LAS VEGAS – Being brave isn’t about having no fear.
Bravery is about being scared and overcoming it. That’s what Waylon Bourgeois faced in the “eliminator pen” of bareback horses, where he matched moves with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dusty Roads for 88.75 points to win Saturday’s third round of the National Finals Rodeo.
“She’s a big, scary eliminator, but it’s bucking-horse riding,” said Bourgeois, 26, of Church Point, Louisiana. “You’ve just got to cowboy up and get it done.”
No, that’s not just a phrase from the movie “8 Seconds.” It’s a mentality that was necessary on the hardest-to-ride bucking horses in the business. Dusty Roads is a 13-year-old buckskin mare that bucked at the NFR for the first time a year ago. She guided eventual world champion Dean Thompson to a round-winning 88-point ride in the eighth round.
She was ridden just one time during the regular season, and she proved her power inside the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday night.
“I’ve seen that horse a bunch down south,” said Bourgeois, who leads the aggregate race with 259.25 points on three rides; the $36,668 increased his NFR earnings to $81,000 so far. “It’s a super strong horse. You’ve just got to keep your chin tucked and keep setting your feet, and the rest will take care of itself.”
It was one of the most exciting nights of his rodeo career. An NFR go-round win is special. They can be rare. It now holds second fiddle to the day the regular season came to a close and Bourgeois realized a lifetime dream.
“I’ll always remember that last day,” he said. “A weight lifted off my shoulders, but coming in here, one of my goals was to get a round win. Haven gotten that, I have another weight lifted off my shoulders.”
It’s been an exceptional start to his 10-day campaign. He’s placed in three straight rounds and leads the race to the average championship. Alas, there are seven rounds remaining, and the aggregate title goes to the man with the best cumulative score on three rides. He owns just a quarter-of-a-point lead on Wacey Schalla, who is second in the race.
The good news is that Bourgeois has increased his season earnings to $218,637 and sits fifth in the world standings. He’s seen the bright lights of Las Vegas and hasn’t squinted yet. He made his first trip to the South Point for the go-round buckle presentation Friday, tagging along with traveling partner and Round 2 winner Rocker Steiner.
This time, though, Bourgeois will stand at the front of the stage and receive his trinkets.
“I’m still hungry, and I’m coming for some more,” he said. “I rode over to the South Point with Rocker and seen it, and I told myself that I was going to be there.”
He is now.
Editor's note: This article was provided to KATC by Ted Harbin.
You can see his website here: http://TwisTedRodeo.com
