WRBRA Cowboy, Riding for Rookie of the Year

NO TURNING BACK: Travis Gonzales formerly of Anderson rides a bull at the Donny Martin Memorial Bull Ride in Penn Valley August 15th. There were 40 other riders at the event to continue to raise funding for the Donny Martin Memorial Scholarship.

Travis Gonzales, 20, of Redding has been riding for the Western Regional Bull Riders Association for the past year. After watching the event many times, Gonzales attended a bull riding school in Oklahoma, he had the same thought that many riders have had.

"That looks like fun! It is something I want to do." Gonzales went to the Terry Don West Bull Riding School, while he was living in Anderson.

After returning, Gonzales began riding with Billy Soksoda, who also competes for the Western Regional Bull Riders Association (WRBRA). Bill Lyle, one of the stock contractors that was working on a bull ride in Angles Camp, asked Gonzales if he would like to ride in the event. After getting on his first competition bull, Gonzales only rode for four to five seconds and was hooked. He has been riding ever since.

Billy Soksoda of Happy Valley has been helping him train and giving Gonzales pointers on how to ride. Soksoda began coaching him after he came back from the bull riding school in Oklahoma.

"Billy helps push me to train harder, gives me tips and knows just what to say when I am getting ready to ride," said Gozales.

Riding in the Pro Am Division of the WRBRA, Gonzales has had the opportunity to learn to ride on some rank bulls rather than practice bulls.

"Learning on the rank bulls helps you to learn that a bull is not going to come out of the chute and be gentle, they are going to come out spinning and turning back into your hand. My biggest inspiration in bull riding has always been the bullfighters, " said Gonzales. "When you buck off, they are the first ones to put themselves in-between you and the bull. They take a hooking for you and they are still out there each time. I try to make sure that I shake their hand before I leave the arena after a ride."

This season, Gonzales has been to bull rides almost every weekend. At times he travels with his mom, or with Billy Soksoda. With the WRBRA Finals coming up in Redding on the 25th and 26th in Redding, Gonzales is competing for the rookie of the year title.

To earn the rookie of the year title, you cannot have ridden for any other association in that particular season.

Gonzales has long term goals of riding in the California Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association, then moving up to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, taking his career as far as he can go, one jump at a time. While making his move on in the PRCA, Gonzales hopes to fill his PRCA card early in the season, so that he can make a run at the Rookie of the Year for 2010.

Gonzales is working full time while spending spare time riding bulls. He is a 2007 graduate of Enterprise High School in Redding.