Nothing Easy About Bareback Riding

Twenty-one year old NFR rookie Kaycee Feilds, son of legendary bareback rider Lewis Feild, scored just one point short of an arena record in round 6 of the NFR with a 90.5 on Classic Pro Rodeo’s Wise Guy. He just joined the PRCA last year and already has earned over $100,000. The $16,766 he earned from round 6 for placing first will add to that total. Quite an accomplishment for your first year in pro rodeo!

I admit I’m primarily a saddle bronc fan, mainly because when a rider does it right, it’s a graceful dance with the horse, both in sync with each other but with the cowboy clearly in command. Bareback riding, while just as exciting, doesn’t look nearly so elegant. In fact, a bareback rider who is doing it right reminds me of a rag doll being shaken by an angry child—limp and bouncing around. And it looks painful—like the stuffing is going to be knocked out of the cowboy with each buck of that horse. That’s the reason most bareback riders wear a neck brace-- to absorb the impact of all that jostling. Few, however, wear a helmet and given that they ride with their upper bodies stretched out flat along the back of the horse, having your head bumping against a helmet for eight seconds no doubt doesn’t appeal.

Tomorrow I’ll look at Trevor Brazile, whose winnings last night clinched the All-around title for him—his sixth!

You can catch the NFR on ESPN2—check your local listing for times. Also, for all the standings, pictures and news about the NFR, you can check out ProRodeo.com