Buck Buck Bronco: Why People Are Horsing Around With The Ford SUV

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If there's one thing that proud owners of any vehicle will always enjoy, it's somebody else taking the time to admire their ride of choice. It might simply be an appreciative glance and nod while you're stuck at a light, but it's sure to make your day. Sometimes, that admiration can take physical form. If you own a Subaru, you may have returned to your parked Subie to find that someone has placed a toy cow on it. This practice, known as moo moo Subaru, is a light-hearted way for fellow enthusiasts to leave calling cards for each other. 

Those who don't drive Subarus, of course, wanted to get in on the fun, too. To do that, it was just a matter of choosing a witty variant name for the practice and another type of animal toy to use. From the distinctly Japanese Subaru, then, to the American icon that is the Ford Bronco. In the case of this Blue Oval offering, there could be only one animal mascot choice: A horse.

If you've ever been befuddled by a little horse toy that has appeared on your Bronco out of nowhere, there's no call for concern. You've simply become a part of the Buck Buck Bronco experience. Here's where it all began and what you need to join the fun, in case you feel the need to celebrate this noble bronco yourself.

Buck Buck Bronco, it seems, began with Melissa Shields Patterson. It was a natural development for Patterson, who, per Buckity Buck Buck, describes herself as a "born and bred Ford Girl, but I've had a ton of Jeeps in my life." The latter meant that she was familiar with a similar trend called Duck Duck Jeep, where unsuspecting Jeeps find themselves adorned with rubber ducks. Allison Parliament started this particular Jeep enthusiasts' pastime, and so Patterson explained, "I didn't want to step on any toes, so I actually messaged Allison Parliament and told her that I wanted Broncos to join the fun." 

One enthusiastic green light later, the Facebook group for Buck Buck Bronco was born. Founded in May of 2021, it has since grown to almost 30,000 members as it approaches its fourth anniversary. The aim, in a similar vein to both Duck Duck Jeep and Moo Moo Subaru, is to simply make participants stop, appreciate something simple, and raise a fun-loving smile. There's a real social element underpinning the whole thing, too. The group's homepage explains: "We want your Bucks posted on our page, in hopes of connecting the Bucker and the Buckee, so we add a tag with our page name and/or QR code." It's possible to join in the fun with any small horse toy you have, but identifying elements such as a label are a nice bonus if you want to really embrace the ways of Buck Buck Bronco.

Fans of Ford's long-lived model, which first launched way back in 1965 and set itself apart as the first ever SUV, might want to find their own Buck Buck Bronco merchandise. After all, you never know when an opportunity to Buck a Bronco might come around. 

Buckity Buck Buck's shop provides a wide range of items designed for just this purpose, including a t-shirt bearing the charmingly pun-tastic legend "Buck Around & Find Out." There are also tags available that state "Sweet ride! Hope it made your day!" This is exactly the sentiment that the movement is all about, and buck-ers can also add their name to the tags along with a QR code that leads to the Facebook group that's central to Buck Buck Bronco.

There are also, of course, the horses themselves. Buckity Buck Buck offers varieties such as Muertito, the glow-in-the-dark horse, and Camo, the camouflage-patterned horse (both starting at $23.99 for a pack of 10). Amazon also offers some dedicated products, including Lashicorn business cards that read "You have been bucked (by a fellow Bronco driver). Your Bronco is freaking sweet! Keep this going." You can also buy a 24-piece set of rubber duck horses from Hungdao. There are a lot of interesting facts about the Ford Bronco, and now you also understand the mysterious horses appearing on them.