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Rodeo Houston win proves Stran Smith – and his horses – are still on top
He really needs no introduction these days. Anyone who follows the rodeo circuit much at all knows the Stran Smith story: 2008 World Champion in tie-down roping; 10-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier; owner of Topper (now deceased), one of rodeo’s most revered horses; survivor (after a stroke at age 32); and man of faith. Formula 707 recently caught up with him — on the road, of course — to find out what he’s been up to and to what he attributes his ongoing success.
Wins $50,000 on a 20-year-old horse
Stran’s most recent win came just this March, where he lassoed the doggie — and the $50,000 roping “shoot-out” — to become far and away the top money-winner at Rodeo Houston. The horse that carried him to that win goes by the name SportCenter, and he’s just one of many “experienced” horses Stran has ridden to the winner’s circle.
Smith noted the 20-year-old horse sometimes has trouble maintaining weight, so to address that issue, Stran’s daily regimen includes Formula 707 Performance Formula™ Liquid, an iron-rich supplement meeting the increased nutritional needs of horses in heavy training. The product contains protein-building amino acids, yeast culture to enhance hind-gut activity, and vitamins C and E —a combo designed to keep older horses in shape and on the job.
“They’re all on Joint Essentials.”
Smith has a reputation on the circuit of being “the horseman’s horseman”, a man who particularly values the contribution his equine partners make to his success. Because he favors horses with more experience, the nutritional foundation for every one of his horses, Smith says, is Formula 707 Joint Essentials™ 5-in-1.
In addition to Joint Essentials, Stran’s five working horses are all on some variation of what he refers to as a “jet fuel” mixture—a combination of 707 products he has fine-tuned over time, depending on each horse’s individual needs and current performance demands. He hopes the combination will propel them to increasing wins and another tie-down title.
Stran told us another noteworthy horse in his string is Destiny, an “easy keeper”, for the most part. Her regimen additionally includes Glo-N-Go™ Liquid Fat Supplement and Thiamax™, an all-natural calming agent with vitamin B1. Boomer, a new and younger addition to the lineup, relies on Glo-N-Go and Calming Essentials™ pellets, which contain thiamine and also L-tryptophan, both known to have a relaxing effect on horses. When his horses will be experiencing a change in climate or he’ll be working them exceptionally hard, Smith also looks to Restore™ Electrolyte Paste, which replaces minerals lost when equine athletes work up a sweat.
“Formula 707 is trustworthy.”
Asked how he came to use 707 products and why he likes them so much, Smith responds, “I’ve been using them for about four years now. I take anywhere from four to 15 supplements myself, depending on my situation, and I stick with one company that I know is good. I follow that same line of thought with my horses. Formula 707 has been around for a long time. They’ve got the research to back up what they’re doing, so I trust them. I’ve been blessed in so many ways—health, family, good horses … and I’m very thankful.”
Headed for what looks to be his 11th appearance at NFR, Stran Smith is a man of experience himself, so he understands the value experience can bring to his equine partner. And he’s proving once again that a team of rodeo veterans can be winners — if they just make it a point to take care of themselves.