NFR Qualifier Clayton Sellars
Clayton Sellars riding Jeff Harris’s Dirty Little Secret, South Point Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour – Photo by Todd Brewer
Clayton “Bo” Sellars returns to the National Finals Rodeo in 2020 as a sophomore with earnings of $53,395 for his No. 14 slot on the bull riding roster.
Sellars, a 22-year-old bull rider from Fruitland, Florida now living in the cowboy capital of the World, Stephenville, will, like many cowboys, most likely commute to the NFR nightly competition at Globe Park in Arlington.
He qualified for this year’s Superbowl of rodeo, winning three rodeo bull riding titles, including the prestigious Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Xtreme Bulls event where he took home his largest paycheck of the year, $4,484. His season stats show 22 qualified rides, 5 PRCA go-round wins with an average score of 83.07 on 73 attempts (37%), slightly down from the last two years where he finished with 40 percent ride averages.
“What a year it has been.. from extreme lows to extreme highs, this year has taught me many things about myself, about my friends, about the world, and about what really matters. It’s made me a better person, and for that, I am forever thankful.” – Clayton Sellars.
Sellar’s highest marked ride was 89 points on Pete Carr’s Royal Reel at the Waller County Fair and Rodeo in early October.
Sellars was the 2018 Resistol Rookie of the Year in bull riding but missed the 2018 NFR by four slots. In 2019, he buckled down and went to Vegas as the #4 ranked bull rider proudly carrying the Florida state Flag in the Grand Entry ceremonies. He placed in two rounds last year and finished 2019 in 10th place and earned $28,827 in Vegas, with a total of $158.018 acquired in PRCA competition for the year.
Sellars on JQH Bucking Bulls Break the Chain, THT Bull Riding Tour – Photos by Todd Brewer
Clayton’s journey began when he joined the PRCA in 2017; his talent was evident as he won the RAM Rodeo Permit Standings the same year. He set his sights on Las Vegas that December but would fall short of the money earned needed to qualify for the NFR. The former baseball and football player finished 19th that year with $90,863 for the 2018 season, winning nine events, including the Comal County Xtreme Bulls in New Braunfels and the Deadwood (S.D.) Days of ’76 rodeo.
Bo’s career began at seven years old when he decided to ride bulls like his Dad, brother, and cousin. He eventually would ride colts as well.
“It seems normal really,” said Sellars, who hails from a family of rodeo competitors. “I don’t know any different.”
He qualified and competed at the National High School Rodeo finals for Leesburg High. Bo’s father rode for Troy (Alabama). Still, the program was disbanded. With zero school in Florida offering rodeo scholarships, he was recruited and signed with Western Texas College in Snyder, Texas. He qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in 2017-2018, finishing second overall in 2018 in bull riding. He went on to graduate with a degree in Agriculture Science.
Courtesy of TuffHedemanBullRiding.com