ProRodeo Sports News - Jan. 21, 2022

EDITOR’S LETTER TRACY RENCK Pennsylvania bull rider Grayson Cole eyes NFR bid

T he list of bull riders from the Northeastern part of the United States who have competed at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is a short. Most recently, Jeff Askey, who has ties to the Northeast, has qualified for the NFR four times, 2016, 2018- 20. Pennsylvania bull rider Dustin Bowen competed at the NFR in 2015 and 2017 and then, there’s Dylan Swearingen, who is a native of Piffard, N.Y., who made his NFR debut in 2019. Fellow Pennsylvania bull rider Grayson Cole of Fredonia is trying to join the group. “There are some really good riders (from the Northeast), but they just hardly ever leave because it cost so much to travel from way up there,” Cole said. “I’m originally fromCressona, Pa., and I moved to Fredonia and the family I live with owns All American Rodeo Company and they put on PRCA rodeos. I work for the All American Rodeo Company and I also own and raise bulls at their place. I own 14 bulls and once I’m done riding bulls, I want to haul bulls to rodeos and raise calves.” Cole, 22, is in his third year competing in the PRCA and he’s hopeful 2022 will culminate with him competing in Las Vegas in December. That goal received a jumpstart in January. Cole won the average at the RAM First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo in Harrisburg, Pa., Jan. 15. He earned $12,600 and qualified for the NFR Open powered by RAM July 13-16 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Cole kept his momentum going by placing first in the long round at the SWELS – Division 1 Xtreme Bulls event at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, Jan. 18 and earning $5,562. “That was my first (career) Division 1 Xtreme Bulls event,” Cole said. “I have been riding really good so I decided to go down to the Fort Worth Xtreme Bulls to see what I could do and see if that would give me a push to make a run at it this year.” Cole had a 90-point ride on Big Rafter Rodeo’s Farmers Only in the long round and it made the trip worthwhile. “It was crazy,” said Cole, who was unable to make the whistle in the short round. “When they announced my ride in the arena, I didn’t believe it until I looked up at the board. That was the first time I had a 90-point ride in my professional career. It felt really, really good. Since I did good in Fort Worth, I’m going to start looking to see what my (PRCA schedule) will be. “It would mean a lot for me to qualify for the NFR. It would prove to myself and show everybody in the First Frontier (Circuit) that people from up in the Northeast can go and do well out West.” Unlike most cowboys, Cole didn’t have a rodeo path to follow. “My family wasn’t into rodeo at all, but they did take us to rodeos as kids,” he said. “Ever since I was 3, it was always bull riding. The rush of riding bulls is hard to describe because

Tracy Renck is the editor of the ProRodeo

Sports News . He previously served more than seven years as a media coordinator at the PRCA. He has three decades of experience in sports journalism with the last several consumed by ProRodeo.

when you do good you feel like you’re 10-foot tall and bulletproof, but when you’re not doing good you feel about two inches tall. You can’t get too high or too low, you have to stay in the middle.”

ProRodeo Sports News 1/21/2022

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