Baker City bull rider ready for his second go around

Johnny Owens, a 2011 Baker High graduate, is competing this week at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Wyoming. Owens is a bull rider./Photo by Lindsey Wyllie

By GERRY STEELE
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Johnny Owens has a completely different attitude this year heading into this week’s National High School Finals Rodeo at Gillette, Wyo.

It is the second straight year the 2011 Baker High School graduate has qualified for the national rodeo after winning the bull riding championship at the Oregon State Finals.

“Last year I was completely shocked as to the number of kids there were at the finals,” Owens said last week while preparing to leave for Wyoming.

“But, having been there before, this year I’m a lot more comfortable.”

Owens said that a year ago he felt alone, not having anyone else to confide in among the other contestants.

Not this year.

“This year I have a friend on the Oregon team and that will help,” he said.

“You can’t be shy. You have to go there to the finals with the mindset to win. I’m not just going up there to compete. I’m going there to win.”

Owens has taken to bull riding quickly — he has only ridden bulls for three years.

“I love it,” he said of the event.

“You look at the bulls that can weigh anywhere between 1,600 pounds to a ton, that can buck high in the air while spinning their back end around.

“It’s just raw power,” Owens said. “You’re in a ride for eight seconds with an animal with way more power than you. You can feel the power around you. It’s amazing, even when you get bucked off.”

Owens has risen to the highest level of high school bull riding, and had some success at other amateur rodeos, despite having a tough time getting real practice.

Unlike, say, a basketball player, a bull rider can’t just practice in his driveway.

“We don’t have a lot of practice stock locally,” Owens said. “In fact I’ve had to travel to Benton City, Wash., and Hermiston to work with some stock contractors there.”

“The toughest part about rodeo is the support,” Owens said. “High school rodeo struggles with support. I’ve learned to do it mostly on my own.

“Slumps are tough. Sometimes it’s hard to get back in a groove. I’ve had to work to keep my mind in it.

“Once you reach the state finals you almost have to reach the nationals,” he said. “At state is when people are looking at you to see whether or not you can handle the pressure.”

Like athletes in other sports, Owens also watches a lot of film on bull riding.

“I always over-analyze everything. I watch films of pro riders and watch things like their techniques,” Owens said.

“I also have gone to Gary Leffew’s bull riding school.”

Leffew is the 1970 PRCA World Champion bull rider, and member of the PRCA Hall of Fame.

“He preaches the mental part of riding,” Owens said. “He teaches you to build up a 90-point ride in your head and then learn how you can make that happen.”

Owens said bull riding is “a huge mental game.

“You need to get rid of the fear,” he said. “Work with your fear. It makes a ‘fight or flight’ mode kick in.”

Owens said he has a specific practice when preparing for a ride during a competition.

“When I’m behind the chutes I try not to get too pumped up,” he said. “I try not to get too jazzed up until right before my ride.”

Owens said he has learned to block out the crowd noise and other distractions. And, he usually has a friend or two with him.

“All I can hear is the guy talking to me in my ear,” he said.

Owens said he has met a lot of friends at rodeos.

“The people you meet,” he said. “That’s one of the things I enjoy about bull riding. It’s cool to talk to people about it.”

One downside to competing is the cost.

“Any rodeo event is expensive,” Owens said. “But bulls are less expensive than having to haul a horse to an event.”

He said an example of some costs is $120 entry fee for a rodeo with a $2,000 total purse. Other costs involve traveling to and from events.

“The farthest I’ve traveled so far this year is up to Winchester in Idaho. That was about a five-hour drive,” he said.

The cost for Owens to attend the national rodeo will be between $3,000 and $4,000.

When he graduated from BHS this spring Owens already knew he would be riding for the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls next season.

“That’s one of the main reasons I’m going to national this year,” he said.

“I’m looking at $14-15,000 in scholarships from CSI. I not only want to represent Baker, I also want to represent them.

“When I first started it was kind of like a hobby,” he said. “But I’ve been able to catch on to it and get myself in the right place.

“CSI teaches you to work hard,” Owens said. “They not only want great riders, they want great people.”

Owens’ first ride at nationals will be Tuesday morning. His second ride will be Thursday evening. The rodeo continues through Sunday.

You can keep track of results online at:

www.nhsra.com/nhsra/