Richardson Channeling Inner Focus Ahead of Tour’s First PBR Major

By: James Youness

PUEBLO, Colo. – With a hometown of Dallas, Texas, and the name of Austin Richardson, the average bull riding fan would assume the 23-year-old would be quite the Dallas Cowboys fan.

Especially during a week where Dallas is set to bring an 11-5 record into the final regular season week of National Football League (NFL) action, currently sitting atop the NFC East Division’s standings and occupying the conference’s No. 2 overall seed.

But with the Cowboys hosting the Detroit Lions Saturday night, roughly at the same time the best bull riders in the world were wrapping up the fifth event of the Unleash The Beast campaign, there wouldn’t have been much time for the talent to soak in the game, anyway.

While “America’s Team” ended up dancing their way into win No. 11 on the season as the result of quite the sketchy run-in with referees, lineman positioning and the whole nine yards …

… there wasn’t anything smudging Richardson’s flawless showcase in Albany last weekend.

 
Not only perfect in the sense that he turned in a perfect 3-for-3 performance, but in exiting each of the three rounds atop their respective leaderboards, winning all three rounds inside MVP Arena.

Very much a fan of motorsports and competitive dirt-bike racing, the Lions vs. Cowboys game wasn’t exactly top of mind after earning nearly $50,000 for his own athletic efforts.

But when the starred helmets are on TV, typically featured within a national broadcast, lovers of any sport are usually moved to at least check the score.

“I’m not much of a football guy, but we did watch the game after the event, so we turned it on and watched it a little bit,” Richardson said.

Choosing to rest up for the duration of Saturday night, he eventually indulged in some fun to ring in the new year on Sunday, attending a concert inside Dickies Arena on New Year’s Eve with his girlfriend and some friends before taking the fun back to a shared Airbnb.

And when 2024 dawned, he would celebrate as the No. 2-ranked rider in the world, having earned an explosive 157 Unleash The Beast points for his dominant performance earlier that weekend.

“It’s kind of breathtaking to see myself No. 2 in the world and having a good start to the year, for sure,” he added.

“Just staying focused and not worrying about everything else. Going in there and riding my bulls, that was my goal.”

Sticking to his plan and executing to perfection, he began his perfect weekend Friday night with a splashy conversion atop Martini Houdini for 86.5 points before extending his ride streak to two on Saturday, this time scored 88 points for his 8-second journey aboard Magic Trick.

“I drew really good bulls in the first two rounds and I was taking advantage of it. Staying focused and taking advantage of the moment. That’s what I was trying to tell myself all weekend, just take advantage of the moment you have here and stay focused on what you’re here for,” Richardson detailed.

“The only thing that was different was how focused I was coming into each round. I knew what I was capable of doing, just had to stay focused and have the right mindset for each bull.”

Later selecting a short round showdown against Ivy League, the American cowboy put a shiny bow on what became his first premier series victory in more than 20 months.

In epic fashion.

 
“It was a blast. All of our buddies there: Caden (Bunch), Boudreaux (Campbell), Dalton (Kasel) and all of them, we were talking some good smack to each other in the locker room and having a good time. Going in there and riding all three bulls and getting the win makes it that much better, for sure,” he shared.

“After every ride, I just kept telling myself ‘One more ride, just one more bull,’ and it was just a great time.”

Now 8-for-14 on the season, soaking up bits and pieces from his Austin Gamblers teammates sure hasn’t hurt anything in his world. If anything, learning how to channel his energy in the team setting, while continuing to perform as an individual, has helped him transition back to the individual series.

“Each weekend you know you have a chance to win the event and that’s kind of what I had in my mind last weekend. I was getting closer and closer to the No. 1 spot,” he shared.

With three Top 10 finishes to his record so far, including a third-place result in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and a ninth-place finish in Manchester, New Hampshire, he’s dedicated everything in his power to this season.

And it already seems to be paying off.

“Now that I’m sitting No. 2, it’s having that winning mindset coming into each weekend. To win the fifth event of the year, that really jumpstarts the season for sure. If I can get a few more and hopefully do good at this first major in New York City, that will help me stay towards the top, for sure,” Richardson concluded.

“All of our dreams is to become a world champion bull rider and to stay consistent throughout the whole year. So, I’ve been telling myself to stay consistent, stay focused, because I’m really in a position to win a world title this year. So, I just have to stay focused and do what I came to do.”

Set to dance with Moonlight Party during the second-to-last out of the night inside Madison Square Garden Friday night, Richardson will look to make it four-straight and keep his hot start to the season going strong, competing at the first PBR Major of the season!

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

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