Giving Jr Bull Riders the chance to "one day" become Real Bull Riders….

ATTENTION; Parents of an aspiring young bull rider....

Giving Jr Bull Riders the chance to "one day" become Real Bull Riders….

Once again the conversation has come up as to what is the best for young bull riders to develop into real bull riders. It's not going to happen while they are still young teenagers. There are always going to be some kids who stand out against the others in every sport known to mankind but none of them is in the vicinity of being the real deal in the big leagues. Young Bull Riders however, have been expected in many cases to step up and handle bulls that are too much for even grown men at amateur levels of the sport. "How are they going to learn to ride those kind of bulls is the ignorant question that I have been asked a thousand times". The answer is to let them develop naturally, not to force them to be put in the fire and expect them to handle it without having gone through the process of conquering each level of bull.

The quality of the Jr bull riding events are dictated by whatever the quality of the animals is at the finals. What if, and I'm not really asking a question here, the quality of the animals is too high for the kids at the finals. It happens all the time, at national level events. The real issue here is not whether or not the kids have the talent to ride them, It's can they survive youth rodeo? The ones who think they or their kid is an exception are deceived at the highest level. Has anyone told you that your kid at 13-16 is capable of playing football against college players on steroids? None of us with any intelligence would do that to our kids. Basically, the same thing is being done to these bull riders, and we've fallen for it because "my 13 year old is going to be a PBR star". Here's some sad news for you, You're probably wrong. Few will ever make it to the PBR and none who make it there without proper foundation and a body that's been taken care of will see long term success at that level.

This may be the most important issue that you make a stand about in your sons pursuit of a bull riding career that advances past High School level. The guys that are claiming that your kid must step up to be a bull rider are wrong. Most of them never rode bulls and the ones who did never had any real success at any level past Jr rodeo or high school. The ones who might have ridden bulls never had to face the quality of stock that todays youth is exposed to. If they tell you they did you tell them that I said they are full of crap. This kind bull didn't exist before now. I rode with many of the greatest riders in the history of bull riding and none of us try to BS anyone about the difference from when we were kids to what they are faced with as youth bull riders today. The future of bull riding is so important to me that I am not afraid to offend a few to educate parents which will be a greater good of the whole sport.

If we parents are educated and take a stand against the mentality that is out there in the Jr bull riding circles things will change but if we continue to let it happen it will. Please pass this information on to the leaders of whatever Jr bull riding organizations you are affiliated with and make a stand, for the kids.
Thanks, Cody Custer