Bradlee Miller

Local SHSU student recently competed in his first National Finals Rodeo.

One of Bradlee Miller’s earliest childhood memories is from when he was four. His dad, Bubba Miller, got the phone call notifying him that he had been hired as the rodeo team coach for Sam Houston State University.  Bradlee vividly remembers the celebration with his dad, his mom Tammy, and his grandparents to commemorate the occasion.  Little did they know then that, 17 years later, they would be reflecting on that phone call actually contributing to a career for both of them.  Now 21 and preparing to graduate this spring from SHSU, Bradlee is competing both for the SHSU Rodeo Team and as a successful PRCA bareback competitor.  Postcards had a conversation to learn about his journey and his plans for the future.

Obviously, you grew up around rodeo.  Share how you selected bareback riding as a pursuit.

Growing up, my biggest dream was to make the National Finals in bull riding.  I did both events and had success in junior competition.

To quantify his humble “had success,” Bradlee won five outright Junior World Finals titles – three in bareback bronc riding and two in bull riding – and tied for another bareback title.

My last junior rodeo was when I was 17.  I then transitioned to professional rodeo; I bought my PRCA permit when I turned 18.

During my first year of college, I had a few head injuries that were pretty rough.  I had to do some serious evaluation about my future in rodeo.  Ultimately, I gave up bull riding, because it seemed like that’s where the injuries were occurring the most.  I miss it, and I hope to be able to resume bull riding one day soon.

Both events seem pretty risky to me.

There’s plenty of risk in both, but they’re different.  In bull riding, even the best bull riders in the world don’t complete a ride on 50-60% of the bulls they get on.  That’s a lot of rough landings, and there’s just not a soft way down.  In the bareback riding, you’re tied to that horse.  If they throw you, a lot of times you’re going to be hanging and dragging—which, in a weird way, kind of protects your head [laughs].  You might get your legs stomped and your body beat down the side of the fence, but your head seems to be pretty safe most of the time.

Compare competing in the junior circuit to the PRCA events you enter now.

The junior rodeos definitely prepare you for professional rodeo in ways with skills.  For the most part, however, you have a lot of help whenever you are junior rodeoing—from your parents and family helping you get from one rodeo to the next. On all those drives, they’re splitting it for you, and you’re in the back sleeping.

The biggest transition for me was that, in professional rodeo, you’re without your family for 150 days a year—it’s a full-time job.  You’re traveling mostly on your own or with your competitor partner.  Logistics can be challenging.  You may end up sleeping in an airport, or you’re scrambling for a hotel because they’re all sold out due to a basketball game in town.

I look forward to when the circuit brings me into Texas for a few days, and my family can pick me up at the airport and go to an event with me.

Describe rodeo “season.”

Most rodeos occur between June and the end of August, but rodeo is growing at such a fast rate, there are more events extending that out all the time.  We’re only in February, and I’ve already slept in two airports this year—that’s normally not happening until summer! It’s rapidly becoming where there is no “off season.”

Thankfully, I compete in a rodeo category where I get to fly to the rodeo events.  Competitors who have to haul their horses have very different travel challenges.  Rough stock riders like me are allowed to enter 100 qualifying rodeos in the season, whereas calf ropers only get like 75, to help balance that out.  We get to go to more rodeos, but it’s a little easier for us to get there.

NFR standings are an accumulation of money won during the season.  It’s not how many rodeos you go to, it’s about the winnings.  So, if you win more, you can qualify for the National Finals with fewer rodeos entered. This last year, I went to 98 of the 100 allowed rodeos to get to the Finals.

Describe your feelings about your NFR performance from December.

Going into Vegas, my goal wasn’t to win a gold buckle—I mean, I would love to one day, but for my first NFR appearance, my goal was to win one go-round and win maybe $100,000.

Bradlee finished a career-best 4th in the PRCA | RAM earned $371,403. He placed in 8 rounds–highlighted by winning Round 2, Round 4 and Round 7. He gave a lot of local people reason to follow the Finals and cheer him on—a win-win for sure!

About halfway through the week, I realized I had a shot at a gold buckle.  That night, after the fifth round, my goals completely shifted.  Going into the final (10^th) round, I had a shot to do it.  I drew a tough horse, and I messed him up bad, but…you live, and you learn.  Hopefully, I’ll get another shot at him this year.

I think the ride in the third round bothers me more than the 10^th.  If I had just gone for the average instead of going for the round win, it might have helped me out in the long run.

I wonder if I should have set my goals higher sooner—if that would have made a difference.  So much of this is mental.  Often, you really CAN do more than you think.

Explain how college classes work with you on the road to that degree.

This semester, thankfully, I’m all online.  In the past, with some in-person classes, it takes a “little understanding from a professor and a lot of effort from you.”  It can end up costing a lot more to rodeo because of making extra trips home for class requirements.  I think it’s all going to be worth it, when it’s said and done.

Are there conflicts between professional rodeo events and college rodeo events?

I have to miss a handful of PRCA events during the year to make college rodeo events.  There have also been a couple of times when a big pro finals overlaps a college event, and you have to make a businessman’s decision to stick it out through the final and try to earn money.  You then hope you can make up the ground you lost and still make the college finals in the end.

Share a good lesson you’ve learned along the way.

I’ve learned that you can learn a little bit from everyone. Never stop learning.  You just have to shut your mouth and open your ears a few times [laughs]. I’ve heard that a lot from my dad.  I like to talk a lot, and I learned it’s hard to hear when your mouth is open!

Tell us about your field of study and future plans.

I graduate this spring with a degree in construction management.  I would like to rodeo until I’m 28-30 years old—as long as I can stay healthy.  After rodeo, I hope to own rental properties here in Huntsville and make some places for new rodeo students to live!

And THAT sounds like another win-win.  Thanks, Bradlee, for making us hometown proud. May good health and God’s blessings follow you on the circuit.