talent, Rusty is a great head horse, who gave Erickson the inspiration to pick Since Erickson and his business his head rope back up—an event he had partners began, they have devised a system to simplify the operation of their business, which probably widely contributes to their success.

not spent much time practicing since high school.

“After the kids were grown and out of the house, and I had more time on my “We’re all good at different things,” hands, I decided to start roping again,” Erickson said. “I handle most of the Erickson said. “I had a nice horse at the sales and equipment, Shayne (Vandivort) handles a lot of the purchasing and really knows the animal health products and house, so I figured I might as well give him a job.”

Since then, the two have celebrated pharmaceuticals, and Keith (Robinson) many wins together, including a handles most of the administration. We get a lot done that way.”

Western Ranch Supply has a mascot particularly memorable Memorial Day NTR roping in 2013 at the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, where Erickson won his first ever trophy saddle in the team roping, along side heeler, Tyler Simonson. Aside from Rusty, Erickson still owns his dam, a 25-year-old mare that is still producing great colts. He also has three half-siblings that are all coming along in their training—which Erickson is undertaking himself with the hope that they will be as talented in the roping arena as their half-brother.

Erickson began attending National Team Roping events because they were easy to get to, with many events hosted locally in Billings.

“I’ve always been treated fairly at the NTR events, and Ty (Yost) has been a great friend to me for a lot of years. We lease our practice cattle from him in the summer, and he has enough ropings within 50 miles of Billings to keep me plenty busy,” Erickson said.

Owning the ranch supply store chain, and the older trailer he previously used to haul to the ropings with, had kept Erickson close to home. However, he recently purchased a new trailer that he hopes will enable him to travel farther when time allows. One of the main events he is interested in attending is the NTR’s Western Frontier Finale in Rapid City, S.D., which he says he has been threatening to go to for a while now, but has yet to make the haul.

Rob is happily married to his wife, Joy, with whom he recently celebrated his 36th wedding anniversary. Joy spent many years as a rodeo secretary for both Harry Vold and Sunny Linger.

“My wife has always loved rodeo, and she is my support. Not to mention, I stay out of her hair while I am roping,” Erickson jokes.

The couple has two children, Ryan and Ila, who grew up on a small cow place and went through 4-H. However, neither expressed any interest in rodeo or team roping. Ryan, now a computer technician, is an entrepreneur like his father. He and his wife, Megan, also live in Billings, and have two children of their own; a son, Ryker, and daughter, Rylie. Though Ryker is only three, he is already working hard at being a cowboy and loves spending time horseback and swinging a rope with his grandfather.

Ila’s endeavors led her a long way from the ranch. After graduating from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, she chose to move there. Since beginning her carrier as a fashion designer, she has crafted her own line of ladies sports attire, called Defila.

In his spare time, Erickson is a board member on the recently established Billings Cowboy Church, where he fills in wherever he can be useful. The church opened its doors last December for a Christmas Eve service.

“We were only expecting 150 people for the first service, and nearly 500 showed up,” Erickson said. “We saw a lot of people who don’t normally get in to a church building, so that was pretty fun.”

Erickson keeps the spirit of rodeo alive in Montana by serving as the Northern International Livestock Exposition Rodeo Committee Chairman, where he helps coordinate Montana’s largest rodeo, a three-day extravaganza held annually in October.

Erickson is a man that truly embodies the spirit of the West and takes pride in all he does: in the arena, his business, his horses, his faith, and especially, his family. NTR

ABOVE: Erickson won a Yost Events, Inc., saddle in 2013 aboard Western Ranch Supply’s famed mascot, Rusty.

FAR LEFT: Erickson’s grandson, Ryker, enjoys swinging a rope at WRS—home to one of the nation’s largest rope inventories.

LEFT: Rob Erickson, Keith Robinson and Shayne Vandivort purchased WRS in 1998 and have expanded the chain to include three stores, two in Billings and one in Great Falls, Mont.

PHOTOS COURTESY ROB ERICKSON