Growing up on a ranch in Tecate, Mexico, Juan Carlos Villalpando knows a lot about the cowboy lifestyle.
In fact, his childhood upbringing has followed him into his adult life, as the Chula Vista local works as a rancher and saddle-maker with a passion for animals and sustainable agriculture.
This familiarity with the rural lifestyle is what attracted Villalpando to participate in Ultimate Cowboy Showdown, a six-night TV competition on the general-entertainment network INSP.
On the show, 12 cowboy contestants from across the country put their cowboy skills to the test in a series of challenges to win the title of the Ultimate Cowboy.
Hosted by country music legend Trace Adkins, a set of judges evaluate the performances of the cowboys, as they face off in both team and individual challenges to win a herd of cows and a coveted belt buckle.
Villalpando, who traveled to a farm in Alabama for the roughly two week competition, says being part of the show proved to be personally rewarding, as he credits the show for helping him build friendships with his fellow cowboys.
“It was a really good experience,” Villalpando said. “I got to know people from all over the country that I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for this show [since] most of the time I’m [working] in remote areas [on ranches] without phone signal.”
Villalpando, who found out about this show on Facebook last year, decided to join the competition once he read about the prize, which he saw as a good opportunity for his family ranch.
Although initially attracted to the competition’s prize, Villalpando says ultimately he learned a lot about how to be a better person overall.
“American cowboy culture is all about community,” Villalpando said. “[With this show], I learned to work as a team with the other [cowboys].”
Ultimate Cowboy Showdown premieres on Monday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. PT on INSP.
