Budding star scoring high in bull riding
Cody Jesus with his bull Tap Out. His family owns ten bulls, which are used for practice. (Courtesy photo)
Cody Jesus with his bull Tap Out. His family owns ten bulls, which are used for practice. (Courtesy photo)
By Duane A. Beyal
Special to the Times
SAWMILL, Ariz.
For junior bull rider Cody Jesus, his sport is a family affair.
Every weekend, his mother and brother drive him to rodeos and bull-riding competitions near and far. They go to locations on the rez and as far away as Las Vegas, Nev.
Cody and his older brother Miguel stand out wearing their wide-brimmed, white straw hats.
Cody Jesus, 16, won the junior bull-riding event at this past weekend’s Lion’s Club Rodeo with a score of 75 points and a prize of over $600.
How did he get started in bull riding?
“Three years ago, I just woke up and wanted to be a bull rider,” he said.
Since then, his collection of awards is growing. In October 2014, he placed second at the International Indian Finals Rodeo in Farmington, N.M. In November 2014, he was second at the Indian National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev.
Also in November, he won the American Youth Bullriding Association finals in Ignacio, Colo., with scores of 72, 69, 70 and 69.
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