story by Riata Cummings
Austen Hamblin is the 14-year-old son of Brandee and Jed Hamblin of West Haven, Utah. He and his younger brothers, Ryker, Kash and Kasen, enjoy going camping, hunting and rodeoing. Austen attends Rocky Mountain Junior High School as an eighth grader, and his favorite classes include history and mathematics. Austen loves to be with his family and friends at the rodeo, and he enjoys playing football and relaxing on fishing trips.
Austen’s father Jed was a professional bull rider for a time, and Jed now enjoys bullfighting with his brother Jade. Austen inherited that love for bull riding, and he started riding calves when he was 5-years-old. He was the Tiny-Tot Miniature Bull Riding Champion in 2011, he has won three rounds of the mini-bull riding at the Days of ’47 Rodeo, and he qualified for the Junior World Finals last year. He has also won the Henefer, Utah, rodeo for six years in a row. For the rest of the season, Austen hopes to ride as well as he can so that he can qualify for the junior high state and national finals.
Another one of Austen’s goals is to cover the bull Milk Mustache. Owned by CT Rodeo, Milk Mustache has thrown Austen 4 of the 5 time the two have met in the arena. Austen and his buddies “are always trying to help each other get good enough to stay on Milk Mustache.” Austen practices as often as he can, getting on practice bulls or dummies to practice technique and balance. “I have ridden him once, and I will ride him again. I just have to keep practicing.” Eventually, Austen would like to compete in the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association and qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Competing in rodeo has taught Austen the importance of friendships and the value of sportsmanship. “One of my favorite things about rodeo is going to see all of my buddies.” Riding bulls gives him the chance to support his friends in very real ways. “I love to have a good ride, but I am even happier when I get to rush back behind the chutes and help my friends on their bulls.”
Austen lives by the saying, “Don’t quit until your head hits the ground.” The quote reminds him to “give every ride your everything.” Austen believes that his heroes, his father and Jess Lockwood, personify that determination to succeed. “My father has accomplished so many things in his life. As a bull rider and then a bull fighter and as a dad. And Jess Lockwood is one of the youngest and most successful bull riders out there, all because he refuses to give up.”
Austen would like to thank his parents for “being the biggest help and the biggest support” throughout his rodeo career. He would like to thank his father and Uncle Jade for protecting him as bullfighters. He would also like to thank Cameron and Jaelynn Tuckett from CT Rodeo for providing wonderful stock and for supporting his rodeo career. Austen is grateful for the opportunity he has been given to chase his gold buckle dreams, and he is grateful for all of the people who have made it possible.
