Sage Kimzey

Last updated
Sage Kimzey
Sage Kimzey trades bulls for an F-16 (1) (cropped).jpg
Kimzey in 2016
Personal information
Full nameSage Steele Kimzey
Born (1994-08-26) August 26, 1994 (age 29)
Strong City, Oklahoma, United States
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) (2019)
Weight150 lb (68 kg) (2019)
Sport
Sport Rodeo
Event Bull riding
Turned pro2013
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking7x PRCA Bull Riding World Champion
2014 PRCA Bull Riding Rookie of the Year
2024 PBR World Finals Event Champion

Sage Steele Kimzey (born August 26, 1994) is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. For most of his career, he competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), winning seven bull riding world championships. He also competed in the now-defunct Championship Bull Riding (CBR) organization, where he won three world championships. Since 2023, he has ridden for the Carolina Cowboys during the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Team Series season. As of 2024, he competes full-time in the PBR.

Contents

Early life

Sage Steele Kimzey was born on August 26, 1994, in Strong City, Oklahoma. His father, Ted, was a PRCA barrelman who also worked at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 1980 and 1987. His mother, Jennifer, is the CEO of Gold Buckle Realty. His older sister, Dusta, is a pharmacist, and his younger brother Trey followed in his footsteps by becoming a bull rider as well. His mother and siblings sideline as trick riders. Kimzey graduated from Cheyenne High School in Oklahoma. He played basketball there for four years. His team won the state championship in his senior year. He attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University (Weatherford). [1]

Career highlights

2013 season

He won the Rangers Rodeo in Lawton, Oklahoma, with a 93-point ride on D&H Cattle's No. 43x; the Chisholm Trail Stampede in Duncan, Oklahoma; and the Crosstie PRCA Rodeo in Hinton, Oklahoma. He won the Land Rush Pro Rodeo in Beggs, Oklahoma; the Kit Carson County Fair & Rodeo in Burlington, Colorado; and the Area Chamber of Commerce Fourth of July Rodeo in Belton, Texas. He won the Mesquite ProRodeo Series in Mesquite, Texas, on June 21 and July 5; and the MH Henry Pro Rodeo in Bowie, Texas, on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15. He won co-champion at the Topeka PRCA Rodeo in Topeka, Kansas; and the Jayhawker Roundup Rodeo in Hill City, Kansas. He set a PRCA record for most money won on a permit in a single season with $47,726. [1]

2014 season

He won the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas; the San Antonio Xtreme Bulls, also in San Antonio, Texas; and the All-American ProRodeo Finals in Waco, Texas. He won the New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo in Albuquerque, New Mexico; the Central Wyoming Fair & PRCA Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming; and the Elks Rodeo in Woodward, Oklahoma. He won the Tulsa State Fair PRCA Rodeo in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Chisholm Trail Stampede in Duncan, Oklahoma; and the Will Rogers Stampede in Claremore, Oklahoma. He won the Spokane Interstate Rodeo in Spokane, Washington; the Southwestern International PRCA Rodeo in El Paso, Texas; and the Kitsap Stampede Division 2 Xtreme Bulls in Bremerton, Washington. He won the Division 2 Qualifying Xtreme Bulls Event in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and the Gem State Classic ProRodeo Series in Blackfoot, Idaho. He was co-champion at the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale in Ellensburg, Washington; the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo in Guymon, Oklahoma; the Rapid City Rodeo Wrangler Champions Challenge in Rapid City, South Dakota; and the Nacogdoches Pro Rodeo & Steer Show in Nacogdoches, Texas. [1]

At the NFR, he won four rounds. He won the average title. He became the second rookie to win a bull riding gold buckle. His total NFR earnings of $175,466 was the highest of the event, giving him the Ram Truck Top Gun Award. He finished with a rookie record total of $318,631. The record could be any event or a combined amount. By winning this championship during his first two years, he became the first competitor to do so as a card carrying holder in the PRCA. [1]

2015 season

He won the Ellensburg Rodeo in Ellensburg, Washington; the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale, also in Ellensburg, Washington; the Pendleton Round-Up in Pendleton, Oregon; and the Wrangler Champions Challenge Finale in Omaha, Nebraska. He won the Wrangler Champions Challenges in Logandale, Nevada and Redding, California; and the Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo in Spanish Fork, Utah. He won the Rangers Rodeo in Lawton, Oklahoma; the Gooding Pro Rodeo in Gooding, Idaho; the Range Days Rodeo in Rapid City, South Dakota; and the Cassia County Fair & Rodeo in Burley, Idaho. He won the Pasadena Livestock Show & Rodeo in Pasadena, Texas; and the Division 2 Qualifying Xtreme Bulls Event in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was the co-champion at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo in Guymon, Oklahoma and the Cattleman Days Rodeo in Ashland, Missouri. [1]

He placed in seven rounds at the NFR. He finished second in the average. He won his second world championship in a row with $327,178. [1] Kimzey came into the NFR with a very large lead, having had a very successful regular season. At finals, he drew some tough bulls. His rides were not as successful as he wanted. However, his successful regular season covered that. He rode six bulls. Still, the bulls he did and did not ride cost him money. The championship came down to the finish. He managed to ride well enough to win. [2]

2016 season

He won the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas; the Pendleton Round-Up in Pendleton, Oregon; and the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo in Sikeston, Missouri. He won the Ogden Pioneer Days in Ogden, Utah; the Molalla Buckeroo Rodeo in Molalla, Oregon; and the Kansas' Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg, Kansas. He won the Wrangler Champions Challenges in Spanish Fork, Utah and Pueblo, Colorado; the Cody Stampede Rodeo in Cody, Wyoming and the Cody Stampede Wrangler Champions Challenge. He won the 40th Annual Isanti, Minnesota Firefighters Rodeo; the Sidney, and the Iowa's Championship Rodeo in Sidney, Iowa; He won co-champion at the Horse Heaven Round-up Wranglers Champions Challenge in Kennewick, Washington; and the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo in Abilene, Kansas. [1]

At the NFR, he won Round 1. He placed in five rounds to rank third. He won his third consecutive world championship with $311,462 in earnings. [1]

He rode Aftershock from Frontier Rodeo in the first round and scored 86.50 points. He was second in Round 3 once he rode Night Moves from Calgary Stampede with a score of 87.50. He covered his bull in the fifth round, but did not win any money. He split second and third in Round 6 with a score of 87.50 on Half Nuts, from Pete Carr Rodeo. In Round 7, he split a score of 79, for fifth place, with a bull named Long Haired Outlaw. Outlaw was a bull from New West Rodeo. In the tenth and final round, he rode the Lancaster & Jones bull Total Bulls Battle Born earning an 83-point score which clinched the world championship. Kimzey had now entered the record books winning three world titles in a row in his first three years as a card holder. Another thing Kimzey had managed was too stay relatively injury-free except for minor injuries. [2]

2017 season

He won the Days of '47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo in Salt Lake City, Utah; the K-Days Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta; the Ellensburg Rodeo in Ellensburg, Washington and the Walker County Fair & Rodeo in Huntsville, Texas. He won the SWELS-Xtreme Bulls in Fort Worth, Texas; the Crystal Springs Rodeo Xtreme Bulls in Clear Lake, South Dakota; and the Lea County Fair & PRCA Rodeo Xtreme Bulls in Lovington, New Mexico. He won the Bell County PRCA Rodeo in Belton, Texas; Rodeo Killeen in Killeen, Texas; and the Mandan Rodeo Days Xtreme Bulls in Mandan, North Dakota. He won the Wild, Wild West ProRodeo in Silver City, New Mexico; the Red Desert Roundup in Rock Springs, Wyoming; the Wind River PRCA Rodeo Roundup in Riverton, Wyoming; and the Crossett Riding Club 68th Annual PRCA Rodeo in Crossett, Arkansas; He was co-champion at the Redding Rodeo in Redding, California. [1]

As the reigning PRCA world champion bull rider, Kimzey was invited to compete at the 2017 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Velocity Tour Finals on October 28-30 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He successfully rode all four of his bulls and won the event; solidifying himself a spot at the PBR World Finals as a wild-card qualifier on November 1-5, also in Las Vegas. [3] He successfully rode three of his six bulls at the World Finals and finished 12th at the event. He ended up finishing 33rd in the 2017 PBR world standings. [4]

At the NFR, he won Rounds 5 and 10. He split the win in Round 3. He placed in five rounds. He finished first in the average with 601.5 points on seven head. He finished the year ranked first in the world standings. His earnings for the NFR were $436,479. [1]

For two years in a row, Kimzey did things no other bull rider had done. He won his fourth world title in his fourth attempt. He rode 4L and Diamond S Rodeo's Girl Money for an 88-point score to win Round 10 and win the gold buckle in front of 16,954 people. He was now halfway to tying Don Gay's record. He said he is halfway up the mountain and each step is special. Usually by now he had a healthy lead. However, this year he had some injuries, but got things going in the spring. Kimzey also won the NFR average title this year. He had 601.5 points on seven head. Kimzey became the only bull rider to break $400,00 in earnings in a single season. He won $192,134 at the finals to give him a total of $436,479, breaking his own record of $327,178 in 2015."I don't see any reason not to win nine or 10 in a row", Kimzey said. "I've got the talent and drive and ability, and the Lord has blessed me in ways I can't imagine." [5]

2018 season

He won the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Xtreme Bulls in San Antonio, Texas; the Ellensburg Washington Rodeo Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale in Ellensburg, Washington; and the Rodeo Austin in Austin, Texas. He won the National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee, Florida; the All-American ProRodeo Finals in Waco, Texas; the Strathmore Stampede in Strathmore, Alberta and the Livingston Roundup in Livingston, Montana. He won the Greeley Stampede in Greeley, Colorado; the Colorado State Fair & Rodeo in Pueblo, Colorado and the Fort Mohave Classic PRCA Xtreme Bulls in Fort Mohave, Arizona. He won the Butterfield Stage Days PRCA Rodeo in Bridgeport,Texas; the Licking PRCA Rodeo in Licking, Missouri; the Wind River PRCA Rodeo Roundup in Riverton, Wyoming; the Division 2 Qualifying Event Xtreme Bulls in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He won the Sanders County Fair & PRCA Rodeo in Plains, Montana; and the Comal County Fair & Rodeo in New Braunfels, Texas; and the River City Rodeo in Omaha, Nebraska. He also won co-champion at the Mountain Valley Stampede in Heber City, Utah; the Gladewater Round-Up Xtreme Bulls in Gladewater, Texas; and the Crockett Lions Club PRCA Rodeo in Crockett, Texas. [1]

At the NFR, he won Round 10. He split the win in Round 3. He placed in four rounds. He came in fifth in the average. He finished with 347 points on four head. He finished at the top of the world standings five years in a row. His total NFR earnings were $415,263. [1]

Kimzey came into the NFR with a huge lead this time. He had started out his season with a broken pelvis. He also suffered other injuries during the year. He only got 4 qualified rides during the 10 rounds. However, in the 10th round, he had the highest score event, a 93-point score on Record Rack's Shootin' Stars, owned by Beutler & Son Rodeo. [6]

This championship round tied Kimzey with Jim Shoulders record of five consecutive world titles. The difference was that Shoulders won his titles before the NFR existed, so Kimzey holds the record for the NFR. He made $415,263 for the year. [6]

2019 season

In mid-July, Kimzey was facing the final round at the Calgary Stampede with three other competitors. It was time for the draw. One of the bulls was Night Moves. In 2017, Kimzey had ridden this bull for 91 points at the final round of the Calgary Stampede. He had matched up with this bull three times total. Night moves had bucked him off in 2016 at the Calgary Stampede. Kimzey had ridden the bull another time at the 2016 NFR for 87.5 points. After the others drew their bulls, he was left with Night Moves to have the bull who had helped him earn two titles before. Kimzey rode the bull for a new high score, 92.5 points. His celebration afterwards was clear to all. Kimzey rode that day to a total winning of the event; he has become the first bull rider to win the Calgary Stampede three times. [7]

He won the Reno Rodeo in Reno, Nevada. He won the Pendleton Round-Up in Pendleton, Oregon; the Wainwright Stampede in Wainwright, Alberta; the Wharton County Youth Fair & Exposition Xtreme Bulls in Wharton, Texas; and the Helotes Festival Association Rodeo, also in Wharton, Texas. He also won A Night at the Ranch Bull Riding in Innisfail, Alberta; the Rocky Pro Rodeo in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta; the Mandan Rodeo Days in Mandan, North Dakota and Kansas' Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg, Kansas. He won the Kitsap Stampede Xtreme Bulls in Bremerton, Washington; and the Tri-State Rodeo Cinch Shoot-Out in Fort Madison, Iowa. He became the co-champion at the Alberta Black Gold Pro Rodeo in Leduc, Alberta; the Lea Park Rodeo in Marwayne, Alberta; the XIT Rodeo & Reunion in Dalhart, Texas; and the Strathmore Stampede in Strathmore, Alberta. [1]

At the NFR, he won Rounds 7 and 8. He placed in eight rounds. He won his sixth consecutive bull riding world championship, and his third average title. He won a record NFR earnings of $235,359 (includes ground money). He finished at the top of the world standings with another record, $480,797 (including ground money). [1]

This NFR saw individuals making strides in almost every event. The least amount required to qualify for the NFR was $100,000 in winnings. As usual though, the top 15 got through the door. Round 1 belonged to Stetson Wright and Boudreaux Campbell. Round 2 found Kimzey a second place check while Campbell again finished in the top three. Round 4 showed up Wright and Campbell earning big checks again. Round 5 Kimzey was back earning more money. In Round 6, Campbell was still around and Kimzey collected another paycheck. In Round 7, it was quite a match. Kimzey got a 90-point ride. He essentially won the world championship after that by collecting another big check. Campbell was still climbing up the standings. In Round 8, he put another stamp on the championship. Campbell remained determined and Wright was holding second in the all-around race and adding more money to his bull riding total. In Round 9, any shot for No. 1 was definitely gone, but the rest were still available. Others were doing their best to get a spot. During Round 10, the world championship was decided. Jordan Hansen decided to end the finals by winning Round 7. Kimzey finished off his Round 10 with a second-place finish. Kimzey was now only two world championships away from tying Don Gay. Wright's determination brought him the All-Around world title. [8]

Winning this world title NFR tied Kimzey with Jim Shoulders' record. They have both won six consecutive bull riding world championships. Shoulders won seven titles, but only won six in a row from 1954 to 1959. Kimzey needed to win one more title to tie Shoulders for number of titles won. [9]

2020 season

He won the Herriman City Xtreme Bulls in Herriman, Utah and the Gooding Pro Rodeo in Gooding, Idaho. He was the co-champion at the Iron County Fair and PRCA Rodeo in Parowan, Utah and the co-champion at The American Rodeo in Arlington, Texas. [1]

As of September 30, Kimzey was sitting at No. 1 in the world standings with earnings of $92,334.12. Kimzey had earned over $2 million to date. He had won six world championships in a row. He was barely $3,000 over the No. 2 Ky Hamilton. Kimzey credited his youth as part of his inspiration. "Just growing up in this kind of environment and getting to hang around world champions all the time, even when I was growing up as a little bitty kid… it really lit a fire under me and made me want to be a professional rodeo cowboy that much more." His brother Trey started competing his first full season in 2019, and they could often be seen vying for the same No. 1 spot at rodeos around the country. [10]

In the NFR, in Round 10, he split the win. He placed in four other rounds. He finished sixth in the average. His earnings in the NFR were $92,764. [1]

2021 season

On July 9, Kimzey and Parker McCown split the win at the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah. They both won with 90.5-point rides. Kimzey had competed there a few times before, but never made any headway there. He drew Audacious from Powder River Rodeo this time. This bull had been a money bull for the stock contractors for a few years. He was actually even better this year. Kimzey knew he had a good chance to change things on this bull. He had ridden this bull in the past to the pay window at the 2019 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. Daylon Swearigen recently rode him to a 90-point ride. [11]

On August 22, Kimzey won the Yellowstone River Round-Up in Billings, Montana. He was matched up against Sankey Pro Rodeo and Phenom Genetics' bull Lil Man as the next to last ride of the night. Only one possible re-ride was remaining. Kimzey conquered the bull with a score of 90 points. It became the only qualified ride of the evening. After three days, during MontanaFair's rodeo, he won the Yellowstone River Round-Up bull riding championship. Kimzey took in $25,500 in prize money. "It feels really good", Kimzey told The Billings Gazette and 406mtsports.com moments after the ride. "I had a really good bull to give me a chance to win." [12]

He won the Cactus Jack Xtreme Bull Riding in Uvalde, Texas; He won the Ropin Dreams Xtreme Bulls in Pleasanton, Texas; He won the Durant, Oklahoma Pro Rodeo; He won the Pioneer Days rodeo in Ogden, Utah; He won the Kansas' Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg, Kansas; He won the Hells A Roarin Xtreme Bulls & Broncs Riding in Gardiner, Montana and he won the Yellowstone River Round-Up in Billings, Montana. He was co-champion of the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah and co-champion at the Mustard Seeds Xtreme Bulls in Mitchell, South Dakota. [1]

Preparing for his goal of winning his 7th world championship upon entering the NFR, Kimzey said, "Still have to kind of pinch myself" entering the National Finals Rodeo. Kimzey was one title away from tying Jim Shoulders and two titles away from tying Don Gay with eight titles. Kimzey was currently in the No. 1 spot. He competed at all rodeo events as a child. Bull riding was his favorite and most successful event. He had won over $2.5 million and six straight world titles between 2014 and 2019. "I still have to kind of pinch myself, honestly," Kimzey said when asked about that impenetrable run. "You know, my motivation has changed a lot. I don't know that I have anything to prove anymore," he said. He was also considering going over to the PBR. "There are some benefits that way. We'll have to wait and see." [13]

Kimzey managed to make a comeback in this NFR after last year's miss of the championship. He came away with two best place finishes of second in the average and a final total of third, totaling 506 points. Despite this showing, he still took first place by more than $50,000, and Josh Frost had to settle for second place. Kimzey is now just one title away from tying Don Gay's record. [14]

2022 season

In February, Kimzey had a busy two weeks in Fort Worth, Texas. On the 7th, Kimzey won the title at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo with a 91.5-point ride on 4L and Diamond Rodeo's bull Space Unicorn. The win at Fort Worth put him inside the top 5 in the world standings. Then, there was the birth of his son. He was where he needed to be after missing a few rodeos due to the birth. [12] Later that month, Kimzey won the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, and in May, the Cactus Jack Xtreme Bull Riding in Uvalde, Texas. [15]

On June 10, Kimzey was bucked off by Pete Carr Pro Rodeo's Severe Weather at the Parker County Sheriff Posse's Frontier Days and PRCA Rodeo in Weatherford, Texas. During the ride, his left shoulder (free arm) popped out. It was the same shoulder he dislocated while riding bulls in high school and that had been bothering him for over a decade. After getting examined, in addition to his dislocated left shoulder, Kimzey found out he had multiple tears in his labrum, a totally torn supraspinatus, a displaced bicep tendon, a broken collarbone, and some rotator cuff damage (all on his left side). He figured it was a culmination of his bull riding wrecks from high school. He also learned that his injuries required surgery that would force him to miss the rest of the 2022 season. Kimzey was third in the PRCA world standings at the time of his injuries. [16]

While recovering from surgery, Kimzey was a color commentator during the inaugural season of the PBR's Team Series. Even though he had finished inside the top 15 money-winning bull riders after the PRCA regular season had concluded, he was unable to compete at the NFR due to his post-surgery recovery timetable not allowing it.[ citation needed ]

2023 season

Kimzey was a color commentator during the first few events of the 2023 PBR Unleash the Beast Series season while still recovering from surgery.[ citation needed ]

He returned to competition during the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo's Xtreme Bulls event on January 17–18 where he rode Big Rafter Rodeo's Trunk Money for 89.5 points in Round 1. [17] Kimzey would end up finishing the event in fourth place. [18] He later went on to win the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo's Xtreme Bulls in San Angelo, Texas; the George Paul Memorial Xtreme Bulls in Del Rio, Texas; the Hugo Pro Rodeo in Hugo, Oklahoma; and the Rodeo of the Ozarks in Springdale, Arkansas. [1]

Sage Kimzey declared for the 2023 PBR Team Series draft, and at the second annual Team Series draft at the Cowboy Channel Studio in Fort Worth, Texas, he was selected to ride for the Carolina Cowboys. [19] [20] His younger brother Trey also declared for the draft and was selected to ride for the Carolina Cowboys as well. Sage became a protected roster member, while Trey a reserve roster member. [21]

Sage rode at the first PBR Team Series event of the season on July 24-25 at Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Carolina Cowboys ended up finishing second at the event. [22] However, the injury bug would bite Kimzey for the second year in a row while he was having a very good regular season. He returned to Cheyenne Frontier Days for his semifinal ride on July 28 during the PRCA rodeo. He drew Dakota Rodeo's Devil's Revenge and the bull bucked him off before reaching eight seconds. Kimzey landed on his left (free arm) shoulder and broke his left clavicle. He underwent surgery on August 1, and needed to be sidelined for at least six weeks. Kimzey was fourth in the PRCA world standings at the time of this injury. [23]

Kimzey returned to competition at the Carolina Cowboys' hometown event at Cowboy Days in Greensboro, North Carolina, on September 22-24, where they finished fifth at the event. [24]

At the PBR Team Series Championship, which was held on October 22-24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Carolina Cowboys were eliminated after the first day of competition and ended up finishing in seventh place for the season.

On the weekend of November 10-11, 2023, Kimzey made his PBR Premier Series regular-season debut at the first event of the 2024 Unleash the Beast (UTB) season in Tucson, Arizona, where he finished tied for second with João Ricardo Vieira. [25]

On the weekend of December 2-3, 2023, at the second event of the 2024 UTB season in St. Louis, Missouri, Kimzey finished sixth. [26]

Kimzey announced that following the 2023 NFR, he would now ride full-time in the PBR; reasoning that he wished to travel less to be able to spend more time with his family.

At the NFR, Kimzey won Round 5 with 92 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeos' Polar Express and tied for first in Round 6 with 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo's County Jail. He placed in three other rounds and finished second in the average. He ended up finishing fourth in the 2023 PRCA bull riding world standings with $369,222.

2024 season

In February 2024, Kimzey announced that he would miss the next three to four months of competition due to an elbow injury that required surgery.

It seemed imminent that Kimzey would miss the rest of the 2024 UTB season, including the PBR World Finals. However, he decided to make his return to competition the week of April 5-7, during the 19th event of the UTB regular season in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he finished seventh. [27]

On the week of April 20-21, at the 22nd UTB regular season event in Tacoma, Washington, Kimzey finished second; highlighted by a 91.5 point ride on Utz BesTex Legend in the Championship Round. [28]

Kimzey qualified for his second PBR World Finals. On the weekend of May 9-12, at the World Finals Elimination Rounds in Fort Worth, Texas, he rode his last bull and finished the event in 11th place. He was also one of the five best finishing riders of the Elimination Rounds not ranked inside the top 15 of the world championship race. As a result, Kimzey automatically moved on to the World Finals Championship Rounds in Arlington, Texas, on May 18-19. [29] He eventually won the World Finals by covering three of the four bulls in the first, third, and fourth Championship Rounds of the event. It was his first PBR Premier Series event win. He became the eighth rookie in the history of the PBR to win the World Finals and the second to Cooper Davis to win in their rookie season without winning the Rookie of the Year title. Kimzey finished the 2024 UTB season ranked seventh in the world championship race. Also, Kimzey became the fourth bull rider to win both finals averages in the PRCA and the PBR after Ted Nuce, Ty Murray, and L.J. Jenkins, respectively. [30]

The weekend of July 12-14, 2024, the PBR Team Series season began at Wildcatter Days in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; the hometown event of the Oklahoma Wildcatters. The Carolina Cowboys, with Sage Kimzey, won the second day of the event. [31]

PRCA career summary

Kimzey's PRCA career earnings are over $3 million. He qualified for the NFR nine times in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023. He won seven PRCA bull riding world titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. He also won three NFR bull riding average titles in 2014, 2017, and 2019. [1] In 2016, at age 22 during the NFR, he became the youngest millionaire in PRCA history. [1]

Awards

Career milestones

Personal

Kimzey is married to his longtime girlfriend, Alexis Bloomer. After ten years as friends, then dating, then engagement, they were married on October 9, 2020, in Little Elm, Texas. They reside in Salado, Texas. [1] [40] [41] [42] On January 25, 2022, the Kimzeys had their first child; Steele, a boy. [12]

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Wesley Silcox is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. He competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Championship Bull Riding (CBR) circuits, and was the 2007 PRCA World Champion bull rider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cord McCoy</span> American bull rider

Cord Jarret McCoy is an American professional rodeo stock contractor and producer and former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in saddle bronc riding and bull riding. He is best known as the 2nd-place finisher on The Amazing Race 16. Jet and Cord returned to compete in the eighteenth season of The Amazing Race, finishing in 6th Place. Jet and Cord returned for The Amazing Race 24 also known as "The Amazing Race All-Stars" finishing in 5th place. From 2022 through 2023, Cord was the head coach of the Oklahoma Freedom for the PBR Team Series season.

James Carroll Sharp is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. In 1988, he became the first bull rider in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)'s National Finals Rodeo history to successfully ride each of his 10 bulls during the champion-crowning event. The record-breaking performance earned Sharp his first of two PRCA World Champion Bull Rider titles. He rode professionally for nearly 20 years, and was a co-founder of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). He is considered among the most talented bull riders in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Championship Bull Riding</span> American bull riding organization

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Mendes</span> American bull rider

Scott Mendes is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. He won the 1997 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) bull riding world championship, and is the inventor of Rodeo Judge, the original rodeo card game. He was also a co-founder of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). In 2022, he was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skoal Pacific Bell</span> American bucking bull

Skoal Pacific Bell #14 was an American bucking bull best known for being the only three-time consecutive Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Bucking Bull of the Year and for only being ridden 5 times in 150 attempts. In 2007, he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. As of 2016, he was the seventh and most recent bull so honored. The PRCA said in an official YouTube induction video that "Skoal Pacific Bell was a crowd pleaser and a cowboy challenger."

Bruiser #32Y was an American bucking bull. He is the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Champion Bull for 2016, 2017, and 2018. He is one of only two bucking bulls to win the title in three consecutive years. He is also the 2017 Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) Bucking Bull of the Year. Bruiser and Bodacious are the only bulls to win both titles and they also did it in the same year: Bruiser did it in 2017 and Bodacious in 1995. Bruiser is the PRCA Reserve Bucking Bull of the Year in 2015. Bruiser tied for the PBR title in 2016 with two other bulls, and the tiebreaker went to him. Bruiser won the 2017 PBR title in a close race against Pearl Harbor. Bruiser won the title outright in 2018. Bruiser is also the American Bucking Bull (ABBI) Classic Final winner in 2015. He also won several other notable titles. SweetPro's Bruiser was retired from competition in 2021 at the age of ten. He died at age 11 on May 17, 2022.

James William Harris, known as J.W. Harris is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. He competed on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Championship Bull Riding (CBR), and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuits. He won the PRCA bull riding world championship four times at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). Harris is the first bull rider since Don Gay to win four PRCA world bull riding titles. He is also the first since Gay to win three of them consecutively. Harris was also the 2014 PBR Rookie of the Year. In 2022, he was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame.

Jess Lockwood is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding, and competes in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit. He joined the PBR in 2015 and was named Rookie of the Year in 2016. On November 5, 2017, he became the youngest PBR World Champion. He won his second PBR world championship on November 10, 2019. He also became the youngest bull rider to win two PBR world championships.

Jason "Boudreaux" Byron Campbell Jr. is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. He competes in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuits. He also competed in the now-defunct Championship Bull Riding (CBR) organization. In 2022 and 2023, he rode for the Carolina Cowboys during the PBR Team Series season. As of 2024, he rides for the Missouri Thunder.

The George Paul Memorial Bull Riding is an annual bull riding event held every spring at the Val Verde County Fairgrounds in Del Rio, Texas, United States. It is held in honor of George Paul, the 1968 Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) World Champion bull rider.

Jerome Carson Davis is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. He competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), in which he won the 1995 PRCA bull riding world championship. He also competed in the Bull Riders Only (BRO) and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuits; the latter of which he was one of the founding members.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Cowboy Biographies - Sage Kimzey". Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Pinella 2017, p. 24.
  3. ↑ "Kimzey wins 2017 Velocity Tour Finals". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Kimzey finishes 12th at 2017 PBR World Finals". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  5. ↑ Unknown 2018, p. 28.
  6. 1 2 Pinella 2018, p. 28.
  7. 1 2 Albert, Kacie. "Sage Kimzey Wins 2019 Calgary Stampede". Professional Bull Riders Canada. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ Kitts 2019, p. 26.
  9. ↑ "Bull rider Sage Kimzey wins sixth straight PRCA world title". NFR Experience. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  10. ↑ "PRCA Athlete of the Month: Sage Kimzey". Cowboy Lifestyle Network. October 4, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  11. ↑ Jordan, Jolee. "Bull Rider Sage Kimzey Splits Win in Vernal, Utah". Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 "Bull rider Sage Kimzey starts his season with Fort Worth win". Billings Gazette. February 7, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Sage Kimzey: 'Still have to kind of pinch myself' entering National Finals Rodeo". MTSPX. November 25, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Kimzey Claims 7th World Championship; Five SWOSU Alum Compete at 2021 Wrangler NFR". Southwestern Oklahoma State University Athletics. December 13, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Cowboy Boigraphies - Sage Kimzey". Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Sage Kimzey out for rest of 2022 season". Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Sage Kimzey returns to competition after seven months". The Cowboy Channel. January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  18. ↑ "2023 Fort Worth Xtreme Bulls event results". Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Carolina Cowboys pick champion bull riders Sage Kimzey, Josh Frost with first two picks in 2023 PBR Team Series Draft - Professional Bull Riders". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Sage Kimzey Goes No. 1 Overall in PBR Team Series Drafts". The Cowboy Channel. May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Carolina Cowboys - Professional Bull Riders". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Carolina Cowboys finish second at first PBR Team Series event of 2023". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Kimzey undergoes surgery for second year in a row". Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Carolina Cowboys finish fifth in 2023 edition of hometown event". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Kimzey finishes tied for second at PBR Premier Series regular-season debut". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Kimzey finishes sixth in second event of 2024 UTB season in St. Louis, Missouri". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Kimzey finishes seventh in 2024 UTB event in Sioux Falls". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Kimzey finishes second in 2024 UTB event in Tacoma". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Kimzey finishes 11th at PBR World Finals Elimination Rounds". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  30. 1 2 "Kimzey wins 2024 PBR World Finals". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Carolina Cowboys make history in Oklahoma City, logging the third perfect game in highest-scoring game in PBR Teams competition". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  32. ↑ PRCA Awards, Rookies of the Year - Bull Riding Rookie of the Year, p. 25.
  33. ↑ "About the RAM Top Gun Award". Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  34. ↑ Wrangler NFR, Bull Riding NFR Average Champions, pp. 12-13.
  35. ↑ ProRodeo Records and Statistics, Past World Champions - Bull Riding Champions, pp. 24-25.
  36. ↑ "PRCA Xtreme Broncs and Bulls Tour" (PDF). Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Sage Kimzey wins both CBR world title and finals average". www.prlog.org. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  38. 1 2 3 4 PBRProfile. "PBR Rider | Sage Kimzey". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Carolina Cowboys". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Alexis Bloomer and Sage Kimzey's Engagement Photos". Cowgirl Magazine. April 3, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  41. ↑ "Blooming into Kimzey: The Wedding of Sage Kimzey and Alexis Bloomer". The Cowboy Channel. October 10, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  42. ↑ "Zola Weddings". zola.com. Retrieved April 20, 2022.

Sources

  • Pinnella, Barbara (2017). "Kimzey Stamps Named in the Record Books Again". Humps N Horns. Vol. January 2017. pp. 24–26.
  • Unknown (2018). "Kimzey rides to 4th straight PRCA bull riding title". Humps N Horns. Vol. January 2018. pp. 24–26.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • Kitts, Phillip (2019). "Sage Kimzey 6x World Champion Bull Rider". Humps N Horns. Vol. January 2020. pp. 26–37.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)

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