9-Year-Old Qualifies for Bull Riding World Finals
What did you dream about becoming when you were still a child? For nine-year-old Braylon Austin of Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, his plans for the future is to become the next J.B. Mauney, the seven-million-dollar-bull-rider, and in achieving that dream, he has ridden his way into the qualifiers of the PYRA (Professional Youth Roughstock Association) Bull Riding World Finals in Ada, Oklahoma this coming October, and he could use your help.
Braylon attends the 4th grade at Red Boiling Springs Elementary School and plays in the local youth football league, but his plate is never too full to spend time practicing to perfect his bull riding skills.
Braylon’s grandparents are Pam “Nene” and Junior “Papa” Evans, and he is the son of Natasha Vickers.
“Young Braylon started mutton busting with sheep at the L&H Rodeo in Hartsville, TN,” Pam recalled, “And he won 1st place a few times in mutton busting, but he has been riding mini-bulls for three years now… We go to rodeos in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and at the Double T Cattle Company in Glendale, Kentucky.”
“One day we was at the Cattle Company,” Braylon recalled, “And I saw the Bull Riders event, and I asked Nene if I could try it, and she said next time… When the next time came and we went to the rodeo, I asked again, and she said yes and oh, I loved that ride.”
“And he has been riding ever since,” Pam smiled, “It makes me nervous, but we are going to follow his dreams no matter what… He has ridden more than 30 mini-bulls so far… He went to bull riding school in Kentucky with Austin Beaty and he is like #2 or #3 in Professional Bull Riding, and he put on a bull riding school for the little ones aged 13 and under.”
“What I like most about it is that you get to get on bulls and do pretty much whatever you want to do to try and stay on, and you get money if you qualify, but it can be hard to stay on if you’ve never ridden a bull before, and they buck… Hard.”
“Oh yes,” Pam agreed, “They may be mini-bulls, but the little ones buck as hard as the big ones.”
“To qualify for the world finals, the little kids only have to ride for six seconds,” Pam explained, “And he had to ride four of them mini-bulls for six whole seconds to qualify, and now, he is ranked #2 out of nine boys in his group.”
“At home, we have a little farm with horses, cows, chickens, and dogs, and this past year for Christmas, Braylon got a mini-bull,” Pam said, “When riding mini-bulls, you have a rope and they wrap it around the bull and then your hand goes in and they wrap your hand… There is no saddle or anything to help you hold on and that makes it scarier about it,” she added.
“We are going to follow his dreams, yet, we could use some help. It will cost around $5,000 there and back… His entry fee alone was $450, so nothing about this is cheap, but it is worth it.”
“This past weekend at the Lone Star Rodeo in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Braylon won him a belt buckle,” Pam said, “He’s so excited… It was in the Junior Mini Class and he is on cloud nine.”
Businesses and/or individuals, here’s how you can help… Braylon is asking for sponsors to help pay for his entry fees, equipment, and travel expenses. Any donations will be greatly appreciated and any donation or sponsor over $100, the family will order patches with the business logo etc., and Braylon will wear them on his vest and shirts daily when he is bull riding at the PYRA World Finals in Ada, Oklahoma. For any questions or to make a donation, feel free to message 931-644-4082. This will be a six-day event. Braylon’s family has Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App where donations can be made and help young Braylon make this dream come true.
