Bull riding passion -- Colton Byram

Colton Byram, rural Mound City, believes he has had a passion for bull riding since about the time he started walking. Colton, 11, son of Keith Byram of Sheldon, Mo. and John and Jeana Brownback of Mound City, was shown the ropes by his parents who got him started riding sheep and attending youth rodeos at a very early age.

"I participate in about 50 rodeos a year now," said Byram.

He rides bulls with the Kansas Junior Bull Riders Association and also the Missouri Kansas Youth Rodeo Association. In September he will be eligible to qualify for the Missouri Junior High Rodeo Association that allows 6th-8th graders to participate.

This young rider sleeps, eats, and dreams about bull riding. He has won 22 buckles, two saddles, jackets, gear bags and last, but not least, good old cash.

He started out riding sheep, then calves, steers and now bulls.

How does he prepare for a good ride?

"One, I get my mind right -- focus. Two, I do stretching exercises and three, I get fired up!," said Byram.

He admires rodeo names such as J.B. Mauney, Tuff Hedeman and Terry Don West. Terry Don offers the TDW Bull Riding School that Colton was a part of earlier this year.

"This school helped me to ride a lot better. I could get on as many bulls as I wanted." He now, from time to time, goes to YouTube and reviews some of his practice rides. He also loves to watch videos of other bull riders and can learn from them.

Colton is a young man who gets an adrenaline rush from riding in rodeos. He loves getting high scores and meeting other riders. His future goal, as you might imagine, is to become a PBR World Champion Bull Rider.

"Some of my favorite rodeos to participate in were Fort Worth, Las Vegas and the JBR at Kellyville, Okla."

At the moment, Colton is sitting in first place with the steer riding through M.K.Y.R.A.

When you think of bull riding, you think of the chance of getting hurt. "The most difficult thing I've encountered at a rodeo would be getting kicked off, getting kicked in the face and that one time when I fractured my elbow at the youth world finals in Fort Worth," said Byram.

It is clear that this has not held Colton back from continuing his dream.

Reprinted with permission