story by Lily Weinacht
Andrew Seither with travel partner, 5-year-old Jaidyn, daughter of Katie Codd. – Casey Martin Photography
No one but a cowboy could have his jaw broken by a bull and be hooked on the sport. Such was the case for 31-year-old Andrew Seither from Chesapeake City, Md. He got on his first bull at a bull riding school in Pennsylvania when he was 17. “It was good to have a taste of pain right off the bat,” Andrew recalls of the experience. “Since I had the perfect, straightest teeth in the family, my mother was pretty irate. I spent five weeks with my jaw wired shut, drinking Slimfast, and that was my first experience getting on a bovine animal!”
Coming from a non-rodeo family, Andrew’s first bite of rodeo was going to watch the Cowtown Rodeo in New Jersey with his grandpa and cousins. “As a little kid, I became fascinated with watching the cowboys and being like John Wayne.” In his teens, Andrew spent time with several friends who rode bulls, and his fascination for the sport deepened. Fresh out of high school, Andrew pursued bull riding full time, and while holding the title of 2014 APRA Year-End Bull Riding Champion, he also competes in the IPRA, SEBRA, IBR, and Dave Martin’s Bull Riding Mania. “I’ve had a couple of great role models in my life who have helped me. My granddad was a great role model for me as a young man. He was tough and strong – as a little boy I thought he could do anything. Both my grandparents, Albert and Ella Luff, kept us straight. My Uncle Matt has also been a really good influence, and he’s always supported me in rodeo.
“I like continuing to do something that I’ve been doing for the last 14 years – it’s not a lifestyle that’s easy to break or change,” Andrew says of rodeo. “It’s good to escape reality for a while. In my bull riding, I don’t want to be better than anybody else. I want to be the best that I can be. I don’t want to fail myself, and that’s what motivates me.” Further motivation comes from listening to rock and roll music before every ride. “I have to credit Led Zeppelin II for my success. If you can’t get fired up on that, you’d better check your pulse!”
Outside of bull riding, Andrew describes himself as “blue collar all the way.” He is a lineman for Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE). “I set two or three poles a day in various locations, from in the middle of a cornfield to downtown Baltimore in an alley,” he explains. In the spring, Andrew also enjoys fishing for Maryland’s state fish, the Rockfish, and when rodeo season ends, hunting season begins for Andrew. “I like anything outdoors, and palling around with the guys. You never know where the wind may blow you!” Palling around with friends includes travelling to rodeos with fellow APRA members Mike Law, Katie Codd and her five-year-old daughter Jaidyn, Paige Reynolds, and Johnson. “We refer to ourselves as kind of a dysfunctional family,” Andrew says jokingly. He also used to play lead guitar and backup vocals for Impropaganda Time, a rock and roll band he was part of with Chris Prange and Nathan Brenize. “We used to drive a conversion van and practice on the way to rodeos. We’re not together anymore, but I sure would like to get together and jam again!”
Other goals of Andrew’s include defending his APRA title and winning the year-end bull riding for a second time this year. “I want to travel and have fun… and make money!” he concludes with a hearty laugh.
