story by Ruth Nicolaus
James Lee Brown is the reserve champion bull rider for the Colorado High School Rodeo Association.
The seventeen-year-old cowboy from Peyton, Colo. began his rodeo career because of his dad.
His dad, Clint, had a bucket list with bull riding on it, and about fifteen years ago, decided to try it. He liked it, and since he did, James Lee decided it might be something he wanted to do, too.
So sheep riding came first, then James Lee graduated to calves, steers, and now bulls.
At the time, he and his family lived in Ohio, and he competed many times at his hometown rodeo in Waynesville, the Fox Hollow Rodeo. The family moved to Colorado three years ago.
He is a junior at Peyton High School, where he competes as a wrestler. His freshman year, he was on the student council, and last year, he was in choir.
Last summer, James Lee worked for ranchers and farmers, throwing hay bales. He’s no stranger to hard work; his dad taught him early on, to put his all into what he does.
With his earnings, he sets some aside for entry fees, and is saving the rest to buy a home some day.
This year, he competed in Little Britches Rodeo and qualified for Nationals, ending the season in the top ten. He also qualified for the National High School Finals, but because of his broken foot, he decided not to compete at Nationals, in preparation for the fall high school rodeo season.
James Lee has had a few injuries in his bull riding career, but not many. He’s broken his arm, and had a bull’s horn go through his helmet, “busting my head open pretty good,” he said, which required stitches. In mid-summer, he broke his foot and competed at National Little Britches Finals in a cast.
When he’s done with high school, James Lee would like to partner with one of his dad’s friends in the concrete business and compete in the PRCA.
He competed in the Miniature Bull Riding as a youngster, and in 2013, finished in third place at their finals, which were held in Las Vegas. His favorite trip was going to the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in 2013 to ride in the MBR during the Dickies Iron Cowboy event. “The trip was fun,” he said.
He loves to be in the Rocky Mountains, mountain biking, hiking, camping, or rock climbing with the Jeep.
His mom, Becky, appreciates that her son works hard and is determined. “He’s a hard worker,” she said. “At the end of the day, he knows what he wants and how he’s going to get it.”
He has an older brother, Clint, who is eighteen, and a younger sister, Cheyenne, who is twelve.
