Don Gay Pulling for Sage Kimzey to Break World Title Record
Winning eight bull riding world titles is a ProRodeo record Don Gay has held for 36 years, yet he’s among the many who are cheering for reigning world champion Sage Kimzey to break that record.
Kimzey, the reigning six-time world champion, finished atop of the regular season PRCA | RAM World Standings for the seventh consecutive time with $92,334. He’ll be gunning for that seventh world title when the 2020 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo kicks off at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Dec. 3.
“The way you said that would make it seem like it’s an easy conclusion to win his seventh world title, but what he has to do at the NFR is incredibly difficult,” Gay said, “The fact of the matter is nobody has claim to a world title. Everyone has an opportunity to a world title, and the biggest hill Sage has to fight is between his ears and focus because people like me and you make judgments that are nothing more than observations.”
Only two bull riders have as many world titles as Kimzey, and both of them are ProRodeo Hall of Famers – Jim Shoulders (1951, 1954-59) and Gay (1974-77, 1979-81, 1984).
Shoulders and Gay were among the 1979 inaugural class of ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees.
Kimzey first made ProRodeo history by becoming the first cowboy in any event to win world titles his first two years, earning the first as a rookie in 2014. He continued to make history in 2016, winning his third consecutive world title while becoming the youngest cowboy to surpass the million-dollar mark in career earnings at 22 years, 3 months and 2 weeks old.
“I can tell you what he has already done is absolutely phenomenal,” Gay said. “But you have to keep in mind his goal is nine world titles, and he has six done in the rear-view mirror. The seventh one is out in front, but he has to perform and beat the 14 best bull riders in the world.”
In 2018, Kimzey had the best regular season in any event in PRCA history, earning $297,026. The 2019 season started out rough due to an injury sustained at the 2018 NFR but the end result remained the same with the Oklahoma cowboy at the top of the world standings.
“To go there and ride the 10 (bulls) is a big task and most of that is mental intimidation,” Gay said. “It’s a lot like golf, you can stand on the putting green and roll in four-foot putts but if you’re on the 18th hole on at the Masters, that hole looks like it’s the size of a pin. Most people can’t do it and that’s in golf, baseball and bull riding.”
The 2020 season was a different kind of challenge. Opportunities to compete were limited due to COVID-19 and the uphill battle became steeper when Kimzey injured his left ankle at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, Feb. 11 during a ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Hot Pursuit. He had ankle surgery Feb. 14, and less than a month later, he won the first round of Bracket 1 at RodeoHouston.
He also split the win at RFD-TV’s The American for $40,125 March 8 in Arlington, Texas, just before the pandemic shutdown all competition.
“He knows, as I do, he is way better than everyone riding bulls today,” Gay said. “Just because you’re way better that means nothing, especially at the NFR because those bulls can’t read your résumé. If they could, I’d still be riding.”
Courtesy of PRCA