Cannon Cravens sounds like a cowboy. He talks like a cowboy, showing respect with yes-sirs in his answers, coated with a little drawl. And he thinks like a cowboy when jumps on a bull.
“Man, I really don’t know how to explain it. It’s almost like something you have to do for yourself,” Cravens said. “I will tell you what. It gets my motor running. They are crazy. You don’t want to be underneath one of them when they are mad like that, that’s for sure.”
That has not been a problem for Cravens of late. He won the Cody (Wyo.) Xtreme Bulls with an 88-point ride on Jester at Stampede Park on Friday. It came 24 hours after he triumphed on two-head at the Greeley (Colo.) Stampede, delivering a score of 174.5 points.
“Oh man, after I won in Greeley, it gave me a lot of confidence going to Cody. I was hoping to build off that,” Cravens said. “These X-bull events are awesome. You arrive and you know you must stay on, and you are going against the best riders in the world. It is amazing competition.”
Cravens put himself in position for a big weekend with his first ride in Greeley, notching an 86-point trip. A seat on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Trans Am awaited. Of course, there were some nerves as prepared, but some friendly encouragement helped. JB Mauney, a legend in the arena, had just finished his ride.
“He was standing behind me on the bucking chutes. He hollered out, telling me to give it everything I had. He said, ‘You’ve got to bear down.’ It put a fire under me,” Cravens said. “There was no way I was going down on that ride. It wasn’t happening. I don’t know if my style is anything like his, but I model it after (Mauney). If I become half as good as him, that would be something.”
For Cravens, this season has opened eyes, given him a fresh start. He began his pro career at age 18, spending the better part of four years in another bull riding organization. He has mindset on qualifying for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, buoyed by his recent success.
“I wish I had come over here sooner. I like the atmosphere,” Cravens said. “It just feels more cowboy.”
Cravens has a full schedule in the coming days and weeks. He is embracing the challenge, knowing he gets to do what he loves for a living.
“It’s definitely a dream come true, traveling up and down the road with your buddies and riding these great bulls,” said Cravens, a Porum, Okla., native. “And every time I have gotten on one the last few months, I try to visualize myself standing behind those yellow chutes (in Las Vegas).”
Source: ProRodeo
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