ProRodeo Sports News - August 10, 2018

Bull rider Beau Nordahl had an 87-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s No. 411 to win the NILE Pro Rodeo in October in Billings, Mont. It was the biggest win of his career, as he earned $4,830. Dan Hubbell photo

Family Affair

Like his father, Beau Nordahl enjoys Montana Circuit BY TRACY RENCK R odeo was embedded in the fabric of Beau Nordahl’s life since he was a baby. His father, Kevin, was a versatile PRCA cowboy, competing for 22 years. The elder Nordahl’s rodeo highlights came in the After Nordahl, who was a second baseman and center fielder, suffered a torn ACL in his right knee playing football his senior year at Frenchtown (Mont.) High School, his baseball dream vanished. He opted to change his narrative and become a bull rider at the age of 19. “I knew I wasn’t going to play baseball anymore, so I

asked my dad, who was the rodeo coach at the University of Montana-Missoula, if I could go to his practice one day,” Nordahl said. “He allowed it, and I went to practice and got on a couple of bulls. It was a blur. My dad taught me the fundamentals, and we practiced on the bucking machine and bucking barrel and on a few horses, but it was a blur when I got on bulls for the first time.”

ABOUT BEAU AGE: 29

Montana Circuit. He won the Montana Circuit Finals Rodeo all-around title in 1984 and ’87 and bull riding in ’84. What’s more, he was the Montana Circuit year-end all-around champion in 1984, 1986-87, steer wrestling champ in ’86 and bull riding winner in ’84 and ’87. Despite his rodeo roots, Beau chose a different path growing up. He was consumed with competing in other athletics – football, wrestling and baseball. “I didn’t do any type of rodeoing at all in high school,” Beau said. “I was doing other sports, and I thought I was going to be able to play baseball in college, but then I got hurt.”

EVENT: Bull riding CIRCUIT: Montana TOP HIGHLIGHT: Winning the NILE Pro Rodeo in October 2017 in Billings, Mont.

NORDAHLTAKES ON BULL RIDING

Although Nordahl had no bull riding experience, he

wasn’t deterred. He kept working at the craft.

“Things started slowing down for me, and I started seeing things and I got better and better,” he said. “I started

ProRodeo Sports News 8/10/2018

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