It started in the dust and heat of a Texas summer, when rodeo cowboy Jace “Eight-Second” Carter found himself chasin’ more than just the next buckle. After years on the circuit, he knew two things: you don’t ride a bull for less than eight seconds, and you ain't survivin' the trail without good beef jerky.

One night, after a narrow win in Abilene, Jace bet the last $8 in his pocket on a dice game behind the stock pens. The dice came up hard 8 — two fours — and with that lucky roll, he bought the spices and beef he needed to make his first batch of jerky for the next day’s rodeo crowd.

The jerky was tough enough to chew through a long haul, tender enough to keep you comin' back, and seasoned with the grit of the arena. Word spread fast: “Get the cowboy’s Hard 8.”
Today, Hard 8 Beef Jerky is still made the cowboy way — hand cut and cooked slow and steady and ready for anyone willin’ to hold on for the full ride. Because in life, like in the arena, the real darn reward comes when you play for keeps… and roll a Hard 8.