Somewhere en route to winning the national championship in bull riding at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., June 19, senior Jeff Askey called UT Martin alumnus Dave Waltz, (’80), and said thank you.
Waltz came to UT Martin to ride bulls in 1978-79. He bought his National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) membership card and learned with each ride.
Remembering the old adage, “You always have to get off,” Waltz would put his hand in the middle of the bull’s back, on top of the worn pad for protection. He would have the rope pulled tight. Without thinking he would nod his head for the two men working the chute, his free hand in the air and the other with a death grip on the bull. All he needs for a good ride is eight seconds.
“If you have to think about it, you’re going to get thrown off,” said David Vowell, (’74), also a former UT Martin bull rider.
While at a professional rodeo in Virginia, Waltz met UT Martin cowboys Tony Coleman, (’76, ’82), and Byron Woodard, (’77). The two convinced Waltz to leave Pennsylvania and enroll at UT Martin so he could rodeo. Coleman went on to win back-to-back regional bareback championships and a national all-around title. He became the team’s first coach. Woodard came to UT Martin from the U.S. Army where he had gained plenty of rodeo experience.
After almost two years at UT Martin, Waltz decided to return to the professional circuit. He won four American Professional Rodeo Association bull riding championships (1981, ’83, ’84 and ’86), and in 1986 he won the all-around cowboy title. Waltz retired from competing in professional rodeos after 15 years, but he is still very much involved in the sport – he’s taught his son Tyler and Askey how to ride bulls. Tyler and Askey grew up in 4-H showing horses. Tyler even competed in youth rodeos. It was the younger Waltz who lured Askey to riding rough stock, and it was Dave Waltz who taught him how to ride.
Askey said he was 13 when he rode his first bull, Van Halen 222, in a Keystone Youth Rodeo. He also rides bareback horses. The Pennsylvania native took advantage of what Dave Waltz taught him and went to Northeast Oklahoma A&M Junior College. Askey’s technique, his success and a former cowboy, Lee Jay Larmon, from Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College is how UT Martin head rodeo coach, John Luthi, found out about Askey.
For the past two seasons, Askey, who calls Beech Creek, Pa. home, has been riding bulls and bareback at UT Martin. As a junior in 2009, he finished fifth in the nation and helped the UT Martin team finish ninth in the country.
“Bull riding is mostly mental,” he said. “You can go out and beat yourself up worrying about the standings instead of going out and doing what you are supposed to do.”
Askey continues to ride professionally now that he has graduated. He used to mix his day with classes, rodeo and studying. The animal science major’s class load included anatomy, physiology and microbiology. “I always had good grades,” Askey said. “I learned early on that I have more opportunities if I have good grades.”
In addition to finishing fifth in the nation in bull riding at the 2009 CNFR, Askey was the recipient of a $1,800 scholarship for the highest grade-point average — a 3.92 GPA — of all the men competing at the CNFR from a four-year university.
The 22-year-old maintained his focus this past year as he achieved two big goals – winning the Ozark Region bull riding title and the college national rodeo title.
Askey won the Ozark Region bull riding title in May, and used an 86.5-point ride in the first go at the CNFR to advance to the championship short round where he went eight seconds on China Grove for 88.5 points and the national championship.
Now that school is finished, Askey will try to make a living on the pro rodeo circuit, something that he was doing while he was a student. Nine months into 2009, Askey won $30,000 in prize money, a bulk of the earnings came from the Professional Bull Riding (PBR) circuit. “It’s tough to compete in the PBR when you’re in school,” he said.
The challenges of competing on the collegiate level and the pro circuit were evident the first week of the 2009-10 college season. Askey competed at the Missouri Valley College (MVC) Rodeo in Marshall. After his Thursday night ride, he worked the bull-riding event at Altamont, Ill., in a pro rodeo. He went back toMarshall for the finals of the college rodeo on Saturday and then drove all night to compete in a pro rodeo at Farmington, Minn. He started the college rodeo season off by winning the bull riding average at the MVC rodeo.
It’s no wonder people such as Dave Waltz and David Vowell say, “Kids today have it made. They have so many ways to learn – videos, schools, junior rodeos. Back then, all we could do is learn the basics, maybe watch a rodeo on television or if we were fortunate go to a rodeo school.”
Askey said Waltz and Vowell are on target. “We have a lot more resources than they had back then … bucking machines and practice bulls.”
As Askey goes through his chute procedures he tries to relax. “It’s all muscle memory. I will use my knees and my legs,” he said. “I try not to worry about the other riders. I worry about the bull and myself.”
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