Ted Groene

Ted Groene, Pahrump, Nev Livestock Superintendent:

Ted Groene will serve as livestock superintendent, aided by John Barnes.

Rounding out the list of personnel for the 2001 Wrangler NFR are Vicki Shireman, secretary; Judy Ackley, assistant secretary; Brenda Crowder, Dee Dee Dickinson and Jodi Peterson, timers; Jon Taylor, saddle horse boss; Sonny Linger, livestock superintendent; Ted Groene, assistant livestock superintendent; John Farris, timed event chute boss; Darrell Barron, riding event chute boss.

Assistant Livestock Superintendent: Ted Groene
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Assisting him will be Ted Groene of Clayton, Calif.

ESPN's television cameras won't focus on Ted Groene during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo's 10-day run at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The 44-year-old cowboy's competitive days have passed.Now he labors outside the bright arena lights in a cold, pungent place where no champion's gold belt buckle shines.

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But without workers such as Groene -- who is NFR's livestock superintendent -- Las Vegas couldn't benefit from this month's projected $43 million cash cow.

And Groene is proud to help make the rodeo a success, even if few outsiders appreciate the efforts of his 11-person crew.

"We're not here for the money," said Groene, a burly Californian who lost one eye to a bull years ago.
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Groene gets no tips, and the bulls aren't good for lively late-night conversations.Still, his livestock job commands between $530 to $ 670 per day over the 30 days it takes to set up, operate and tear down NFR's corral, a rodeo spokeswoman said.

That's hardly chicken feed, but it's also well below the nearly $118,000 won last year by NFR's saddle bronc champion, Oklahoman Billy Etbauer.Despite toiling in obscurity, Groene said the animals are his connection to the action taking place before fans.

"It makes you feel like part of your job may have had something to do with how they performed in the arena," he said.

Supporting events as complex as NFR can also take its toll.It's been three months since Groene visited his home in Brentwood, Calif., and life in a hotel has become all too familiar, he said.

After working rodeo events elsewhere, he and his crew arrived in Las Vegas in mid-November to begin building a massive temporary livestock pen in the Thomas & Mack parking lot.

As is the case each year, animals arrived beginning Thanksgiving Day; all livestock must be delivered before midnight of the Saturday after the holiday, Groene said, so his team can start to fit them with identification tags the following morning.

"We need time to make sure every one gets here healthy, has time to adjust to the weather," said Groene, who's worked NFR since 1995.

In the days leading up to the competition, the livestock crew feeds -- and sometimes cleans up after -- approximately 100 bulls, 200 horses, 75 calves and 120 steers used at varying points in the rodeo.

Animals are routinely shifted around the pen for exercise and to improve their accessibility come competition day.

"If you don't get them up and moving, they'll get lazy, particularly the bulls," Groene said.

Those vagabond days could be numbered.Groene's family is moving to Pahrump, and he'll soon commute to Boyd Gaming's South Coast, where he'll be operations manager of the $600 million resort's new equestrian center.

"Being on the road wears on you," Groene said.