From top left: Angie Bockius, Phillip Bronson, Jacque Bronson. Left bottom: Cash Bronson, Brazen Bockius, Jerry and Tracy Copp, Cylie Bronson. “Angie and Jacque are our daughters,” says Tracy. “ It's a family supported event that we all love!”

The results from the 2008 American Heritage Futurity in Ardmore, Oklah. were exciting and ground-breaking, with the winner taking home nearly $100,000 in winnings. However, the bigger and quieter story is that of Claremore, Okla.'s Jerry Copp.

Copp’s Lightning C Cattle Co. had three young bulls finish in the top six and pocket over $92,000 for their owner at this one event. Prior to this season, Copp was most recognized for the success of 1546 Spittin’ Gun who won third at the 2006 American Heritage and finished the 2006 season strong. Yet, 2008 opened its doors to three new Lightning C futurity superstars: American Heritage second place-taker 65 Achey Hu, fifth place nabber 61 Wine-Hu and sixth place spoiler 632 Copp Hou, who now boldly holds down the second slot in the ABBI Overall Futurity standings.

Copp shared some perspective on these three wonders doing their thing in competition: “632 Copp Hou is probably one of the more consistent 2-year olds that I have owned. He goes out there, kicks over his head, clacks ‘em in the air and comes around to the left. He has some speed and snap to him and he is just what I’m looking for in a bucking bull.” Copp continued down his roster: "61 Wine Hu is what I’d call your typical 2-year-old. He sometimes goes out one and clacks em, then goes to the right, bucks good, but he was harder to get to settle. I have told a lot of guys at these events and even myself, when a 2-year-old didn't do what I thought they were capable of, I have to remember that hey — they are 2. They’re just like a young horse. They’re not seasoned. If they come out of that chute and everything is clean, they can do their deal great, but if they hang up like Spittin’ Gun did in Vegas in ‘06, then they come out and kind of lose their mind for a bit. You’ve got six seconds, and if he doesn’t come to his senses or have that good, clear pattern or if he loses a couple seconds, which is not very long when you look at it, then he only has four seconds to recover. If he travels too far one time it can cost him.”

Lightning C Cattle Co.’s 632 Copp Hou performs at the ABBI American Heritage Futurity in Ardmore. “He is just what I’m looking for in a bucking bull!” — Jerry Copp. Photo by Allen Glanville.

Last but not least, Copp talked about Achey-Hu who really had his day in Ardmore. “The 65 bull out of Blue Chip, a Rooster grandson, has been good from the first time we bucked him. Sometimes he has a mind of his own and just doesn't have that snap. We have really hammered ourselves over him. Are we giving him enough supplement? Are we getting him in the right condition? Are we feeding him too much? Is he the right weight and body condition for the muscle he’s got? There are just all kinds of things that you think about.”

With all this head-fighting over such an exceptional bull, Copp relies on his entire family for input on him and other decisions that are made.

“Our deal is a family deal. When we buck calves, my kids and grandkids — everybody goes to the pen and watches them buck and then everybody has their say. It’s not me calling all the shots.”

Copp continued, “Cody May has worked for me since he was 16, for over 10 years. He loves the cattle and loves the bull business. I couldn’t ask for a better hand. He doesn't back up. My wife and I talk about the calves and I also will talk to Britt, (Bockius) but of course he’s a team roper and usually ends up saying ‘whatever you think.’ My wife several years ago, when we were coming in from an event and our calves didn't look as conditioned as other calves were, reminded me that when one of our daughters was running barrels we didn’t just turn horses out on the pasture, toss some feed out and then take them to a barrel race. They got Red Cell, they got fed right and stalled, blanketed, rested up and just a lot more care and planning than we were doing at the time. And that really cost her,” laughed Copp, “‘cause then we had to build what I call my ‘bull condos’ where we can split them to feed according to how they eat. That way we know they get what they need.”

A large focus for the Lightning C Cattle Co. is feeding and exercise. “We exercise our bulls and also pay attention to our rations,” Copp pointed out. “We feed Two Bulls supplement. It has been good to us. We can tell a difference in the way a bull uses his food versus one that is just eating his grain with this product. The three bulls that are all doing good for us this year are all different. You handle them all different cause they are individuals. You can’t throw them in a pot and do them all the same way. We exercise by horseback or on foot. We have some runs out here and Cody will run them out to one end and then back to the other. Or he’ll move them horseback so they will know what a horse is.”

Copp got involved in the business as a hobby back in 1998 and used the opportunity to express his humorous side.

“I'll be honest I always thought these guys were aged with nuts,” chuckled Copp, “because you spend all this time breeding these animals and waiting on them. Then if they don't work — well you can go to the Texarkana Bull Sale and buy them for cheaper than for what you have in these two or three that you raised out of eight or ten cows. I started in ‘98 as a hobby and thought I’d just play with it. I took my first bulls to the 2000 Buckers, Inc. deal and entered three head. I had one in the top 25, one in the top 50 and the other in the top 75 which I thought was pretty good for my first time. At the time, I was breeding for fall calves and these calves were September calves and were competing against January/February calves —so they were at a bit of a handicap and still did good. One of them sold for like $5,500. Then I took a little bull that was too young for the Buckers’ deal to Glenn Rose, Texas and he was third and I think we won a check for $2,000 or so and I was thinking, ‘well this is not a bad deal! There will never be another poor day!’ So here I am. My hobby has grown into a job.”

Copp began when he and son-in-law PRCA Team Roper Britt Bockius kept three heifers off of a set of roping cattle. Copp then got in touch with long time friend Sid Newman of Millstone, Mont. and eventually came home with four sixth-generation heifers and one third-generation heifer.

”Three of those five cows have made me producers, and the cows that are producing for me the best right now are daughters of a bull of theirs called 20 Grand. I was after them for eight or nine years to register their stuff. They finally did and this is when we found out that our B84 cow (dam to Copp Hou) was the mother to Berger’s Walkin’ Tall,” explained Copp. “They started with an outstanding bull from Dale Small that was called Cowboy Cut who went to the Finals (circuit finals) up north as long as he wanted, and some cross-bred cows. I knew from talking to Sid that his production rate was really good. I’d have to say he had about a 60-70% success rate. He took care of his deal and I just got lucky and asked him to send me some heifers.”

The Lightning C Cattle Co. has a well blended herd and stays away from linebreeding. “We’ve got 42 calves on the ground. We have some bloodlines from Copperhead Stinger, Nightlife, Dillinger, Houdini, Gunslinger and some from Spittin’ Image (Wolfman). Most of our breeding is what you’d call out-crossing. We don’t do very much line-breeding because in listening to some of the older breeders. They either have luck with it or don’t — it is not a sure thing.”

Copp has spent much time listening to some of the industry's best breeders and has taken notes. “If you talk to people like Monty Samford and you listen to what applies to your program it will help you. I know the Pages have a good nutrition program and I think that you have to if you’re going to be in this business and expect these bulls at whatever age to compete.”

Over the years Copp has developed his own plan and ideas on how to approach the business from a breeding standpoint.

“In this business I don’t think you can just let it happen. I think that you have to play it and if you see something that you like, you try that cross and sometimes it works and sometimes, well, I haul them to the stockyards ‘cause it didn’t.”

Copp is a stickler when it comes to culling. He believes if an individual or cross doesn't work in his program it most certainly won’t work in someone elses.

“When we start culling our heifers or bull calves, if I don’t think they’ll work in our program I ship them to the stockyards. I don't want someone getting an animal off me that won't work. I am not always right, don’t get me wrong, but if I think they are gonna have a shot at either being or producing a bucking bull, they stay, or I’ll pass them on.”

While some take culls through the numerous bucking bred sales available these days, Copp breaks it down logically and economically. He is not too proud to understand that sometimes it makes more sense to cut losses and re-direct focus.

“I don’t know that you can make any money at these sales selling culls by the time you pay a catalog fee and comission. If you bring a couple hundred over market you still lost money. From an economic standpoint, we think we’re better off hauling to the market. We take our licks and just drive on. We have been extremely lucky that we have picked the right outcrosses. Not all have worked, but we cull our cow herd very hard. It costs just as much to feed a bad one as a good one and we will give a heifer two shots of producing something that bucks — either a heifer or bull that has some kick and buck. If they don’t, they go to town to the stockyards.”

To determine whether they will see another sunrise at the Lightning C, Copp focuses on those out of his best producing cows first, and secondly what he sees out of those calves once they are active and on the ground.

“I am looking for some athleticism,” Copp instructed. ”The calves out of producing cows, when you see them playing in the pasture, will kick up and buck. They may not buck a lick when we put them in a pen, but they look good with good conformation and good, straight legs.”

In addition Copp also flanks and bucks his heifers for an indication of their ability.

“We double flank, which is a rope up in their girth and one in their flank with a pull pin to jerk the flanks off. There are getting to be more and more bucking heifer events. We don't buck our heifers as much as we do our bulls, but we try to cull on that. It’s probably true that just because a female doesn't buck, it doesn’t mean she won’t produce, but I think that your percentage of chances are better if that heifer bucks. You'll never get 100 percent, but you want to keep that percentage of buckers as high as you can get it.”

One of the most successful things that Copp has been a part of is the Midwest Breeders Alliance. What began as an attempt to band together with other small producers in order to fill a sale has matured into one of the industry most successful joint efforts.

“The Midwest Breeders Alliance is just a group of small breeders that wanted to form a group because none of us on an individual basis had the inventory to produce a sale on our own. That is the reason that the Midwest Breeders Alliance was formed — so that the small breeders could go in together and have a sale. Everbody sells so many lots or if we put on a futurity or event it’s not just one man taking a chance, it’s a group.”

Copp’s final thoughts turned to fellow industry bullmen and his future expectations from his program.

“I’d just like to thank all the people that have taken the time to talk to me when I first started in this deal and since. I have found that most bullmen help one another, or if you ask, most are not bashful to tell you whether you’re doing it right or wrong. We started breeding with Spittin’ Gun because of the Gunslinger/Wolfman lines and we brought him back on some Houdini heifers this year. I am looking for some good things from them. Watch out in 2010, ‘cause we'll be back — I hope,” laughed Copp.

By looking at the current point standings and year-to-date earnings, it's clear the Lightning C has indeed gone from hobby to a job in the best of ways — and in a hurry.