Local rodeo star Nick Stull earns a full ride to college

Nick Stull, recent graduate of the Kimball Jr./ Sr. High School, is no stranger to the rodeo arena, and many residents of the city have witnessed him riding on top of a bucking bronco, holding on with all he has to not be thrown.

Unlike most young men in the modern world who dream of being doctors, scientists or writers, Stull seems to have always been drawn to the rodeo life, destined to ride bucking broncos.

“I’ve been around it all my life, and it just always looked like fun,” Stull said.

Though Stull had been around horses for a large period of his life, it wasn’t until a few years ago that he really started to follow the urge to try his hand at it, starting out by trying to learn the basics from his colleagues.

“I just went to different rodeos and just learned from the other guys and going to different schools,” Stull said.

According to Stull’s father, Greg, Stull soon decided to put what he had observed into practice, getting a feel for the way that the broncos would buck underneath him by spending 45 minutes in his parents’ garage on a mechanical bull that had been placed out there for him.

Stull’s hard work paid off over the years, qualifying for two state finals rodeos and two nation finals rodeos where only the top four cowboys in the state earn a spot in the competition.

Stull walked away from his final season in Kimball with a second place finish in Thedford, third place in Mitchell and won the final rodeo of the season in Crawford.

“Nick is no stranger to success,” Greg Stull said.

However, Stull’s success in past seasons can not only be credited to his hard work but also the support that he received from local businesses such as Curley’s Machine Works.

“Shortie and Gene and Wade and Brooke have just been awesome supporters. When I wasn’t riding the best I could, they got me over the hump,” Stull said.

Stull recently left the confines of Kimball to continue his education at Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Oklahoma, a town of about 1,322 residents.

“It’s nothing more than a speck on the map,” Greg Stull said. “If one blinks while cruising down US Highway 54, they might miss the town altogether.”

Though the town of Goodwell is small, it has a rich history of turning out rodeo champions serving as the home of two-time World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Robert Etbauer and multiple-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Craig Latham, who serve as the rodeo coaches for the university. The history of winning at OPSU is something that Stull is hoping to tap into during his time in Goodwell.

“I went here to be on the team. The coaches here are real good. They’re all world champions. It is an honor to attend OPSU,” Stull said.

Though he’s only been in Goodwell for a short time, Stull already admits that the new challenges he will face throughout his first year will take some adjusting to.

“It’s going to be a little bit tougher my freshman year. I’m just going to play it by ear and get on and give it what I got I suppose,” Stull said.

One of the major changes for Stull comes in his potential participation on the university’s points team in future rodeos and the element of accountability to teammates that the position carries.

“If you’re on the points team for the college, that’s the bigger deal, because you’re under more pressure. If you fall off your horse, that could mean the difference between winning or losing that rodeo for your team,” Stull said.

Stull, however, admits that while on his own, he’s a vicious competitor while in the arena.

“I usually can stick to my own. I’m buddies with everybody until it’s bronco riding time and then I hate your guts. After I’m done, then I’m helping my buddies and telling them good luck. I’m not buddies with anyone until I’m done,” Stull said.

Though most people would be nervous before jumping on a bucking bronco or at least be second guessing themselves, Stull enters the arena with confidence every time.

“I never think about falling. If you’re thinking about falling, that’s what happens. You have to have a positive attitude. You have to tell yourself that you’re the best around there. You have to think positive all the time. If I leave for a week for the rodeo, I leave with a real good attitude. I don’t think there’s anything that can buck me off,” Stull said.

When asked where he believed his time at OPSU will take him and what he plans to do with the rest of his life, Stull gave a response that shows that he’s destined to spend the rest of his days on top of a bucking bronc, amidst the lights of the arena.

“This is my life.”