Member Spotlight: Stephanie & Texas Bronco Sport Club

Meeting Stephanie Bustamante-In Person

Recently, while guiding at an event at the Texas Bronco Off-Roadeo, I had the pleasure of officially meeting Stephanie Bustamante and her Bronco Sport named Luna. She, and her club, the Bronco Sport Club of Texas, were attending the Bronco Sport Off-Roadeo program and I got a chance to ride along with them for part of their day.

I had known of Stephanie, well at least her Instagram handle Luna the Bronco, for some time, so it was nice to connect with her and learn more about her passion for the Bronco Sport. Stephanie has owned her Bronco Sport Outer Banks since July of 2023, so she’s had it for almost a year but had had no previous off-road driving experience. She mentioned she was drawn to the Sport because she has a deep love of the outdoors, loves to hike and camp and wanted a vehicle that would support her lifestyle. She felt like the Bronco Sport was just perfect for that. After purchasing it though and driving it at some of the Bronco events and at Hidden Falls OHV park, she’s decided that off-roading is also part of her new outdoor hobbies.

Although she currently works in the property management field, she grew up as a military brat and her childhood found her moving regularly. She told a story about being in an elementary school in Arkansas, where the other students found her Hispanic heritage to a novelty and wanted her to say different words in Spanish. Instead of being shy or offended, she made friends with those kids and that’s a skill she’s brought into adulthood. Stephanie’s an extrovert and finds it easy to approach and engage with others. She loves learning, and learning off-roading and her Bronco Sport has been fun and working well for her.

Learning About the Texas Bronco Sport Club

While I was riding along and chatting with Stephanie about all things Bronco Sport, I learned that she has organized her own Bronco Sport specific club, which I then realized might be the first and only Bronco Sport specific club in the U.S. that has more than just an online or social presence. I am aware of many Bronco clubs that have members who own Sports, and although there is an affiliation with Broncos of Texas, this club stands alone. It makes sense that Stephanie, with her outgoing and big personality would want to have a club that represents Sports.

The club has monthly meet-ups and are beginning to organize some events, like bringing members from her club who had not been to the Off-Roadeo yet. There are future plans to explore more off-road parks, maybe even some overlanding or some club trips to other areas. Stephanie started the club back in January of this year, and so far there are almost 200 online followers and her meetings and events bring out as many as 10 Sports.

Why Start a Bronco Sport Club?

I asked her why she decided to start a Bronco Sport club. She told me that after making some connections and joining Bronco Sport pages on Facebook, she was disappointed to find that most of those sites had a more negative focus (owners complaining about what was on recall, what failed, etc.) and very little on actually using the Sport and the positive aspects of owning one. She also felt that there were some folks with superiority complexes, that no one could off-road any trim other than a Badlands, and of course, that a Bronco Sport is not a Bronco, coming from some Bronco owners. 

She did; however, find the Broncos of Texas and with some hesitation, she decided to attend a Ladies breakfast hosted by the club. There, she connected with another Sport owner as well as many welcoming Bronco owners. She was so impressed with how positive everything and everyone was. The things that she had heard through the forums and social media posts did not ring true with the people and the Bronco community that she was meeting in person in Texas. She wanted that same thing for fellow Sport owners, regardless of the trim package they owned and whether they wanted to off-road it or just meet for coffee once in a while.

Stephanie told me that one of the main differences she’s found between Bronco and Bronco Sport owners is that the owner demographic is more diverse. Lots of younger and older people have invested in the Sport over the Bronco for various reasons, be it financial or just finding the Bronco to be too big, but having a Sport club that can participate in Sport specific activities, and remove some of the anxiety of participating in Bronco events is a main reason Stephanie founded the club. She’s put together a logo, hands out stickers, and bucks other Broncos and Sports but she does have plans for bigger things.

Building an Outer Banks Off-Roader

“I’d like to lift my Bronco Sport, I’m just doing research to get the right one. I’d really like to have a 2” lift”, Stephanie said, “I already have larger tires and new wheels, but want to wait until it’s lifted before changing them out”. She really loves off-roading at a spot in Hidden Falls called Hog Alley, with mud and water to splash around in. “I love getting Luna dirty and the exhilarating feeling of driving her through the mud holes”.

Connecting with the Community

I love connecting with people like this. Meeting Stephanie and learning about her Sport and her club is part of what makes the Bronco community so special, instant friends.

Are you a Bronco Sport owner looking to get involved with a club, or are you currently in one? Tell us about your adventures below, and we may be able to feature your story in the future.

If you want to be part of the Bronco Sports of Texas, you can find them on Facebook or Instagram at Texas Bronco Sports.