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With the sun barely up, Jim Gay and his crew at the Rafter G Rodeo Ranch in Terrell roll into action.

It's a Thursday morning, and it's not long before the ranch hands and the first group of bulls appear across the pasture. This is part of the herd fans will see buck at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo later on Friday and Saturday nights.

"We try to finish gathering the stock before noon before it gets too hot for them," said Jim, the ranch's general manager. "We want to get them into the shaded area of the pens so it's a lot more bearable."

The gathering crew on this day consists of Jim, his brother Pete, Jim's two daughters, Megan, 15, and Summer, 12, and five other ranch hands. All of this is under the watchful eye of the rodeo's patriarch, Neal Gay, who, at 82, follows the action from his nearby pickup truck.

"I don't go out there that much anymore," said Neal, who founded the rodeo 51 years ago. "But I still enjoy being part of it."

The rodeo is still very much a family affair. Neal's sons, Jim and Pete, run the operation. Neal, however, is always close by for consultation. And Megan and Summer are not along just for show. Even at their age, they are real ranch hands.

The sisters have been doing this for quite some time. Neither remembers the first time they were on a horse. "We were practically born on one," Megan said. "It's just a lot of fun. We always enjoy being around horses."

How about the bulls? These are the same critters that on Friday and Saturday nights give the bull riders fits.

"We've really never have had them give us much trouble out here," Summer said. "They seem to work together when they are in a group."

Neal also lauds Shawn Perrin, a homemaker, who comes to help with the gathering of the bulls. "Her husband travels a lot," he said. "So she just loves to come out here and work with us. She is a real hand. Megan and Summer think the world of her."

The four other members of the crew are John Patterson, Josh Whitlock, Micah Baron and Mark Fisher. A long-time employee for the Gays, Patterson, according to Neal, is capable of doing anything on the ranch.

"He can fix a tractor, he can herd cattle and work with horses. Whatever, needs to be done, he can do it," Neal said.

The other three are aspiring bull riders who decided to come close to the scene to hone their skills.

The bulls are brought in from three different pastures and the horses from another on the 1,000-acre ranch. They are then sorted to go into separated pens.

"They are just like humans," said Neal of the bulls. "Some just get along better with each other, so we try to pen them accordingly."

At noon, Neal's wife, Kay, and Jim's wife, Brenda, have a giant meal awaiting the hands and some visitors who straggle in. Both women, who are great hands with horses, also are champion cooks. No one leaves hungry from this spread.

Action picks up again Friday morning when the bulls and horses are brought to Resistol Arena in Mesquite by 18-wheelers.

As soon as the rodeo is over, about 10 p.m., the bulls and horses are transported back to the ranch.

On Saturday, the same procedure is followed as on Friday. And then comes Sunday. That's a day of rest. For everybody, including the bulls and horses.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, AUG. 29-30 – Mesquite Championship Rodeo, Resistol Arena on I-635 at Military Parkway, Mesquite. 8 p.m. $7-$30. Parking, $5. 972-285-8777. www.mesquiterodeo.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, AUG. 29-30 – Stockyards Rodeo, Cowtown Coliseum, Fort Worth. 8 p.m. Reserved seats, $20; VIP Club Section, $20; General admission, $15; Children (3-12), $10; Seniors (60 and Over), $12.50. 817-625-1025 or 888-Cowtown. www.stockyardsrodeo.com.

Through Sunday

ALL-AROUND COWBOY

1. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, $194,445

2. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., $124,736

3. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., $121,991

4. Cash Myers, Athens, Texas, $105,133

5. Curtis Cassidy, Canada, $101,430

BAREBACK RIDING

1. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb., $120,993

2. Bobby Mote, Culver, Ore., $94,958

3. Royce Ford, Briggsdale, Colo., $92,919

4. Jessy Davis, Payson, Utah, $85,025

5. Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, $83,309

STEER WRESTLING

1. Wade Sumpter, Fowler, Colo., $121,019

2. Luke Branquinho, Los Alamos, Calif., $87,791

3. Ken Lewis, La Junta, Colo., $81,555

4. Curtis Cassidy, Canada, $80,334

5. Dean Gorsuch, Gering, Neb., $67,917

TEAM ROPING (HEADING)

1. Travis Tryan, Billings, Mont., $82,502

2. Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., $80,833

3. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, $63,546

4. Speed Williams, Deleon, Texas, $62,149

5. Chad Masters, Clarksville, Tenn., $62,069

TEAM ROPING (HEELING)

1. Randon Adams, Logandale, Nev., $80,833

2. Michael Jones, Stephenville, Texas, $76,651

3. Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., $75,528

4. Patrick Smith, Midland, Texas, $63,546

5. Allen Bach, Weatherford, Texas, $62,149

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

1. Cody Wright, Milford, Utah, $126,796

2. Billy Etbauer, Edmond, Okla., $121,484

3. J.J. Elshere, Quinn, S.D., $107,719

4. Anthony Bello, Oakley, Utah, $75,656

5. Bradley Harter, Weatherford, Texas, $63,187

TIE-DOWN ROPING

1. Josh Peek, Pueblo, Colo., $109,404

2. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, $92,279

3. Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., $75,654

4. Hunter Herrin, Apache, Okla., $72,187

5. Jerrad Hofstetter, Portales, N.M., $69,411

BULL RIDING

1. Chance Smart, Philadelphia, Miss., $129,410

2. Wesley Silcox, Payson, Utah, $111,018

3. B.J. Schumacher, Hillsboro, Wis., $97,207

4. Bobby Welsh, Gillette, Wyo., $96,719

5. Cody Hancock, Taylor, Ariz., $72,358

STEER ROPING

1. Scott Snedecor, Uvalde, Texas, $52,179

2. Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, $38,620

3. Cody Lee, Gatesville, Texas, $34,349

4. Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas, $32,458

5. Rocky Patterson, Pratt, Kan., $29,242

BARREL RACING

1. Lindsay Sears, Nanton, Alberta, $133,523

2. Brittany Pozzi-Pharr, Victoria, Texas, $99,421

3. Jill Moody, Letcher, S.D., $87,577

4. Shelley Murphy, Helena, Mont., $86,942

5. Annesa Self, Valley View, Texas, $78,250

BUILT FORD TOUGH POINTS

1. Guilherme Marchi, Ferris, Texas, 10,943.00

2. Valdiron de Oliveira, Gainesville, Texas, 7,143.50

3. Kody Lostroh, Longmont, Colo., 6,873.00

4. Mike Lee, Decatur, Texas, 6,679.25

5. J.B. Mauney, Mooresville, N.C., 6,559.25

MONEY LEADERS

1. Clayton Williams, Carthage, Texas, $573,095

2. Mike Lee, Decatur, Texas, $267.366

3. Guilherme Marchi, Ferris, Texas, $266,444

4. Travis Briscoe, Edgewood, N.M., $243,698

5. Robson Palermo, Bryan, Texas, $180,373