What do Banana Hammock, Ace and Told You Twice have in common? They are three bulls that couldn’t throw Kalispell cowboy Daxton Hudson at the Yeti Junior World Finals last month in Las Vegas.  

Hudson scored 63 on each of his first two rides which landed him in the top 10 and earned him a ride in round three, the short go. 

“That first ride, I wasn’t really nervous. I expected more out of my bull than he gave me,” Hudson said. “The second day, I got on a pretty nice bull but I came off the side of him and I just held on.” 

Hudson second ride was spectacular. The flashy Ace bucked, spun and forced Hudson to his left. For the second half of the eight-second ride, Hudson stuck to the left side of the bull. The Flathead High School freshman’s grit and strength allowed him to hold on and cover the ride. 

In the third round, his draw, Told You Twice, was a big, tan bull who shot out of the gate, rocked and leapt. Hudson’s performance earned him third place in the Junior World Finals in the 14-15 age group and a cash prize of $1,100. 

“It was a really fun experience,” Hudson said. “I got to see some of my friends there. We hung out a little bit. They helped me out; I helped them out. It was just a really fun experience.” 

The World Finals was the biggest rodeo event Hudson had competed in and it attracts the best riders. He was competing against bull riders from across the United States as well as cowboys from Australia, Canada, the Philippines and Mexico. 

Bull riding is, arguably, the most dangerous sport but three and a half years ago, Hudson knew it was what he wanted to do. He started on steers and quickly progressed to the much more powerful bulls. 

In the chute, he said it is important to get ready quickly. 

"But you're not trying to rush yourself. You’re trying to make sure you stay calm,” he said. “You want to get out as fast as possible. The longer that you wait in that chute, the higher chance that you’re going to get hurt.” 

He explained how bulls called “chute fighters” are sometimes calmed with a flank rope. 

"They don't give you a fair chance to sit comfortable on them,” he said. “What a guy will do is grab a flank rope and put it under their neck and [slide it back and forth which] distracts the bull from everything that’s going on. He just feels that on his neck instead of everything else.” 

Hudson’s father, James Hudson, is aware of the dangers of his son’s chosen sport. 

“It’s a very dangerous sport but in order to learn how to ride, you gotta ride,” James said. “So ... you don’t want your kid to get on a bull. It’s hard for me. I'm signing that off and that’s a lot. 

“Our whole thing is ride right and get the best gear you can get,” he added. “We're very picky about the gear we buy.” 

For example, Hudson wears a helmet designed for bull riding, not a hockey helmet. 

Although Hudson said he was mostly focused on riding when he was in Las Vegas, he did get to see some sights, including Cowboy Christmas. 

“Cowboy Christmas is a warehouse right next to where the kids ride,” said James. “They bring all the vendors in from Ariat, Wrangler. It is huge and it’s all wrapped around rodeo from furniture to bull riding gear. It's pretty crazy.” 

There, Hudson got to meet some of the bigger names in rodeo: Stetson Wright, Gary Leffew. Dale Brisby, Dustin Wright and Ky Hamilton. 

“The experience was phenomenal,” James said. “It’s all about being consistent and riding.” 

Hudson is currently competing in the Brash Series Rodeo at the Majestic Valley Arena. It hosts about 16 rodeos throughout the winter and Hudson plans on riding in every one of them.  

The Brash Series is held at an arena behind the Blue Moon in Columbia Falls in the summer.