story by Ruth Nicolaus
Caden Bunch lets his actions speak louder than his words.
The fourteen year old cowboy, a member of the Oklahoma Junior High School Rodeo Association, is quiet, but he loves to ride barebacks, bulls, and chute dog.
Of his three events, bull riding is his favorite, probably because he’s been doing it the longest, he said.
The Tahlequah, Okla. boy, who will be an eighth grade student this fall, enjoys math class and considers Mr. Stubblefield, his math teacher, his favorite instructor. He plays football, basketball, and is in track.
Caden has suffered his share of injuries. Last year, he broke his ankle when he got hung up and the bull stepped on it. He also fractured his elbow during a hang-up.
In addition to junior high school rodeo, he competes in the Ozark Junior Rodeo Association, the Oklahoma Wild Bunch Association, Bull Riders Inc.-Junior, the National Junior Bull Riders Association, and the Little Rough Riders Association.
His favorite school lunch is pepperoni pizza, and he loves Dr. Peppers. Caden likes to ride dirt bikes, four-wheelers and horses. The best vacation he’s taken was to Las Vegas for the 2015 PBR World Finals. That year, he was the reserve champion at the Chris Shivers and Leal Miniature Bull Riding Finals. He was selected to be on the Cinch Junior High team this year.
Caden is a two time Youth Bull Riders champion (on sheep and calves), and the 2016 Youth Bull Riders reserve champion steer rider. When he grows up, he’d like to be a bull rider.
His mom, Jeannie Bunch, and his dad, Mike Cravens, love their son. “He’s quiet,” Jeannie said. “He works hard, he’s a good listener, and he has good manners. He’s pretty talented at whatever he wants to do, whether it’s sports or rodeo.” She also loves to see him smile, and she appreciates that he attends youth group at his church on Wednesday nights.
Caden has an older sister, Savannah, an older brother, Cannon, who is sixteen, and two younger brothers: Coda, who is thirteen, and Jax, age nine. He just became an uncle to his beautiful niece Rozlynn, who was born in March.
