Colten Fritzlan at Rifle 2016 – Chelsea Hoffman
story by Lily Weinacht
“I look at rodeo as God’s plan for me – what He’s put in front of me and wants me to achieve in life and in the arena,” says Colten Fritzlan. “I love the sport itself, especially bull riding, and the Lord really motivates me to go down the road and put in the time.” The 16 year old from Rifle, Colorado, is the fourth generation of Fritzlans to compete in rodeo and roughstock. His grandpa, John Kenney, is a retired jockey, and he and his wife, Jean, come to many of Colten’s rodeos.
Colten’s own rodeo career started with calf riding in the amateur rodeos where his dad, Cole Fritzlan, competed. Colten moved up to steers, mini bulls, and eventually, bull riding in the CSHSRA. He’s since added saddle bronc riding and steer wrestling to his rodeo résumé and is considering team roping this spring. Currently, he’s leading the bull riding and saddle bronc riding. “Bull riding is my favorite since I’ve been doing it the longest, but I also like that you’re not just competing against the animal or another competitor, but you’re bringing those forces together and seeing how it comes out when you make eight.”
Colten is coached by his dad, who hazes for Colten, while also steer wrestling in pro rodeos and qualifiers for The American. Cole advanced to The American Semi-Finals in both 2014 and 2015. “My dad really helps me out, and if we can’t figure it out, then we talk to Gary Leffew and send him videos,” Colten explains. “I went to one of his bull riding camps in Utah in 2013, and after that, we asked him to come to our house and put on a camp every year. We supply the stock, and he’s come up the last three years. The next one is June 2017.”
When Colten’s interest in roughstock turned serious as a seven-year-old, the Fritzlans delved into buying and selling mini bulls, steers, and bulls. Today, they have 15 head of bucking bulls, a handful of practice bulls, and several two-year-olds they’re raising. “We’re going to wait until they’re a little older and see what they’re capable of, and go from there,” says Colten. “We try to buck two or three times a week during the season and I’ll call some of my buddies to come help, plus my mom and dad help out and my brother, Teek.” Teek, five, is riding several of his family’s dairy cows and mini bulls, along with doing drills with Colten on drop and stationary barrels, and riding horses bareback. “We’ll put a flank rope behind our horses’ shoulders and ride bareback to build up our leg muscles,” says Colten. “We have a horse that’s a really good cutter, so it’s a lot like riding a bull.”
The brothers, their 15-month-old sister, Swayze, and their parents, Cole and Velvet, live on the outskirts of Rifle. They run Fritzlan & Family Guide & Outfitter Services, founded by Colten’s great-grandpa, Tom Fritzlan, more than 50 years ago. Colten is on the mountain most weekends in the fall helping guide, and pack out meat. “It’s pretty relaxing up there – it gets my mind off everything,” he says. “There’s no phone service and it’s all dirt roads, so it has that old, country feel.”
During the week, Colten is a junior at Rifle High School, where he enjoys his math and weight training classes. Any free time goes to practice, watching bull riding videos, and working with his family. “I’d really like to get academic and rodeo scholarships for college, and I’d also like to find a really positive travel partner to go up and down the road with,” he finishes. “My ultimate goal is to be a multiple time champion in the PBR.”
