National Title Would Be Pretty Nice For Rude
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
National Title Would Be Pretty Nice For Rude
By Anthony [email protected]
As a third grade student, Rude was at the Wabash County 4-H Fair when the idea of riding a bull was brought up.
He took that opportunity, and now he’s gearing up for his fourth-straight appearance in the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyo.
At the national event, Rude will compete in the bull riding for the fourth time, as well as NRA trap shooting for the third time.
“In the past, I haven’t done too well, but this year I’m going to do good,” he said via cell phone while his family made its way to Wyoming Thursday morning.
The national rodeo begins Sunday and runs through July 21.
Rude will ride bulls Sunday night and on the morning of July 21, while he’ll shoot Thursday.
He will be competing in two events, but he does favor one over the other.
“It’d be nice to win them both, but bull riding is the one that would be nicer to win a national championship in,” he said.
To qualify for the national tournament, a competitor must finish in the top four in his or her event at the state level, with Rude finishing first in the state in bull riding and trap shooting.
During the rodeo season, which runs from the beginning of September to mid-June, the Rude family could travel as far as Tennessee to compete, but always got back in time for him to get back to Manchester High School for classes Monday.
“The events are on Friday and Saturday,” he said. “We have a couple out of state, going mainly to Kentucky, Ohio or Tennessee.”
Competition in Rensselaer was the closest one for the Rude family, but after all the travel, he fared well enough to qualify for the national tournament.
With so much time in-between competitions, the national tournament offers competitors a wide array of activities, which form bonds in the process.
“It’s fun,” he said. “The Indiana team will have a volleyball team, which will compete with other states. There’s also a mini-Amazing Race thing they do, with riders from different states coming together for a scavenger hunt. When it was held in Joliet, (Mont.) there was also a big arcade where everyone would go.”
When he’s not taking part in the outside activities, he’ll be focusing on a national title and winning some of the $200,000 in prizes.
A top 20 finish after two rounds will put Rude in the July 21 championship performance, which is exactly where he thinks he’ll be.
“I want to win,” he said bluntly.
Rude’s already earned a scholarship to ride bulls at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., so it doesn’t look like the tournament will be the end of the activity.
Despite where he is now, he can still remember getting on his first bull.
“I didn’t really know what was going to happen,” he said.
Even after riding so much, the unpredictability of the bull can still be nerve-racking, but he’s much more comfortable with it now.
“The thing is you learn to react to what the animal is doing,” he said.
He may be more seasoned in the sport, but that doesn’t mean mistakes don’t happen.
Among his litany of injuries are a dislocated hip, broken ribs, a calf muscle being removed and reattached, as well as being stepped on more times than he’d like to remember.
However, it was a head butt with a bull that still ranks No. 1 on his list of injuries he’d like to avoid again.
“I actually head butted it twice,” he said. “I broke my jaw in four places, and the thing was that I had a helmet on, but it busted that too. I had to have my jaw wired shut for six weeks.”
The injuries will continue to come, but just like the previous ones, none will scare him away from the ride and the chance to show he’s among the best high school riders in the country.
“I want to win the whole thing,” he said.[[In-content Ad]]
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As a third grade student, Rude was at the Wabash County 4-H Fair when the idea of riding a bull was brought up.
He took that opportunity, and now he’s gearing up for his fourth-straight appearance in the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyo.
At the national event, Rude will compete in the bull riding for the fourth time, as well as NRA trap shooting for the third time.
“In the past, I haven’t done too well, but this year I’m going to do good,” he said via cell phone while his family made its way to Wyoming Thursday morning.
The national rodeo begins Sunday and runs through July 21.
Rude will ride bulls Sunday night and on the morning of July 21, while he’ll shoot Thursday.
He will be competing in two events, but he does favor one over the other.
“It’d be nice to win them both, but bull riding is the one that would be nicer to win a national championship in,” he said.
To qualify for the national tournament, a competitor must finish in the top four in his or her event at the state level, with Rude finishing first in the state in bull riding and trap shooting.
During the rodeo season, which runs from the beginning of September to mid-June, the Rude family could travel as far as Tennessee to compete, but always got back in time for him to get back to Manchester High School for classes Monday.
“The events are on Friday and Saturday,” he said. “We have a couple out of state, going mainly to Kentucky, Ohio or Tennessee.”
Competition in Rensselaer was the closest one for the Rude family, but after all the travel, he fared well enough to qualify for the national tournament.
With so much time in-between competitions, the national tournament offers competitors a wide array of activities, which form bonds in the process.
“It’s fun,” he said. “The Indiana team will have a volleyball team, which will compete with other states. There’s also a mini-Amazing Race thing they do, with riders from different states coming together for a scavenger hunt. When it was held in Joliet, (Mont.) there was also a big arcade where everyone would go.”
When he’s not taking part in the outside activities, he’ll be focusing on a national title and winning some of the $200,000 in prizes.
A top 20 finish after two rounds will put Rude in the July 21 championship performance, which is exactly where he thinks he’ll be.
“I want to win,” he said bluntly.
Rude’s already earned a scholarship to ride bulls at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., so it doesn’t look like the tournament will be the end of the activity.
Despite where he is now, he can still remember getting on his first bull.
“I didn’t really know what was going to happen,” he said.
Even after riding so much, the unpredictability of the bull can still be nerve-racking, but he’s much more comfortable with it now.
“The thing is you learn to react to what the animal is doing,” he said.
He may be more seasoned in the sport, but that doesn’t mean mistakes don’t happen.
Among his litany of injuries are a dislocated hip, broken ribs, a calf muscle being removed and reattached, as well as being stepped on more times than he’d like to remember.
However, it was a head butt with a bull that still ranks No. 1 on his list of injuries he’d like to avoid again.
“I actually head butted it twice,” he said. “I broke my jaw in four places, and the thing was that I had a helmet on, but it busted that too. I had to have my jaw wired shut for six weeks.”
The injuries will continue to come, but just like the previous ones, none will scare him away from the ride and the chance to show he’s among the best high school riders in the country.
“I want to win the whole thing,” he said.[[In-content Ad]]
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