Cool Kids: 12-year-old’s dream to make rodeo his career

At the age of 12, Jacob Paul is as determined as any professional athlete and is passionate about the sport which he proclaims will one day recognize him as the reigning world champion.

A seventh-grader at River City Middle School, Jacob has already earned dozens of awards in recognition of his talent in several areas of rodeo, including bull riding, calf-roping and breakaway roping – a form of roping where the end of the rope is tied to the saddle and breaks away once the calf is roped.

Jacob has competed in Junior Rodeo since the age of 3. Junior Rodeo, which includes kids ranging from 3 to 18, takes place throughout the Northwest. Jacob recently placed first in the all around competition for his age group for Junior Rodeo, an accomplishment which clearly makes him proud.

This year Jacob added another level of competition to his already busy schedule. Being in middle school enabled him to compete in the Wrangler Junior High Division, a part of the National High School Rodeo Association. These competitions also require Jacob to travel to different rodeos throughout the Northwest.

“The ultimate goal (for the competitors) is to finish in the top four in each event to compete in New Mexico next July at the National Wrangler Division Finals,” said Jacob’s dad, Dave Paul.

Also a competitor in the sport of rodeo, Dave Paul has taught Jacob all of his life and currently is the instructor for the Drover’s Junior Rodeo Team, which provides local kids an opportunity to compete in the sport of rodeo and to hone their skills. Jacob is also a member of Drover’s and is grateful to his dad for all the time he puts in helping Jacob perfect his skills.

“If it wasn’t for my dad, I wouldn’t be doing rodeo and I wouldn’t be as good as I am,” said Jacob.

The father-and-son duo are close and enjoy the time they spend not only going to competitions but also riding at the arena at their home. But Dave’s dedication to making sure all the kids have a good time and learn in the process is what has helped Jacob and his peers to be successful.

“It is a terrific sport that is aimed at keeping our kids involved in positive activities and being good kids,” said Dave Paul, who along with his wife Joanne also has a 16-year-old son.

Jacob has an arena at home where he practices his rodeo on his horse, Teddy, who he helps take care of and rides on the weekends. Teddy is 5 years old, and when Jacob first got him about three years ago, he said he had to train Teddy for rodeo. And that is not always an easy task.

“You have to be very patient (to train),” said Jacob.

Jacob recently returned from Ellensburg, Wash., where he placed second in his age group for the state of Washington in the Wrangler Junior High Division. His immediate goal is to attend the Nationals in New Mexico next year where he would compete against people from not only several states but also from different countries.

“Some kids even come from Australia,” said Jacob.

Jacob loves to spend as much time as he can riding his horse, but he said he also realizes it is important to maintain his 3.0 grade-point average.

“If you are good enough you can get a college scholarship,” said Jacob whose plans include attending Montana State University in Bozeman.

But his rodeo dreams won’t stop there. He wants to make bull riding his career and has no doubt he will succeed.

“I guarantee I will be a world champion (bull rider),” said Jacob.

His dad agrees. “Judging from where Jacob is at today, he will likely succeed,” said Dave.

This year Jacob has already won more than $2,000 in prize money. He also has several trophies, belt buckles and saddles to show for his accomplishments. He takes pride in all he has done and realizes he is fortunate to be able to take part in rodeo. There is not only the time commitment but also the cost which can be a deterrent for some.

“It’s really fun and there is no other sport more fun,” said Jacob. “It’s a real privilege to be able to rodeo.”

When traveling to competitions, Jacob brings his own horse, but the bulls are provided by the host of the competition. Because of his age, this is the first year Jacob has been able to compete on bulls; prior to that he rode steers.

His dad and a friend share ownership of a bull which is kept at the friend’s home, but is brought to Jacob’s house periodically so he can practice. He said that of all the competitions – calf-roping, break away roping and bull riding – he enjoys bull riding the most.

“It gives you a real adrenaline rush,” said Jacob. But he warns that it can also be a dangerous sport and some fear is essential to being successful.

“If you don’t get nervous bull riding, you shouldn’t do it,” said Jacob. “Because when you hit the ground you want to be running.”