Keep the Faith Rolling

KEEP

THE ROLLING

An Interview with Dustin Boquet

Rodeo Life: You’ve competed at the WNFR in both Las Vegas and Arlington, which venue do you favor more for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR)? Are you excited to be returning to Vegas this December?

Dustin Boquet: I'm not going to lie, I'm really excited to go back to Vegas. I'm thankful that Arlington put the WNFR together so fast and gave us somewhere to go compete for the Finals. It's just that Fort Worth and Arlington have Cowboys in it every day. There is just something special about Vegas. If you go there right now there isn’t a cowboy in sight, but when the WNFR comes around, you can’t look anywhere without seeing a cowboy hat. I just like how Cowboys takeover Sin City.

RL: How have your first two appearances at the WNFR helped you going into this one? What is the greatest thing you’ve learned being and competing against the best in the World?

DB: It's going to help out a lot going into this year. I’ve been twice and the jitters are still going to be there. If you don't get fired up about going to the WNFR, then I don't know why you rodeo. It’s the Super Bowl of rodeo. I broke my arm 2 weeks ago, so I have been on a break unlike some guys who are still going and trying to finish the year off strong. I have this broken arm that's going to set me back, but it is just fueling my fire up again. I'm ready to heal and head for the Finals. You have to stay humble and keep level headed. You can't get ahead of yourself and you can't get too down on yourself. That's why I like watching rodeo; In every event you have guys that could have just had a terrible weekend and the next weekend they win everything they go to. It's awesome with the gracious hospitality and how people treat you – It's just one big family.

RL: You’ve entered some PBR events over the years, what has made you focus more on your career within the PRCA than the PBR? Which do you prefer?

DB: I haven't been to a PBR event since 2013 or 2014. I like my rodeos. I like to watch all of the other events. I like to see everybody rooting for everyone, no matter if we are competing against each other or not. Like I said, I like how it is just one big family.

RL: How many bulls on average do you get on a year? What is the toughest bull you’ve been on so far? Is there any bull you’ve yet to face that you hope to draw at the WNFR?

DB: On average, I bet we get on between 100 to 120, if not more. I've been on some tough ones. I wouldn't mind getting a rematch with the Cliff Hanger from Jack Simmons. Chiseled from D&H Cattle too, everybody wants to get on him.

RL: How important is physical fitness to your career as a professional Bull Rider?

DB: It's really important. We ride bulls for fun; but our real job is sitting behind a steering wheel driving all day to get to from one rodeo to another. It's definitely important, especially for me right now because when I come back off of this arm injury, I’m going to be rehabbing it, getting back to exercising, and getting my muscle memory back to where it was.

RL: Are rides different when you are riding for higher payouts? How do you stay mentally focused when a big check is on the line?

B: It can be pretty hard to do, but myself, and a lot of others, have been doing it for so long. You have to know to block it out, do your job, and let the puzzle lay where it wants to lay. I just go with the flow. Sometimes I get worked up and let it get to me. But this year I've had a phenomenal year and I just took it one bull at a time, kept a steady pace, and kept knocking them out.

ROLLING

RL: When you had to choose between continuing baseball or continuing rodeo, how hard was that decision? Was your mom nervous about you becoming a Bull Rider?

DB: It wasn't hard for me. It was hard for my mom. I ventured off and enjoyed rodeoing. I didn’t want to do baseball anymore. When I started really rodeoing more, I realized that I was somewhat good at it, and it was fun to win money. She still is. She's nervous every time I get on.

RL: What’s your favorite outdoor hobby? What about an indoor hobby?

DB: That's a tough one. It would be between fishing and hunting. If I had to choose one, I would probably have to go with fishing since I could do it throughout the whole year. I don't really have any indoor hobbies. I'm the type of person that can be outside every day, all day.

RL: What rodeo other than the WNFR do you hope to win in your career?

DB: Cheyenne and Pendleton – those are the top two on my bucket list because they're both so unique. They're some of the oldest rodeos – Cheyenne because it’s the “Daddy of ‘em All.” It would be awesome to win one of those buckles.

RL: What buckle have you been sporting this season?

DB: I put back on my Round 6 buckle from 2018 WNFR and took off my Extreme Bulls Division One buckle from Fort Worth. The WNFR buckle means a lot to me.

RL: What would you consider the biggest accomplishment in your career so far is?

DB: Probably winning the San Antonio Xtreme Bulls and making two WNFRs so far. Those are my biggest accomplishments. I overcame a lot. There were people that told me that I'd never make it anywhere and that I don't need to be riding bulls, but now I come back home and those same people are telling me that they're watching me on TV.

RL: Are you going to be wearing your 2018 WNFR Round 6 buckle into this year's WNFR to bring that same energy?

DB: I don't know. I change all my buckles every now and then. I get tired of wearing one and want to start wearing another one. I guess we will just have to see!

RL: What advice do you have for any aspiring Bull Riders who want to make a professional career out of rodeo?

DB: Never take no for an answer. That's how I’m where I’m at today. There have been times where my bank account has had a negative sign in front of it, and I still kept going because I know my ability and what I am capable of. I come from a town where nobody really rodeos. I just keep with my game plan; I had a goal and I reached it, so I made more goals and I plan on reaching them. You just have to stay level headed and keep the faith rolling. I feel like I got to where I am for a reason and hopefully it's not going to end anytime soon.