PUEBLO, Colo. — Thoughts and prayers of the entire PBR are with the family and friends of Dan Russell. The longtime stock contractor known for raising and hauling legendary stock – the likes of which include Trick or Treat, Pacific Bell and Grasshopper – passed away on Sunday.

Russell made an indelible impact on the sport of bull riding. The co-founders of the PBR came of age riding his prized stock throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Former PBR bullfighters Rob Smets and Joe Baumgartner, along with current bullfighter Shorty Gorham, started their careers working Russell’s events up and down the state of California.

The Russell family has been involved in the cattle industry as far back as the Civil War. According to a Facebook posting from Josh Russell, the family was originally from Illinois and moved to California. At one time, they owned in upwards of six million acres of land stretching from Las Vegas to Folsom, Calif.

Dan owned and operated Western Rodeos, Inc., which supplied stock for rodeos in California, Nevada and Wyoming. He is fondly remembered by all for the many years he was associated with the annual rodeo in Salinas, Calif.

In recent years, he and his wife, Linda, had been living in Oklahoma. His son, Danny, is also a stock contractor.

Service arrangements are unknown as of his posting.