Neal Gay is a professional rodeo cowboy. He excelled at bull riding, saddle and bareback bronc riding as well as steer wrestling. His contestant years have since been overshadowed by his stock contracting and rodeo production skills. In 1958 Gay put Mesquite, Texas, on the map with the opening of the Mesquite Championship Rodeo in partnership with several other cowboys and is its Managing Director. The Mesquite Rodeo performances are seen world-wide via cable television. Gay says “I wouldn’t be in this business if I didn’t love it, but this is all I ever wanted to do. I?’e never gotten up a day in my life dreading to go to work.”