Young East Texas bull rider sets his eye on PBR future

Eight seconds isn’t much of a run on a dirt bike, but it’s victory on the back of a bull. Caisen Sims enjoys both, but it’s riding the steer that really gets the 13-year-old’s adrenaline pumping.
The Kilgore 8th grader and Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo fan is ready to ride again after participating in the Texas vs Oklahoma Chute Out in Decatur, hosted by the Cowboy Youth Bull Riders Association Oct. 25. It’s been barely a year since Caisen’s first ride on a Senior Steer, and he’s already among the top contenders for the Youth Bull Riding World Finals.
Mom, Britnee, is always in the stands and, of course, white-knuckled. Saturday’s ride didn’t quite make the target time after the steer threw Caisen into the wall, but after a just-in-case EMS check, the teen dusted himself off and started counting down to the next go. He’ll be riding Friday in a Halloween Rodeo at Pale Horse Ranch then in competition again Nov. 15.
Caisen’s got the skills and the confidence, no worries since he got the first dozen rides under his belt 10 months back; so, mom does double-duty when it comes to the jitters.
“The practices are not as bad,” she says. “I know a lot of the bulls he’s getting on, so I don’t have as much worry. But when it’s a competition, I’m really anxious, because we don’t know the bulls.
“Usually you can tell with a bull; you know what they’re going to do. They’re going to come out, buck straight ahead or they’re gonna cut back and start spinning. When you go to competition, you don’t know. So, you’re just drawing a bull, you’re getting on and hanging on.”
After months and months of lessons and training runs and hours on his home practice barrel, Caisen jumped into competitions with gusto for the first time this fall. He’s hanging on in the sport, literally, notching the requisite eight seconds on the majority of his competition rides.
“If they’re mean in the chute, and they start bucking in the chute, it’ll tell me what they’re going to do out there in the pen,” Caisen says. That’s par for the course – he’d rather the steer act a bit ornery and give him a heads-up. “If they’re gentle in the pen, I really don’t know what’s coming.”
Naturally, Caisen’s already collected a coveted autograph from bull riding legend Don Gay. After taking up the sport last year, the Kilgore Middle Schooler is getting about 30 rides a month between weekly practice events at Pale Horse Ranch in Big Sandy, biweekly outings at Cross Brand Arena in Tyler and a couple of trips each month to Saginaw for Texas Youth Bull Riders activities.
That’s what it takes to get on the board with TYBR events in Abilene come January and, beyond, to reach Caisen’s goal of riding with PBR (Professional Bull Riders) by 18. They’re crowdfunding training costs, entry fees and travel expenses along the way – supporters can reach out to britnee_g_2004@yahoo.com to contribute.
“These kids are amazing. They really support each other. Even if they didn’t do well themselves, they’re so excited for their friend. They want to watch their competition do well,” she says. Granted, “The odds are not in your favor to make it.”
Caisen’s been thrown by his fair share of bulls, taken the falls and the knocks. Notably, out of six breaks the past six months, only one came from bull riding, the rest from skating and other hobbies.
“We’ve had more injuries on the dirt bike,” Britnee quips. So, is she getting past the worry at this point? “No.”
Caisen’s not taking anything for granted either. He doesn’t dwell on the injuries, doesn’t worry about getting thrown. He just focuses on the next round. The point’s to stay on. That’s the plan. That’s the challenge.
Eight seconds to go.