ProRodeo Sports News - May 31, 2019

After seven months out, bull rider climbs back on IN HIS WORDS BRADEN RICHARDSON

I didn’t knowwhat I had drawn at him and rode him. Claremore. I asked the guys that brought the bulls. They said he was going to be a little rough in the box. I just got down on I asked what he looked like and what side he was going to be out on. They went on to tell me that he was going to leave really hard and that he jerked some kid down the other day.

keep my mind strong and my body strong. It was boring, but it worked out. I know I’ve been out seven months, but it’s not going to stop my goal, and my goal is to make the NFR this year, and I’m going to do it. Del Rio (Texas) was my first rodeo back, and I bucked off five or six in a row. Then I was up inMineral Wells (Texas) and Crockett

Bull rider Braden Richardson suffered two serious injuries and missed seven months of the 2019 season. Now healed, he went out and won the Will Rogers Stampede at Claremore, Okla., with an 88.5-point ride on Lancaster & Jones Pro Rodeo’s White Walker in May. Richardson finished 27th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings in 2018, also finishing third in the PRCA | Resistol Rookie Standings with $62,556. The 24-year- old from Jasper, Texas, is hoping a successful summer run will carry him to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

They were trying to intimidate me. I didn’t know anything about him, so I just took my usual routine and got to ride him. I didn’t knowwhat they were going to score me. I was a little surprised when they said 88.5. I knew it was a good bull ride, but I didn’t know if I was going to win. I’d been out seven months from injuries. That was probably my 10th rodeo back. To get the win there lets me know that’s where I need to be, on the road rodeoing. It gave me huge confidence because it was one of the better rides I’ve had. I knew he wasn’t going to be easy. To still get the job done tells me I can pretty much ride anything. Doing as well as I did last season was a big eye- opener, when I proved to myself that I can hang with the guys I’ve always looked up to. I just thought they hung the moon. To compete with them, kind of be in the mix with all those guys, it boosted my confidence to know I do belong in Vegas, I believe. I missed rodeo so much during my recovery. I missed my friends. I just stayed low. I tried to save my money and

(Texas) one weekend for my sixth bull back for the year. I was 87 (points) inMineral Wells and 83 in Crockett, and I think that just started me up. I’m feeling healthy and salty. I’m traveling with Jesse Petri. We knew each other before we traveled together, but once we found out that we were both living in Palestine, we said, heck, let’s start entering together. Now, he and I travel together, and my dog, Tigger, is with me. I traveled by myself last year. Traveling with Jesse is way better than going alone. I’m glad to have him in my corner. It’s so hard to put into words what last season meant to me because that was my first time out there in the summer run, and I had always dreamed of it, always dreamed of rodeoing in the summer. I got to live it, and it was just amazing. There’s nothing like it. I’m so excited. I didn’t know if it was going to be in the cards this year, but it’s looking like it is. Now, I’m healthy, I’m riding good, I can’t wait to get back out there.

ProRodeo Sports News 5/31/2019

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