Legacy Leaders Magazine


The bull may not care about the colour of the man on its back, but those who open the bucking chute and supply the livestock are also gatekeepers for the sport’s human participants.

“Bull riding is not like baseball, football or basketball,” adds Sampson. “You can pick up a stick and rock and swing and hit, you can throw a football to anybody, or go anywhere, pick up a basketball and shoot it.

“Rodeo is different. You have to seek out places to ride bulls and hopefully the people who own them are not trying to overmatch you and discourage you.”

If access is the first obstacle for the novice, subjectivity can be the one that confronts black riders once they make it into a competitive rodeo ring.

Riders are up against the clock – attempting to stay on top of the bull for eight seconds – but also a panel of judges. They are marked on how hard the bull bucked and how well they countered.

“There is always that room for error,” adds Holmes.

“I feel I have got the short end of the stick from some of those old-school judges, which is kind of sad. If they have to choose me or the all-American white boy, no question, I don’t get that advantage.”

Harder to measure than points or prize money is how a lack of black riders stunts the sport’s growth in those communities, perpetuating a sense that bull-riding is not for them. It is one that even Mitchell struggles to shake.

“It did give me a sense of comfort, the likes of Charlie and Neil being there and having achieved what they achieved,” he says.

He recalls meeting “small-town old-timer people who are still set in their ways” on the lower-level circuit.

“There is a bit of prejudice there,” he adds. “Since I have always wanted to be a cowboy I grew to ignore a lot of the hateful comments.

“But on the Professional Bull-Riders tour as a professional athlete I have really not felt any prejudice. I commend the fans and the PBR for making me feel welcome. There are some times when you feel like you don’t belong, but I wouldn’t say that the prejudice lingers.”

Mitchell does not intend to linger at the top level either.

Rodeo is an inherently risky pastime. Careers are short, injuries often horrific. Mitchell recalls his ear being ripped by a bull’s hoof: “If it had been an inch over it probably would have stomped my head into the ground and killed me.”

His career template is unexpected. He cites WWE wrestler-turned-Hollywood A-lister Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as his crossover inspiration for turning a specialist sporting career into a mainstream success.

“He transformed his life into something totally different. That is what I want for myself,” Mitchell adds.

“I want to show people that you can do whatever you want to no matter the circumstance you come from or what colour you are as long as you have drive and determination.”

The brand building for Mitchell’s next move has already begun. Behind him as we speak a multi-screen display beams out his personal bull-horned logo. More than 170,000 followers on TikTok watch him goofing, singing and shooting pool.

But it is his day job, mounted on a bull or horse, that draws the most attention.



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