RL: How do you prepare a rodeo or event
C: If I am home during the week it’s geng in some good workouts. Me
and my wife run our own cale ranch so we are around cale every day – I
feel like that’s an advantage I’ve got on people. It helps me inside the arena
more than anything. More than that, it’s ust being prepared when you
show up to the event as far as your workouts, your lms and any mental
preparaon that you have to get to in order to be the best you can be.
RL: On average, how many rodeos and events do you travel to each year
Which one is your favorite and why
C: As far as events go, I don’t know the exact number. I know the last
couple years I’ve been pushing about 180 performances – that is ghng
bulls almost every other day of the year. It’s been uite the schedule the last
couple years between the PBR, PRCA, bull school and everything I have going
on. It’s been a very hecc schedule. It’s a blessing to be busy and to get to
travel the country to not only the premier events of our sport, but day in and
day out geng to go to the great rodeos.
My favorite rodeo that I get to go to would be the Cheyenne Froner Days.
It’s day purse and last year there was nothing but mud – it’s an awesome
experience. There’s something about a day purse, pung on a pair of sun
shades and being at the Daddy of ‘em All – there’s no feeling like it.
RL: What are some of the essenals that you have to have while traveling
C: For me, traveling is prey light: ust my clothes and my Bullghng gear.
The main thing I stress about ust making sure I have all my Bullghng gear,
the rest of the stu I can come up with or nd.
RL: Bullghng entails the fusion between protecon and performance, how
did you master the balance between providing safety and entertainment
C: From the me I was old enough to start Freestyle Bullghng, that’s how
I made my living. It was either get into Bullghts or go get a ob. I really put
my best foot forward and all the eort I could into being the best I could be
at Freestyle Bullghng. It really paid o and I think I owe a lot to Freestyle
Bullghng to my success because it put me on the map. It really showed my
cra, my skills and it got me in front of some big crowds like geng to go to
Salinas, California, Red Stones orld Championship Bull Fight, traveling all
over North Carolina for the UBF Bull Fights. It was a cool deal being such a
young age, like een or sixteen years old, traveling to North Carolina then a
few short years later ghng bulls at the Salinas California Rodeo. I really owe
a lot of credit to it. It put a lot of eyes on me.
Cowboy protecon is something that I really love. I don’t really split the two I
think it’s all Bullghng. If I have the opportunity to be in the arena with
an animal that wants to do nothing but kill you but can control with my
maneuvers, it’s a cool experience.
RL: What advice would you give to someone who aspires to pursue
a career in Bullghng
C: For a young guy that is wanng to get into Bullghng, the key advice
that I can give is to nd a really good Bullghng school. Somewhere that is
going to take you and show you the basics and fundamentals of the sport.
Nothing fancy at rst, but learning the basic fundamentals. Find a school that
can really control the livestock that you’re geng in front of because I would
much rather you get wiped out in a controlled environment. That would be
the very rst place that I would recommend you to go so you can take the
pace you want without geng hurt too badly while deciding if you want to
get into Bullghng or not.
42 Rodeo LIFE