WNFR Qualifier Ky Hamilton

Moving to a foreign country alone and making it in a professional sport is no small feat. Still, for 20-year-old Australian bull rider Ky Hamilton, he just had the same goal as most other bull riders during 2020, making the National Finals Rodeo.

A native of Mackay, Queensland bull riding rookie Ky Hamilton finished as the No. 2 bull rider in the world with $89,447 in the PRCA bank. He led the world standings in September but finished second to 5-time World Champion Sage Kimzey.

“At the end of the day, our job is to ride bulls,” – Ky Hamilton

Hamiltons season included five event wins, including one ( Grand Island (Neb.) Xtreme Bull’s title. He rode 40 out of 89 attempts for a 45% riding average and an 82.85 average ride score. He posted one 90-point ride on Eyebrows at the Las Fiesta De Los Vaqueros rodeo.

From 2014-2019 in September, Sage Kimzey would lead the world standings and claim the world championship. Kimzey has never trailed in September once during his run. Hamilton became the first rookie bull rider to be at the top of the leaderboards in September since 2014. The last rookie to do that? You guessed it—Sage Kimzey back in 2014 when he won his first title.

His success and ultimate NFR qualification was no surprise to Head Rodeo Coach C.J. Aragon, who has seen this young phenom burst his way into the top of the bull riding scene with his brand of Queensland tenacity, style, and flash.

In 2019 Hamilton won Belton County, 4th Of July Celebration & PRCA Rodeo, and the New Mexico State Fair & Xtreme Bulls in Albuquerque. Hamilton finished eighth in 2019 RAM Rodeo Permit Standings with $26,081.

According to Hamilton, his decision to travel with veteran bull rider Clayton Sellars paid off and definitely had its advantages.

“Clayton, he knows the ropes, the bulls, and how to find the locker room at the NFR,” laughed the rookies. But at the end of the season, this band of bull riding brothers all three achieved their goal, with Hamilton ranking No. 2 in the world standings.

Hamilton found his place in the Sellars truck with fellow PRCA rookie Colten Fritzlan after meeting in the regional college competitions as a bull rider for Sull Ross State in Alpine, Texas.

Taking on the entering rodeos responsibility Hamilton had this to say about the experience.

“I get stressed a lot, and I feel like I have to organize everyone, but it doesn’t happen that way, it’s a lot of fun, and we have fun a lot.”

Hamilton hails from a rodeo family. His older brother L’Koi and father rode saddle bronc horses and bulls in Australia. His cousins were bullfighters, and his grandfather rode bareback horses and saddle broncs. He started riding steers at age 12 and rodeoed in the United States for the first time at the Junior High School Finals in Iowa at age 15.

Courtesy of TuffHedemanBullRiding.com