Tommy Patrick competing at the 2014 NLBFR – JenningsRodeoPhotography.com
Tommy Patrick, a 15-year-old bull rider from Loveland, Colo., has great ambitions. He not only plans to become a world champion bull rider, but is also raising bucking bulls, one of whom, Mr. Twister, has the potential to be part of the PBR or PRCA’s stock. Jesse Hill of Summit Pro Rodeo in Kiowa, Colo., has even looked into purchasing the bull. Tommy bred and raised the four-year-old bull out of his growing herd, with the help of his friend and neighbor, Terry Stolz, owner of TS Ranch and Arena. Stolz has been helping Tommy start his own company, TP Bucking Bulls, as well as coaching Tommy in his bull riding.
Tommy’s family, while very familiar with horses, was new to the idea of roughstock. However, Tommy saw a PBR event on TV and was convinced that that was the sport for him. “If someone told me back when Tommy was two years old that he would be a bull rider, I’d have said they were crazy!” says his mom, Kelly Patrick. “I took Tommy to a calf riding when he was eight and thought he would probably fall off and be crying, and while he did fall off, he had a big smile on his face. He just loved it! So we support him and are so proud of all his accomplishments. It’s been fun!” Several friends invited the Patrick family to a Little Britches rodeo not long after Tommy started calf riding. “I fell in love with the association,” Tommy recalls. “The people are really nice and laid back, the stock is nice, and it’s just a good place to be.”
Prior to joining the NLBRA in 2010, Tommy competed in Mountain States Young Guns, a junior bull riding association. He continues to compete with both associations, although he recently moved into the senior boys division in Little Britches. “I love the sport of rodeo, and it’s the only thing I really look forward to, besides my other sports,” says Tommy. “I have a mindset to succeed, and people to motivate me. My dad has helped me out a lot, and so has Kody Lostroh and Josh Koschel from the PBR, as well as Jed Moore and Randy Olson. I watch videos of good bull rides and ask the bull riders I know questions. These guys have helped me perfect what I need to do.”
Tommy, his parents, Tom and Kelly Patrick, and Tommy’s 16-year-old sister, Michaela, live several miles outside of Loveland. Their four acres are home to Tommy’s herd of bucking stock, as well as horses and the family dog. Michaela is currently training several of her horses for rodeo and enjoys barrel racing at jackpots, fairs, and local rodeos. Tommy, a freshman, attends Thompson Valley High School. His favorite class is construction, and he recently made a smaller version of a grandfather clock in woodworking. He equally enjoys playing football as a cornerback, and is currently wrestling on his school’s team, the Thompson Valley Eagles. Outside of school, Tommy can be found working with his bulls, cleaning pens, spending time with his friends, or going on the occasional trail ride, although bulls are still his preferred ride.
Having qualified for the NLBFR every year since 2011, Tommy plans to continue returning to the finals, and has high hopes of coming home with an NLBRA world champion buckle and saddle someday soon. “Other than that, I’m going to keep bull riding, get my pro card, and win a world championship through the PRCA or PBR,” says Tommy. “I want to keep going strong and riding bulls, because I love it!”
