Daily Archives: April 13, 2009

Well I didn’t grow up around or near horses so it took a long while for me to get the hang of it. I didn’t know a thing about a horse when I got on my first bucking horse. I was 18 and it was in the bareback riding at a rodeo in southern KS. It didn’t go well. That was the first horse that I every rode by myself. Then I got on another bareback horse a few weeks later and broke my arm and had 2 plates and 12 screws put in my arm. About a year later I got on my first saddle bronc still not knowing a thing about horses or rodeo. I was completely in the dark. The first saddle bronc I got on I covered, just because it didn’t really buck that hard and was mainly just kinda run bucking. After that I started entering rodeos about one every couple months or so then eventually one a month and then every weekend and so on. I am not positively sure but I think I went a VERY long time before I covered another bronc. I do know that it seemed like a few years before I started covering them good enough to get checks at some amateur rodeos. It has been a long road for me. I didn’t go to rodeo schools or grow up riding horses. Everything I have learned about rodeo I have pretty much taught myself by asking questions, listening to advice, and watching how everybody else does it. It hasn’t been easy but with the Lord’s help and Grace I have gotten where I am today. The thing about rodeo is that you should never stop learning or trying to improve. I personally wasted several years, just traveling around to rodeos and riding and partying. I thought I was getting better but in all reality I wasn’t. I was winning but not consistently, but I constantly had a beer in my hand. Once I realized that, I decided to get my life back on track and start living like I should and being a better Christian. I have been sober since Oct 22, 2004 and things couldn’t be better. I strive to improve all the time, keeping in shape, and trying to be a good example to the kids that are out there watching. Over the last almost 5 years my rodeoing has came a long ways. I have been pretty successful for a kid who knew nothing about horses and rodeo when I started, and I want to thank all my friends and family for helping me along the way and I would like to Give the Glory to God for the talents He has given me to ride bucking horses and live the most awesome life!