Meet The Team

“We didn't set out to build a brand.

We didn't have a business plan, investors, or a roadmap telling us where this journey would lead. What we did have was a shared belief that life is meant to be lived with purpose, that growth comes from stepping into the unknown, and that some dreams are worth chasing no matter how unlikely they seem.

Although our paths to this point have been very different, we found common ground in the values that matter most: hard work, resilience, family, community, and a deep respect for the Western way of life.

What started as conversations between two friends quickly became something bigger. The more time we spent working together, sharing experiences, and learning from the people we met along the way, the more we realised this wasn't just about rodeo, ranching, horses, or even buckles.

It was about the journey.”

Chasing the Buckle is our attempt to document that journey. We both believe the successes come from the failures, the lessons learned, and the people who make it all worthwhile. From first rides and long miles on the road to someday stepping into arenas that once felt a world away, we're learning as we go and sharing every step of the way.

We're not professional cowboys (yet). We're not backed by big egos. We're simply two ordinary people pursuing an extraordinary dream and trying to build something meaningful along the way.

Every story we tell, every event we host, every mile we travel and every challenge we take on is made possible by the people who believe in what we're doing. Whether that's through following our journey, sharing our story, supporting our events, becoming a sponsor, or making a donation, you're helping keep this dream moving forward. “Support the ride”

More importantly, you're becoming part of it.

Our hope is that Chasing the Buckle becomes more than just our story. We want it to be a place where people from all walks of life can find inspiration, connection, and the confidence to pursue their own version of the dream.

So whether you've been with us from the beginning or you've only just found your way here, thank you for being part of the ride.

We're glad you're here.

— Danny & Deon

Danny

@danielaylmer

A man wearing a cowboy hat and jacket sitting on a horse with a young girl in the background, at night in an outdoor arena with bright lights and leafless trees.

Growing up in Hampshire, UK, I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by the countryside something that shaped my passion for animals, nature, and a life of adventure from an early age. That foundation led me deep into the western lifestyle, where I found a true calling in horsemanship and western riding. It’s a journey that’s taken me to incredible places, giving me the opportunity to ride, learn, and work alongside some outstanding horsemen and horsewomen.

“Chasing the Buckle” is more than just a pursuit for me it’s about building a legacy for my two young boys. It’s about showing them a way of life rooted in hard work, grit, respect, and raw authenticity. The western lifestyle carries values that goes beyond the arena, and that’s something I’m passionate about passing down.

As a family, we spend our time at rodeos and western events throughout the year, fully immersed in the culture. My hope is that before long, my boys will step into it themselves whether that’s bull riding, bronc riding, or any path they choose within the western world.

My favourite discipline is team roping, my go to music comes from Zach Bryan, and if I had to pick a horse, it would always be a palomino Quarter Horse.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you all!!

Disciplines:

Bull Riding
Team Roping
Horsemanship
Ranch Skills

Deon

@Mountain_Wrangler

A person wearing a cowboy hat and jeans, standing outdoors on rough terrain, holding a lasso, with a wooden sawhorse in the foreground and a cow skull attached to it.

Born in the United States, raised in the heart of London but never fully belonging to either.

The city shaped me, no doubt. Fast, loud, relentless. But it was the countryside those quiet visits to family, the open air, the stillness that gave me something real. Something I didn’t yet have the words for. A sense of grounding. A glimpse of who I might become.

For a long time, identity didn’t come easy. I drifted more than I’d like to admit. It wasn’t until I made the decision to join the British Army that things began to change. That environment stripped everything back no masks, no noise just discipline, pressure, and truth. It forced me to grow up, to stand on my own two feet, and to become someone I could recognise.

The Army gave me more than structure it gave me perspective. I travelled, I pushed limits, and somewhere along the way, I found a deep respect and love for the outdoors. Not as a hobby but as something essential. Something that felt like home.

Eventually, I made the call to leave. Not because I’d reached the end but because I knew there was more out there. I needed to find my true north.

With my family behind me and my daughter ahead of me, everything changed. The mission became bigger than just me. It became about legacy. About showing her what it means to step into the unknown and build something real.

Not long ago, I was learning from the ground up mucking out stables, saddling horses, stepping into a world I had no business being in… or so it felt. But something clicked. The Western way of life raw, honest, unforgiving, lit a fire in me I hadn’t felt before.

Now, that fire’s taken shape.

After time spent on ranches and at rodeos, I’ve set my sights on bull riding. Not because it’s easy but because it’s not. Because it demands everything.

And somewhere along that road, I met Danny. Two different paths, same kind of hunger. Conversations turned into vision, and vision turned into something bigger than both of us.

Chasing the Buckle wasn’t just an idea, it was a calling.

This is about more than the ride.
It’s about purpose.
It’s about proving that no matter where you start, you can carve your own way forward.

And if our story resonates with you, if you believe in grit, growth, and chasing something that matters then you’re already part of this journey.