There are a few people that are fortunate enough to find that one event, that one activity that becomes their life’s passion. Sam Felber is one of those fortunate individuals. The 28-year-old cowboy has been riding bulls for the last eight years and still has that fire-in-belly desire to ride as much today, as when he started. “I’m the first one in my family to compete in any rodeo event. My younger brother tried it, but it wasn’t for him.” He has been in the Mid-States association for the last six years and says the Mid-States rodeos are well run, close to home and, “…they have good money added and they pay out pretty good.”
Besides Mid-States he competes in the Nebraska State Rodeo Association and Bull Riders of America. “I’ll only get to about 10 rodeos this year, but I went to about 50 or 60 bull ridings. The bull ridings are set up where you might have two in a day and they pay better. But, there is more travel. Mid-States rodeos are a lot closer. This year I plan to hit more rodeos and maybe stay a little closer to home.”
Sam got his start bull riding with the help of some of his friends and recalls, “I had a couple of buddies that were riding and I started going with them. Then I started climbing on a few bulls and I was hooked and I went on from there. I was 20 when I got on my first bull.” He says that his mother has been his biggest influence to him and always been there with encouragement to weather the inevitable slumps that happen in rodeo. “It doesn’t matter whether I buck off or ride 10 in a row; she is always there for me.”
Learning to stay aboard 1,500 pounds of mad bovine takes some doing and seeking out some expert support is the way to go. Sam explains, “I had a lot of help from Cody Bode when I started. Then I went to a Gary Leffew school and he helped me out a lot with the mental side of bull riding and keeping a positive mental attitude.” Sam’s preparation for nodding his head and opening the gate means staying loose and relaxed. “One of my buddies always told me to have fun with it. If you’re not having fun, why even do it? I think that’s the biggest thing for me; and that holds for everything you do in life. I am thankful for being able to do this, I don’t take it for granted.”
When it comes time to bare down in the arena, Sam has a competitive spirit that comes to life. “If I see one of my buddies put up an 85 score, and I know I have just a good of bull as he does, then I’ll go out and try to get that 86 or 87 score. It’s like, ‘Watch this. I’ll one-up ya!’ I have always been competitive since I was a kid.”
Sam, 28 makes his home in Newman Grove, Neb. where he was born and raised. His parents are Eugene and Jonell and he has a younger brother, Seth. During the week Sam works construction jobs. After hours, he and his dad are working the cows that they run together. Leisure time is spent hanging out with friends or going hunting or fishing. Goals for the future are to continue to ride bulls and develop his own string of bucking bulls to haul to rodeos or bull ridings. “I would like to win a Mid-States bull riding title once or twice before I’m done.”
