CASPER, Wyo. (June 16, 2010) - During the past semester at Tarleton State University, Harve Stewart had to give a speech in a business communications class.
He chose to talk about bull riding. He had lots to tell.
He’s a former state high school champion. At the time of the speech, he was leading the bull riding title race in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Southwest Region, which is billed as college rodeo’s super conference. He’s also a two-time Professional Bull Riders World Finals qualifier.
But Stewart couldn’t speak clearly … and it wasn’t because he had stage fright. He had a hard time talking because he has just broken his jaw in a bull riding accident at a PBR show in New Orleans.
“I broke my jaw on a Saturday and I had to give my speech on the following Wednesday,” Stewart said. “But my teacher allowed me to make it up six weeks later.”
Stewart eventually gave the 10-minute talk and received an A.
This week, he’s receiving high marks at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo. Stewart was ranked second in the NIRA bull riding title race following Tuesday night’s performance. He turned in scores of 80.5 and 79.5 on Sunday and Monday.
And even if Stewart is disqualified during third-round competition on Thursday, his two-ride aggregate score of 160 probably still will advance him to Saturday’s final round.
Stewart, 22, a junior business management major, advanced to the Casper championships after winning the 2009-10 bull riding title in the NIRA Southwest Region by a landslide. In the final regular-season standings, he clinched the title with 705 points, 320 more than second-place finisher Jamon Anthony Turner of Sul Ross State University (Texas), who had 385.
That’s remarkable, considering that Stewart competed in only six of the 10 regular-season rodeos. He had to miss four NIRA shows during the spring semester because he also was competing on the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series.
Stewart moved onto the 2010 Ford Series at the Glendale, Ariz., event in mid-March. He worked his way back onto the PBR’s top tour after sputtering last year while dealing with nagging injuries.
But three weeks after returning to the BFTS, Stewart suffered the broken jaw at an early April event in New Orleans. During the final round, the notorious Commotion hit Stewart in the face.
Stewart kept on competing on the tour despite a sore, wired jaw. All in all, it took about six weeks of medical and dental treatment for the injury to heal. Now, all that is behind him, and Stewart is thriving at this week’s College National Finals. After the CNFR, he plans to hit the PBR’s Touring Pro circuit.
A natural rider
Stewart learned to ride bulls from highly successful cowboys. He began at 14, where he mounted his first steer at nine-time World Champion Ty Murray’s ranch near Stephenville, Texas. Since then, Stewart, who also is from Stephenville, has sought Murray for advice.
“If you’re going to have a teacher, it might as well be from the best,” Stewart said of Murray. “He’s helped me out especially when I’m fighting my head or when I’m coming back after getting hurt.”
Stewart’s father Dee, himself a former bull rider, said his son was hooked on the sport after visiting Murray’s ranch.
“He got on his first one and went about 3 seconds,” Dee Stewart said. “Then he got back on the chutes, and Ty said, ‘Buddy, you want to do it again?’ After that, he rode his next one and they couldn’t throw him off anymore. He was hooked.’”
Stewart said it’s been advantageous to have grown up in Stephenville, a town that historically has housed an abundance of world-class cowboys, including two-time World Champion Jim Sharp and former PBR stars Gilbert and Adam Carrillo.
“Just being around the rodeo life and the cowboy life makes it all better,” Stewart said. “I don’t think I could stand to live in the big city and then go off and try to ride bulls. I think it would be tough.”
Gilbert Carrillo, who also helped Stewart learn to ride, said he was a great student.
“Harve’s greatest strength is his athletic ability,” Carrillo said. “What it took guys a year or two to accomplish, Harve accomplished it within months. He’s just a natural. It didn’t take him long to get up there in the big ranks.”
Books and bulls
Like many young cowboys, Stewart first worked his way up though the junior ranks. During his senior year in 2006, he clinched the Texas High School Rodeo Association bull riding title.
That in turn helped him earn a scholarship at Tarleton, which is based in Stephenville. While competing at tradition-rich TSU in recent years, Stewart has learned from two coaches who have led teams to National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association titles.
As a freshman, he was coached by Bob Doty, who in 2005 led Tarleton’s men’s and women’s teams to national championships. He’s also been schooled by Mark Eakin, who came to Tarleton last year after leading West Texas A&M to a national men’s team title in 2006.
“Riding for Tarleton would be comparable to playing football for the University of Texas,” Stewart said. “If you win a national championship under Tarleton, it gets your name out there and it gives you a head start on everybody.”
In recent years, Stewart also has thrived in the pro ranks. He qualified for the PBR World Finals in 2007 and 2008. Overall, he has $200,410 in PBR earnings. This season, he’s ranked 33rd in the PBR World Finals qualifier standings with $31,021.
During the 2010 spring semester at Tarleton, Stewart took a full load of 15 hours while competing on the pro and collegiate circuits. He attended classes early in the week and then hit the rodeo and bull riding circuits on weekends.
“It’s been tough, but if you plan ahead and think about stuff, it’s not really as tough,” Stewart said.
Dee Stewart said he’s elated that Harve is completing his educational requirements while competing in the PBR.
“It does your heart good to see somebody, especially when it’s your son, put all of their effort in maintaining grades and taking care of business like he takes care of it,” Dee Stewart said. “For example, the last time he competed at the World Finals in Las Vegas (in 2008), he flew back to his college and took a test during the break between the two weekends of the World Finals. His college (algebra) professor wouldn’t let him by with it, so he flew all the way back just to take a test.”
Harve’s mother Phyllis said he is determined to succeed.
“He’s always been really strong-minded,’ she said. “Whatever is in his head to do, he does it. He knew from the get-go he wanted an education and so he set his mind to it. He knows what he’s got to do.”
Phyllis Stewart said she’s grateful that Harve is traveling to a wide variety of bull riding shows. He recently made a trip to Australia to compete in PBR events, and he’s planning to ride in Canada later this month.
“It’s a blessing for him and he really enjoys it,” she said. “I was a little worried for him for a little while, especially when he goes out of the country. Your stomach turns. But we made a deal that he has to stay in touch with mom.”
NEWS and NOTES
Mo-bull: Don’t miss PBR action when you’re on the go. Follow the PBR on your mobile phone by texting “PBR” to 47201 (standard texting rates apply), or browse to mobull.pbrnow.com.
The best of 2010: PBR.TV is counting down the top rides of the year. This week, check out rides Nos. 11-20, then vote for your favorite here.
