the short go I was sitting back behind the bucking chute throwing up, but I had to get on.”

He held on in the short go for seven seconds, despite suffering from a concussion, and finished in second place in the state finals. That qualified him for the National High School Finals Rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming. Hurt is heading to Wyoming today, and will ride on Tuesday, July 18, and again on the 20th to qualify for the short go. The high school rodeo finals features the top four competitors in the nation in each event.

The National High School Finals Rodeo will certainly not be the end of Hurt’s rodeo career. “Far from it,” he said. “I’m going to McCook Community College this fall to ride broncs for them. My dream out of college is to go pro. I’m shooting for the stars - go all in or don’t go at all.”

He will major in ag business while at McCook. However, it is the rodeo experience he will gain that has him the most excited. Hurt said he is looking forward to working with the great coaches there.

Hurt is the oldest of three, with siblings Ali - 17, and Christian - 16. He said at this point neither of them has any interest in rodeo.

When asked if he ever experiences fear, Hurt commented, “I get scared every time I get on. You’re getting on a 1,300-pound bucking horse that is born, bred, and raised like a brick whose job is to buck you off. If anybody tells you they don’t get scared when they get on any kind of rough stock, they’re dead lying.”

He admits his parents were not in favor of the idea when he began. “They didn’t even know I was doing it when I first got on,” he said. “I signed myself up and asked my mom to please just sign the waiver. She didn’t want to but she knew it was something I really wanted to do. Now my mom is my biggest supporter. She goes to every rodeo and will sometimes pay my entry fees. She probably wants to see me succeed more than I want to succeed myself.”

In his career thus far Hurt has experienced several sprains, cuts, and fractures. “But nothing major yet,” he added.

“Rodeo is not like any other sport, where you want your competition to not do good. We want our competition to do well - sometimes more than we want to do well ourselves,” said Hurt. “It’s a family.”

The National High School Finals Rodeo will stream live on The Cowboy Channel. For more information on how to connect visit thecowboychannel.com.