Richmond Champion

Richmond Champion is the first cowboy to win $1 million in rodeo in one day. The day was Sunday, March 2 2014, in Arlington, Texas, at the American Rodeo. “I was so happy with my bareback ride – that horse (Assault) bucked me off earlier this year,” said 21-year-old Richmond. “Most of the year, he isn’t that nice.” Richmond came to the American to do the best he could and when he scored 90 in the final shoot out, everything else was a bonus. Richmond had to wait for the next five events to claim the million. When the last two barrel racers didn’t make the cut, he was left holding the bag. “The guys that were moving all the event winners from arena to arena were telling me how many qualifiers were left. Obviously you hope for it, but I wasn’t wishing anything bad for anyone. It was a really cool experience.” Richmond was fortunate to be the first qualifier to go and the second rider out in the short round. “I didn’t have to think about it for too long. I never had the chance to let my nerves get to me… I’ve been in that position and you do choke a little bit.”

Richmond is relatively new to the sport of rodeo, but not to the world of competitive sports. “I was a ski racer when we lived in Alaska,” he said. Starting at five, Richmond spent five days a week racing on the slopes near Anchorage. “I remember stick horses and cowboy hats – but you don’t do that in Alaska.” Richmond’s dad, Greg, is in the hotel management business and his job required the family to move a lot – six states and eight cities during the time Richmond and his brother, Douglas, were growing up. “When my parents moved the family to Dallas, Texas, we went to the Mesquite Rodeo, and I knew then that I wanted to rodeo.” The family landed in Washington State and that is where Richmond started in high school rodeo, riding bulls, which he rode for three years. The family had moved to Texas when Richmond realized bull riding was not the event for him. “I was terrible. I got to the point where somebody mentioned that I needed to explore my options and my brother rode bare backs and he woke me up one day and asked me to take him to church, we rode bareback horses after church at Bubba Miller’s place; he is the rodeo coach at Sam Houston.” That was the summer before his senior year, and Richmond won the Texas high school finals in 2011. All the moving has made Richmond into the person he is today. “Now I can’t sit still, if I’m in one place too long, I get antsy. That set me up for the rodeo world; you can’t get too comfortable.”

Lori, who is in the restaurant management business, looks at both of her sons and believes they have turned into fine young men, able to deal with people on many levels. “They’ve had to move and adjust to different schools – Richmond went to three high schools in three years, in three states- you have to be you to be successful. Both of my kids are high level competitors. They were always athletes. They both played Lacrosse. Richmond played soccer and competed in the mounted shooting sports. Douglas is a senior at Sam Houston. He got hurt riding bareback horses two years ago in Estes Park, and the surgeon encouraged him to stop. He’s finishing school in hospitality and focusing on his career.” Both boys went to private school until the family moved back to Texas, when Richmond requested to be enrolled in public school. “He went from 150 kids in his class to 950. He excelled because he learned how to form relationships with teachers that nobody else had to do.”

Richmond went on to college rodeo for Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, where he learned how to get past nerves. “I went through a stage of being really nervous – I couldn’t make a ride in the short round. College rodeo helped me get past that – and now I just think of every rodeo as a college rodeo. I look forward to the high pressure situations. Having to deal with the rankest horses at that level, riding against guys that I look up to – knowing that two NFR qualifiers were right behind me – it comes down to doing your job. When you come out victorious – that’s one of the greatest feelings in the world.”

The notion of being a millionaire has not entirely set in. “I held the check for maybe 30 seconds and handed it to my dad.” Richmond and his dad started making a game plan. “Dad told me to buy a toy – I was excited about the Ranger that I won – that’s about all the toy I’d ever want.” He is going to replace the van that he and his traveling partners use to go down the road. He is also looking into investments in land. “But where,” he said, adding, “I’m 21 – I have a trailer house in Stephenville and I’m happy with that.” One thing that hasn’t changed is his goal to make the WNFR. He was home for one day, then off to Houston, Omaha, Florida, and back to Texas. “I need to get back to what I’m used to – that will keep me humble – keep rodeoing.”