Clayton Biglow is one of two 2013 IFYR Champions trying to make a repeat performance at the 2014 IFYR. So far, it’s looking pretty good for the 18-year-old from Clements, California. He is leading the bareback riding after the first round and is the high score for the second round. He started riding bareback horses as a sophomore in high school, but has been involved in rodeo his whole life. “Rodeo found me. My dad (Russ) rode bucking horses and my mom (Jessie) was in the show world, jumping horses.” His sister, Taylor, runs barrel and breakaway ropes and his youngest sister, Maddie, runs barrel, poles, and jumps. “Jumping helps with balance,” Clayton explains. “Mom trains jumping horses. She’s got 15 to ride every day and I help ride them.”
Clayton won the 2013 and 2014 Bareback Champion for California High School Rodeo and split the win at the 2013 National High School Finals Rodeo. He will head to Rock Springs to compete in the bareback riding and team roping. He won the bareback riding last year in Shawnee and took home a saddle, lots of Cinch jeans, a buckle, and $2,500. “It’s the richest high school rodeo I’ve ever been to.” Now sitting fourth in the Columbian River Circuit, he admits that he hasn’t won that much in one rodeo since.
Clayton is heading to Feather River College in California, and plans to apply to CalPoly. He wants to go for a degree in Ag Business and will use his degree to help him with a cattle business when he retires from rodeo. His rodeo plans include riding on his permit and then making a run for Rookie of the Year.
He hits at least 50 rodeos a year between high school and pro. “It’s a full time job.” His favorite part is the people he meets. “You will never have friends like you have in rodeo. You are never against each other. It’s not the highest paying job, but you will have more fun.”
IFYR – Top 15 Standings from First Go
