Humps N Horns Bull Riding Magazine - Mar 2022

By Georgia Akers

When we think about coaches for athletic events in schools, the sports that come to mind are football, basketball, and baseball. Those are the big three. But in the world of western sports competition, there are rodeo coaches in schools that have rodeo teams who compete with other educational institutions. They recruit, offer scholarships and coach their team to be the best. They also mentor these students in life skills that will carry them for the rest of their lives.

Matt Hughes is a rodeo coach. He sets the bar for the students in western sports events as well as being an example of how to be the person they should be in this world.

As an aside, the college where he coaches also offers classes of particular interest in cowboy lifestyle careers such as western silversmithing and farrier training. It opened, for me, an entire new area of college academics that I had not considered.

Tell me about yourself.

I live in Tucumcari, New Mexico with my wife, Megan, and my two kids Tilden, age 2 and Heidi Rae, 11 months. I went to college at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo. I majored in public relations. I was on the rodeo team riding bulls.

I was raised around rodeo. I quit high school to help at our ranch. I got my GED. I started riding bulls and got my PRCA card. I did not go to college until I was 20 years old. Missouri Valley had a rodeo team. One of my best friends was there and told the coach about me. He knew of me and added me to the team and offered me a scholarship. It was not a full scholarship but enough.

Photo provided courtesy of Matt Hughes.

I graduated from the college and stayed around to help the team and build a reputation.

I found out about an opening for a rodeo coach at Mesalands Community College in New Mexico. I applied and was hired. I have been here for five years. Rodeo is the only sport at the college.

What events are common in college rodeo?

There are nine events: bare back riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, tie down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, goat tying, barrel racing and break away roping.

The women compete in the team roping, goat tying, barrel racing and break away roping.

How do you recruit your athletes?

I go to the high school finals are held in either Lincoln, Nebraska, Rock Springs, Wyoming, or Gillette Wyoming. They are held two years at one venue then rotate to another location. I also get a lot of students through word of mouth about our program. My best recruiters are the students themselves.

There are certain events I am always looking for athletes. I never fill every slot for the rough stock.

In selecting athletes, I consider what they are majoring in. Our school has one-year certificates as well as a two-year associate degree.

Scholarships in college can be 75% to a full ride.

Photo by Phillip Kitts / Avid Visual Imagery.

How large is the average rodeo college team?

The average team is around 30 nationwide.

Do you have a favorite event?

Not really. I have an equal amount of respect for all the events, but I am probably drawn to the rough stock since I was a bull rider.

How do you inspire your students?

I organize a program and give them an opportunity to achieve the goals that they want to achieve. My job is providing them as many opportunities to meet the goals.

My coaching and management style is to emphasize we are one huge family. We do everything together. We are all here for the same reason. There is competition within the group but when we show up for an event with another college, we are all one. I try to keep them motivated.

I also expect a level of courtesy from my athletes: yes sir, no sir.

They are to conduct themselves accordingly or they will not be on the team. They are representing the team and the school and how they act, also reflects on me as a coach, the team, and the school.

I also attend every practice. We meet every Monday, and we start off discussing what we will do that week. We plan practice strategies. We might watch films. We set practice that week based on these strategies.

What is the hardest event to coach?

All events have their challenges but tie down roping is the hardest. There is a lot more horsemanship and you are only as good as your horse. There are more things that can go wrong. You stress the fundamentals but there are more things that can happen and cost a win.

What is the easiest event to coach?

All have different challenges but bareback riding and bull riding because I participated in those sports.

Photo by Phillip Kitts / Avid Visual Imagery.

How do you coach a western sports athlete?

Each event is different. I look for bad habits and then try to critique to eliminate those habits. I am at every practice in order to observe and make the athlete better.

Do you ever have former students come back to you and ask for help?

Yes. Rodeo is a sport that athletes consistently develop bad habits, get in a slump that causes them to stop winning or they are coming back from an injury. They will call and ask me to help them figure out what they are doing wrong or to get them back to winning. I always tell them to come on down and spend a week or so to get tuned up.

Photo by Phillip Kitts / Avid Visual Imagery.

How many events does your college compete in during the year?

We are in a designated region and compete during the school semester which is fall and spring. It is technically year-round because the college finals are held in early June. At the finals, the top two schools per region compete with their top three athletes per event. In a regular season there are 10 rodeos.

Students compete on their own during the summer at local rodeos.

Students must pay their entry fees and travel expenses. We pay for schooling and practice pens. Entry fees are usually $100.

Also, western sports is the only sport that allows an athlete to compete in school events and compete in pro rodeo and earn money. Approximately 40% are on the pro circuit.

At Mesalands CC, rodeo is the only sport.

Where does the livestock come from?

The horses in events such as barrel racing, calf roping etc. are owned by the students, and they pay for their upkeep.

Our bulls are tour caliber bulls. Stock contractors are looking for events to give their young bulls some experience and see if they have what it takes to go to the next level. Do they buck? Do they have what it takes to be a rodeo athlete. At this age they are equivalent to PRCA circuit bulls. The same applies for the horses.

The steers, calves and goats are provided locally.

At competitions, it is the hosting school that provides the livestock.

What happens when the students time at the school is complete? How do you see your role?

Depends on what their goals are. Some students are good at rodeo, but they want to graduate and want to purse their academic choice. I encourage them to go to work. Others want to become pro rodeo athletes. My encouragement to them is my expectations are they good enough to qualify for the NFR. So, my students need to graduate and go to work or pursue their pro rodeo career. And I try to assist them in reaching their goals.

Photo provided courtesy of Matt Hughes.