Country fans' mental health best

A survey found country music fans report the best mental health of any genre's listeners, with 52 percent saying they experience less stress and more happiness.

Key points Country fans' mental health best
  1. A survey found country music fans report the best mental health of any genre's listeners, with 52 percent saying they experience less stress and more happiness.
  2. Only 17 percent of country fans reported poor mental health, while indie/alternative, heavy metal and folk listeners fared worse.
  3. The same survey found nearly 75 percent of all listeners get a mood boost or less stress from music, and the outlet asked its readers to name the country songs that lift their mood.
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Taste of Country

tasteofcountry.com

Dr. James A. Justice named PRCA Vet of the Year

Dr. James A. Justice has been named the recipient of the 2026 PRCA Veterinarian of the Year Award.

Key points Dr. James A. Justice named PRCA Vet of the Year
  1. Dr. James A. Justice has been named the recipient of the 2026 PRCA Veterinarian of the Year Award.
  2. Justice grew up around rodeo in Hobbs, N.M., and first worked with rodeo livestock while attending vet school at Colorado State University.
  3. He has volunteered as a veterinarian at the World's Oldest Continuous Rodeo in Payson, Ariz., since 1996 and has been its exclusive on-site vet since 2001.
  4. Justice said the honor is one he never dreamed he would receive.
Read the full story Dr. James A. Justice named PRCA Vet of the Year
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PRCA ProRodeo

prorodeo.com

Riley Green runs own Instagram

Riley Green says he still runs his own Instagram account even though he hates it, because fans can tell when posts come from a label or a handler rather than from him.

Nutrena Horses of the Year

The 2026 Nutrena Horse of the Year awards, presented by AQHA, were unveiled Oct. 9, honoring PRORODEO's top horses.

Chapman releases Porch Sessions EP

Ben Chapman has released a five-track Porch Sessions EP, turning his popular Instagram porch session videos into music available on streaming services.

Inside PBR's replay booth

PBR's replay crew, led by J.J. Quintana and Shawn Terrell, reviews every challenged bull ride frame by frame from a small booth behind a curtain at PBR Teams events.

Belles and Parton video compete

Rising country artist Belles worked with Dolly Parton on the video for her song, one of the last projects of Parton's life, and Taste of Country readers will decide whether it becomes the week's most popular video in country music.

Hill receives Be Cowboy Award

Christine Hill, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and the first woman assigned to fly the B-1B bomber, was recognized during PBR Teams' Rattler Days in Fort Worth with the Horse Soldier Bourbon Be Cowboy Award.

McMillan wins Linderman Award

Caleb McMillan has been named the 2026 PRCA Linderman Award winner, an honor given to a cowboy who earns at least $1,000 in three events, including at least one roughstock and one timed event.

Loretta Lynn album reissued

Loretta Lynn’s Grammy-winning album Van Lear Rose, produced by Jack White, is being reissued by Third Man Records after disappearing from streaming in March 2021.

Champions launch rodeo podcast

Richmond and Paige Champion are launching a new podcast called House of Champions with Cowboy+, announced Oct. 5.

Braxton Keith ties the knot

Country singer Braxton Keith married Olivia Taylor on Oct. 7, 2026, in a 'European traditional' ceremony at Chateau Nouvelle, a French estate in Houston, Texas.

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