story by Lily Weinacht
Bareback riding is a lot like my lifestyle — living on the edge, happy-go-lucky. The electricity and energy behind it is why I loved it,” says Braxten Nielsen. The 25-year-old from Roosevelt, Utah, competed in the RMPRA, PRCA, and NIRA for the College of Southern Idaho, and he was sitting high in the standings of all three associations, including sixth in the PRCA Wilderness Circuit and seventh in the PRCA permit standings. “The old bareback career was taking off, but I think God kind of had a different plan for me.” In August of 2017, an accident with a bronc in the chutes of the Magic Valley Stampede in Twin Falls, Idaho, broke Braxten’s back and paralyzed him from the waist down. He spent 48 days in the University of Utah Hospital. “I fractured my sternum as well, so for three weeks I couldn’t lift anything, and then the next four weeks I was doing six hours of rehab a day, which was awesome to have.”
Braxten has since returned home and is doing his rehabilitation at Neuroworx, the same place where Briggs Madsen, a fellow RMPRA member, did his rehab after a similar injury. Briggs is riding again, and Braxten is working to do the same. “I truly feel mentally stronger every day. Physically, it’s hard to tell what’s coming next and what muscles are going to fire. I’m taking the opportunities my body gives me, strengthening those parts, and hoping for the best. I plan on going back to school in the spring, college rodeoing, and doing motivational speaking around here in communities and schools. I’m majoring in equine business, and I’d like to be an Ag. teacher or a rodeo coach. Definitely my plan is to get my feet back underneath me and get back into rodeoing.”
Braxten grew up farming and ranching with his family, though his athletics always leaned more toward the basketball court or football field than a rodeo arena. All of his family, including his parents and his siblings, Jazlyn, Gavin, and Chesney, have gone to college on athletic scholarships. “My best friend Joe Frost rides bulls and I got on a few at his house in high school and got tossed off. I thought I’d stick to basketball and football, but two years later, I tried bucking horses and fell in love with it. Lewis Feild always said anyone that’s little and stocky should be a bareback rider, and I decided to take that route.”
It was the Feild family who ushered Braxten into the rodeo world after he met Shad Feild working in the oil field. Shad introduced Braxten to Kaycee Feild, and they met once Braxten returned from a two-year LDS mission trip to New Jersey. “Kaycee took me underneath his wing and helped me out a lot, not just with rodeo, but in life. I wish every athlete could hang out with him. He helped me a lot with my mental game and how to ride bucking horses the right way, and it took off from there. Once my parents saw I had the LeBron James of rodeo helping me, it eased their minds a little bit that I had a mentor. My mom and dad, Rick and Kathy Nielsen, are my top supporters in everything I do. Mason Clemitts is another bareback rider who’s helped me, and my traveling partners BoDell Jessen and Tony Barrington. The rodeo family in general has been awesome in their support.”
Braxten rodeoed for Weber State University for two years and qualified for the CNFR in 2016, where he finished eighth in the bareback riding. He transferred to the College of Southern Idaho in 2017 and also competed in enough RMPRA rodeos to qualify for the finals. “Genola was my first RMPRA rodeo in 2015, and I did the Evanston series and ended up winning that. I was supposed to go to the RMPRA finals that year but I broke my arm on a practice horse. But in 2016 I qualified again and ended up fourth overall. I’m very grateful to the association, and Ben German with Circle J Rodeo and Wayne Hampton have helped me a lot. The RMPRA is a launching pad for young and upcoming rodeo stars. I’m very grateful for what they’ve done, and now it’s my turn to give back somehow. I want to face any challenges that come; life is 10% circumstances and 90% attitude.”
