RODEO: The Woodlands Richmond Champion displays million-dollar bareback talent in Pecos

Richmond Champion may never have a year similar to 2014 again. He’ll sure try, though.

Bareback rider Richmond Champion of The Woodlands waits to compete Wednesday during the first performance of the West of the Pecos Rodeo at Buck Jackson Arena in Pecos.

As a qualifier for the inaugural The American rodeo in Arlington in March 2014, the cowboy out of The Woodlands pocketed $1.1 million by winning the bareback competition — $100,000 for the event victory via a 90 on Assault and a staggering $1 million bonus for besting the then-top-10 cowboys in the world standings.

Champion, a fitting rodeo name if there ever was one, parlayed that into his first National Finals Rodeo appearance. He won a pair of go-rounds and finished second in the average and third in the world in Las Vegas. click here for complete story