On the
Rodeo Roll An Interview with Rodeo Life: With eight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) qualifications, coming up on your ninth qualification, under your belt, how has your previous experiences at the WNFR helped you prepare to hopefully go in and win a World Champion Title this year? Caleb Bennett: I think overall it's given me a better perspective on what to look forward to, what I can I control and can't control, and what to worry about and not worry about. Vegas can be pretty overwhelming, just the city itself, let alone going there to ride ten of the greatest horses in the world, and be up against 14 of the other best guys in the world; there's a lot that can run through a competitor’s head. I think being there as many times I have in the past and knowing what to expect and not to expect is going to help me mentally and physically. RL: There are so many uncertainties that come with the professional rodeo territory with so many things that can go wrong and left up to chance, what makes rodeo so rewarding? CB: Riding bucking horses in general is one of the most rewarding parts of it. It is an experience that you really can't explain to anybody until you feel what it's like to ride a bucking horse, especially inside the Thomas and Mack with the energy that the crowd brings, the environment, the horses, and the competitors – the chills that run down your spine are unlike anything else in this world. It’s not just the first round or the tenth round – it's every round that has chills runnning down your spine. When they start playing that opening, you hear the crowd roar, and you know that all the hard work you put in throughout the year is finally paying off, win, lose or draw. RL: Would you consider yourself an adrenaline junkie? CB: Yes and no. I do love that feeling, the rush of the adrenaline that runs through your body. But I've also learned over the years that it's only with certain things. There are certain things that I have done before and I felt the adrenaline and I'm just like, nope, never going to do that again, I don't care what kind of adrenaline rush it gave me.
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Rodeo LIFE
