ProRodeo Sports News - April 29, 2022

PRORODEO COWBOYS

get on himself, thinking he would shut up, if he had to put up. The plan backfired spectacularly Myron Duarte still riding bulls in the PRCA at 54 Ageless Wonder Dan Lesovsky photo Bull rider Myron Duarte, above, at age 54, had an 82-point ride on Flying U Rodeo’s Bamboozled to win the Kern County Fair Rodeo Oct. 1, 2021, in Bakersfield, Calif.

BY JOLEE JORDAN Special to ProRodeo Sports News A dare and a bunch of bravado in backing it up got Myron Duarte started toward a career in the rodeo business years ago. Turns out, the same attitude has him back in the arena after eight years of retirement. “I did it on a dare,” Duarte laughs when asked how he got interested in riding bulls as a youngster growing up in Hawaii. “My cousin rode bulls. I used to make fun of him riding on his bucking machine. I said that thing is like a merry-go-round.” The cousin, tired of taking a ribbing from him, finally made Duarte

when Duarte easily rode the machine. It was the launch of Duarte’s rodeo career and he worked to improve by watching videos and riding in local events and youth rodeos. “That’s how it started, I had to back it up,” he said. “I told them, it ain’t that hard!” Duarte eventually came to the mainland, first for college rodeo and later to embark on a professional bull riding career. Before he retired in 2013, Duarte had made eight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo appearances, earning a reserve world title in 2002, just $8,792

ProRodeo Sports News 4/29/2022

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