Path to Victory: Oleson Building Off Coaching From Lambert and Rattlers

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – Almost four years ago, Brady Oleson was waiting to climb aboard his bull at the Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when Cody Lambert, then the PBR’s Director of Livestock, started barking at him.

Oleson was taking too long to get on his bull, and Lambert, who was also the chute boss for the event, was not pleased.

“After that, I was like, ‘Man, he is a grumpy old guy,’” Oleson recalled, laughing, this past weekend at the Unleash The Beast season-opener in Tucson, Arizona.

Oleson and Lambert would not really speak again until Championship Sunday of the 2022 PBR World Finals. Lambert invited Oleson to dinner to discuss the possibility of the Texas Rattlers selecting him in the inaugural PBR Team Series Draft, presented by ZipRecruiter.

The Rattlers would indeed select Oleson during the draft, 19th overall, and it was the beginning of a fruitful relationship between Oleson and Lambert.

“When I got drafted, I was kind of scared of him,” Oleson said with a grin. “He is kind of a scary guy, but he is treating me like family. He has done so much for me, and I am so thankful.”

Lambert invited any of his bull riders this past season to come live at his ranch in Bowie, Texas, during the PBR Team Series. Oleson immediately jumped at the opportunity to live full-time with the PBR co-founder and receive daily training.

The training, though, was less focused on physical, as Oleson missed most of the PBR Team Series because of a leg injury and then a back/neck injury. Therefore, Oleson was learning more about the mental side of bull riding while seeing some limited success in the arena for Texas (4-for-9) in nine games.

The 26-year-old enjoyed his time at Lambert’s so much that he is committed to remaining there throughout the 2023 Unleash The Beast season as he pursues a PBR World Championship. He also has one year left on his team endorsement agreement with the Rattlers for the upcoming PBR Team Series season. The Rattlers are coming off a third-place finish at the inaugural PBR Team Series Championship.

“He said I could stay through the regular season and stuff, and I am taking advantage of that,” Oleson said. “That guy changed a lot for me. I didn’t get to ride a lot in the Team Series, but mentally he has done so much. He is very honest with where you are at and what you are doing. He keeps it so simple. You can feel dumb when you realize how complicated us bull riders make this. It is the same convo every time. It is very simple. This is what I am supposed to do. He explained to me I can be like those top guys, and that is what I am capable of. I can be like Kaique (Pacheco), Jose (Vitor Leme), Daylon (Swearingen).”

At first glance, that may sound unrealistic, but Oleson proved for at least one weekend that maybe he can rise to the challenge in 2023.

Oleson went 3-for-3 to win the Monster Energy Invitational in Tucson and has a 32.5-point lead on No. 2 Thiago Salgado in the world title race.

The Blackfoot, Idaho, native looked extremely impressive inside Tucson Arena. He began the season splitting the Round 1 victory with 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis and Texas Rattlers teammate Daniel Keeping with his 89.75-point ride on Hard Candy. Oleson then rode White Face for 88 points in Round 2 to head into the championship round in fourth place.

Oleson then made a dominant 90.25-point ride on Pickle Moonshine in the championship round before Vitor Losnake (3.02 seconds on Montana Jacket), Chase Outlaw (6.08 seconds on I’m Legit Too) and Boudreaux Campbell (1.29 seconds on Hundred Bad Days) all bucked off to cement him his first career victory.

“It was a whole lot of moving the whole time,” Oleson said of his ride aboard Pickle Moonshine. “There wasn’t one second up there I thought I had it. This is incredible. First of the year and first win ever. I have wanted this my whole life.”

And how about being the No. 1-ranked bull rider in the world for the first time in his life?

“That is pretty crazy, but it is a long ways away from being done,” Oleson concluded.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

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