When Gary Blythe bought a stifled 635 Mr. Juicey from the Kishes, he may have bought the industry’s next super-sire.

It’s not by accident that the west coast-bred 635 Mr. Juicey may be one of the biggest genetic gold mines to shine on the production scene in quite some time. The current narrative of this black, brockle face bovine includes a coast-to-coast transfer, and a steady stream of his genetics into most avenues of the bucking industry. Still, nothing might prepare the big-time producer’s current owner Gary Blythe for what may be about to take place.

Mr. Juicey, one of only a handful of 20 Too Legit sons, packs nearly 30 years of intent into his existence. What began as the duo of John Growney and Don Kish in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s in Red Bluff, Calif. has culminated into one of the most sought-after bucking bred lines the industry has ever seen. North Carolina’s Gary and Carolyn Blythe of Blythe Bucking Bulls have one such program which sought out the deep-rooted genetics of the Kish’s Buckin’ Best program.

If you’ve never been to the Kish domain in Northern Calif., it is definitely worth the adventure. Don and wife Janelle manage a pretty large sea of bucking bovine flesh.

When the eye roams around their expansive feedlot of humps and horns, and sees all those brindle-hided, motley-faced beasts, it is easy to understand how Kish can pull up to an event and unload a pot-full of solid, steady buckers. N.C. Tarheel Gary Blythe can attest to the magnitude of the Kish program.

“When we got there, there was like 450 bulls in that feedlot,” he recalled. “We were in a rental car and pulled in there where the feed truck goes. We shut the gate behind us, got back in the car and a bull fight broke out right in front of us. So I went to back up and there was another fight behind me. My wife said, ‘We’re fixin’ to buy this car, aren’t we?’ “ chuckled Blythe before continuing.

“You could stay out there all day and look and look. There’s bulls everywhere. Every size, every shape and every color,” described Blythe.

Before looking into the Kish lines, Blythe had been breeding some of his home-grown stuff with Frick genetics that were tied mostly to the Black 45 line. Although he was making some progress, he was not completely satisfied.

“I just wasn’t getting that crack I needed. I had watched on TV and saw Don bring loads of bulls that all had his brand. He would back in and unload 25 bulls at a PBR event and every single one was born on his place. Everybody else that backed in and unloaded 25 would have 10 different guy’s brands on those 25 bulls. It was just astounding to me.”

At this point, Blythe decided it was time to introduce the East Coast to the West Coast. He met Kish at the finals in Las Vegas and ultimately bought two-time NFR and PBR Finals bull 574 Party Hound. With firm intentions of continuing an already budding relationship with the Kishes, Blythe arranged their next meeting on Kish’s pro rodeo stomping grounds in Livermore, Calif.

“After meeting him in Vegas and buying Party Hound, we flew to Oakland, Calif. for the Livermore Rodeo where it’s only his bulls, and they buck 30 a perf. Man, it was really something else. When we left there, we just followed him home. That’s the place to go if you really want to get to know the real Don Kish. Where it’s one-on-one, nobody’s hounding him to death, and he’s in his own element,” recommended Blythe.

Just as the Blythes took a liking to the Kishes, in turn the Kishes also feel very positive toward the east coast breeder.

“Gary and his wife, Carolyn— they are as nice of people as you’ll ever talk to,” observed Don. “They are just really classy people. They are the type of people that you want involved in the ABBI and the PBR. You know they just have class. And we need more of that.”

Over time, besides Party Hound, Blythe also bought PBR Finals bull 621 Say La Vee, 728 Machine and finally Mr. Juicey. Blythe chronicled the events that lead to Mr. Juicey’s trek to the East Coast: “I wasn’t really finding that ‘one’ bull I was looking for while I was there the second time. When we got home and I looked at the video there was this crippled, black bull turned out on cows. He was one of the bigger bulls, with more leg. So, I asked Don about him. He was a bull that had been stifled when he was real young, but had been to the PBR Finals,” recounted Blythe of Mr. Juicey.

That ultimate purchase just might end up being life-changing for Blythe Bucking Bulls.

“Every time I turn around, somebody is telling me about some Mr. Juicey son that is exceptional,” mused Blythe.