More from The Q&A: Austin Meier
Bull riding might not be as big as, say, football or basketball in the sports hierarchy.
That isn’t for lack of personality in the sport’s stars.
I had a chance to chat with Austin Meier a few days before this weekend’s Professional Bull Riders tour event began at the Ford Center. The Checotah native turned Kinta resident is one bull riding’s rising talents, but despite his winnings, he was as genuine and affable as could be.
You’ll want to check out my Q&A with Meier on Saturday’s Page 2, but before you do, here’s more from my interview:
Jenni Carlson: Whenever I interview bull riders, I always ask what your wife thinks about your profession, but I know your wife is a barrel racer and has been around rodeoing. So, what does she think?
Austin Meier: She worries about it a lot. Just like at Tampa, I had a little wreck. It worries her. She’s everything I could ever ask for. There’s a lot of girls out there that it seems like when things are great, they’re all for it, but when things ain’t, they’re ready to hit the road. I think she seen real quick what bull riding could hold. The first month she was with me, I got my face stepped on and got to get plates and screws put in both sides of my jaw. That was a real test for her, and it showed her true colors to me. Never once did she bat an eye at whether she still wanted to be with me. Like I said, it worries her. She knows it’s dangerous. Since I’ve been with her, there’s been kids who’ve been killed doing it, but she knows that’s what I do for a living and that’s what allows us to have some of the nice things we do. But I know we both look forward to when I get to be home.
JC: You wear a helmet when you ride. That’s a hot-button issue — to wear or not to wear?
AM: My cousin Rusty Patrick was one of the first guys. He started, and then, me seeing him, I sort of wondered about it. I figured, “Well, when I start riding bulls, I’ll put one on.” Well, I started riding and didn’t put one on, then I had a bull run over the top of me and scuff my head up. I put a helmet on, and it’s something that has never bothered me. I played football and baseball, and I was a catcher in baseball, so having a helmet has never bothered me. It’s probably saved my life a few times.
JC: Do you wonder about guys who don’t wear one?
AM: I do. I had a buddy of mine, Ryan McConnel, got hit in the face (last) weekend. It didn’t mess him up, but it dang sure didn’t make him look too pretty. Had he had a helmet on, he wouldn’t have got a concussion, a cut, nothing. It’s times like that, I’m like, “Man, guys, if you all just put helmets on, you wouldn’t have to be getting stitches.”
JC: People will still think of you as tough guys even if you wear helmets.
AM: That’s right.
JC: You’re on a bull in the chute right before they open the gate — what is going through your mind?
AM: Most of the time when it’s go time, it’s just ride the bull. Don’t try to set any plans. Sometimes, it just seems like there’s a real peace over you. Other times, it’s like, “All right, it’s time to step up.” It’s kind of like when I had Big Bucks the first time. He’s a world champion bull. Only two guys had rode him. It’s time like that when you’re revved up and it’s time to bear down and get it done.
JC: So the emotions can really vary?
AM: That doesn’t mean you’re going to ride different or better or worse. That’s just some of the emotions you go through. And sometimes it depends on what music is playing. Or for me it does.
JC: Music? Really?
AM: Generally, I’m pretty calm. You’ll see some guys jumping around, slapping themselves. Most of the time, I’m pretty laid back and calm. Shoot, you might even see me yawn. My grandpa, he asked my dad one of the first big events he had seen me at, he says, “Rex, is he OK? He sure don’t act too revved up.” Dad said, “Yeah, that’s just him.” And I went out there and rode my bull … and he said, “Man, I guess so.”
JC: When you had the U.S. Army as one of your sponsors, didn’t you do some basic training with them?
AM: I never got to do the basic training, but now that I’ve got U.S. Border Patrol as my sponsor, we did get to go down to El Paso and see what it’s all about. They took us and we got to shoot some really cool guns, do some repelling and just really see what they’re every day life is all about. It was an awesome experience. I can’t wait to go down and do it again.
JC: Some really cool guns, heh?
AM: Oh, yeah. It was awesome. They’re guns that I can’t afford, though.
JC: You can’t afford them or justify having them probably.
AM: Exactly.
JC: Did you come to Oklahoma City to watch the bull riding event when you were younger?
AM: Before I actually got into the sport, we were bringing bulls to these events with Dillon & H.D. Page, which are there in Ardmore. I got to see when I was 15 … when really that’s a big growth time for a bull rider, got to see what this life was like and what the big show was. It was neat being able to say we helped to train and maintain one of the premier bulls. And it allowed me to meet a lot of guys. Adriano (Moraes) was one of my good friends and Paulo Crimber.
JC: So, you’re back in the back meeting guys?
AM: For sure. Ross Coleman asked me one time — he was doing an autograph signing — he said, “Austin, you want my autograph?” I said, “No, you’re my buddy. I don’t need your autograph.” And at that time, they were my friends. I’ve known a bunch of them from when I was young. I grew up watching them, grew up with them being my friends, and now I’m here riding them them, now and then taking their money. And they’re taking mine sometimes.
JC: You went from Challengers Tour to Built Ford Tough Series in a couple months. Isn’t that like going from Class A ball to the big leagues?
AM: You know, I would say what it would probably be the equivalent of is a kid straight out of college signs into the minor leagues and as soon as he gets his bat stuck in the minor leagues, he ends up having to take it back out and go to the big leagues. It was sure a blessing and a neat experience, and it was an experience that I was ready for at the time. It’s took me a few years to be healthy enough and mature enough. At this level, my buddy Ryan Dirteater is about the only kid that I’ve seen come in this early and be able to dominate and it not bother him.
JC: Is there a better bull rider name than Ryan Dirteater?
AM: Well, you know, I think it’s like calling a fat man “Tiny.” We used to have a big kid in our school, and we always called him Tiny. So I think they call Dirteater Dirteater because he don’t get to each much dirt. He always lands on his feet and rides good.
JC: People in the bull riding world talk about you as one of the rising young stars. Do you look at yourself that way?
AM: You know, I let that kind of talk go in one ear and out the other. I appreciate that, and I hope that I can be a role model to a lot of little kids and be that rising super star that everybody thinks I am. But I think for the most part, I’m going to keep riding my bulls and keeping my faith up and let the rest take care of itself.
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Please forward to Austin
I am writing for my 5 year old grandson. He has been admiring you & watching every thing he can find about you for the last six months.He says he is “”your biggest fan & very best friend.” We record your rides & probably watch them more than your Mother.
We live in Tulsa & his(Grant’s) biggest wish is to meet you. His ambition is to become a Rodeo clown some day.
Thank you for the good clean entertainment.
Linda Greever
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Linda:
Thanks for your post, but unfortunately, I don’t have contact info for Austin. You might try his website; I think he has a “fan club” type of area.
Jenni