Montana Cowboy Championing Consistency in 2021
With six Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifications under his belt and five rodeo titles this season alone, bareback rider Richmond Champion knows a thing or two about consistency.
A full crowd in Lovington, N.M., saw Champion’s consistency shine during his ride at the Lea County Rodeo, Aug. 4-7. Champion rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Night Bells for 88.5 points and $4,865.
“(He’s a) really good horse, I’ve been on him for a long time,” Champion said. “I knew there would definitely be a shot at a check, and he had a really, really good day.
“He’s the kind of horse that really lets a guy show off. You have to take advantage of a situation like that.”
Though Night Bells might’ve made Champion look good in Lovington, being a consistent cowboy means being able to do well no matter what the draw.
“A lot of the job is obviously taking advantage of the great horses you draw,” Champion said. “But finding a way to win on the ones most people can’t, I feel like that makes the biggest difference. The more confidence you have in that, you know, the better off you’re gonna be.
“And that’s just kind of what we all strive for, is just to keep getting better and keep moving forward.”.
The 2021 season has been a season of just that for Champion, who averages nearly 85 points per ride. Of his 64 rides, 94% have qualified for a score, bringing him titles at ProRodeo Tour stops in Lovington (N.M.), the Dixie National Rodeo (Jackson, Miss.) and the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo (Kissimmee, Fla.) to name a few.
Though the wins give him a confidence boost, Champion goes into every ride with a winner’s mindset, no matter the outcome of the previous one.
“You look back on all the good things that have happened, and you take confidence from it,” Champion said. “But you really just have to believe in yourself and know that no matter what that horse does, you’re going to be the victor.
“You can’t worry about what anyone else is doing, you just really have to be in the moment and focus on what you’ve got going. And most of the time it works out.”
Heading into the short round in Dodge City, Kan., Champion is excited for another rodeo with fans in the stands. After a year of empty bleachers, sold out rodeos and noisy crowds have been a welcomed change in the 2021 season.
“Last year definitely had its challenges. We found a way to enjoy it, for sure, but this year, just knowing that there’s Lovington and Dodge City, there’s full crowds everywhere you go,” Champion said. “It just adds to the excitement and creates that environment for us to really shine, I think.”
Other winners at the $239,199 rodeo were all-around cowboy Taylor Santos ($4,433, tie-down roping and steer roping); steer wrestler Stockton Graves (7.3 seconds on two head); team ropers Cory Kidd V/Ryan Motes (9.4 seconds on two head); saddle bronc rider Cody DeMoss (87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Hollywood Knight); tie-down ropers Westyn Hughes and J.D. McCuistion (17.2 seconds on two head each); barrel racer Katie Pascoe (17.12 seconds); steer roper Cole Patterson (34.3 seconds on three head); and bull rider Creek Young (87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Tequila Worm).
Courtesy of PRCA