Riding high

Rockdale native Ezekiel Mitchell took Professional Bull Riding by storm after becoming the number one-ranked bull rider in the world on Saturday, Nov. 17.

“That was the coolest feeling,” Mitchell, 21, said. “Just seeing the number one by your name. That is something we all strive for, to be in that position for a little bit or a long time.”

Mitchell followed up his Golden State performance with a fifth place finish in Corpus Christi. He was taken out of the top spot after 2018 PBR Australia champion Aaron Kleier won the Adelaide Invitational on Dec. 13.

Since the win, Mitchell has received a boost in his profile with exposure from the New York Post and the Seattle Times who document his unusual introduction to bull riding.

“My Dad used to take me to rodeos when I was really young,” Mitchell said. “I was always a cowboy. I knew it was something I wanted to do.”

When Mitchell was 14, he began watching YouTube videos of former rider Dustin Elliott, and starting practicing on his own when he hung a makeshift bucking barrel from a tree. With the help of a neighbor, he also welded a metal bull together using a car suspension.

He dropped football for bull riding and never looked back. He told the Reporter that he trained in Minerva and Shiloh. He started his professional bull riding career when he was 18 years old.

“After that, I started competing in events,” Mitchell, who studies agriculture business at Hill College, said. “Rodeo is a very expensive sport, so to pursue it as a hobby wasn’t really an option.

“That was a big reason I started to take it very seriously.”

Many publications also noted that the former RHS student was the only African-American rider at the elite-level.

“I get a lot of messages from different people saying it’s cool to see someone who doesn’t look like the norm doing something they want to do and actually succeeding,” he told the Post.

Mitchell also said he likes all the attention he’s getting, but that it’s important to stay focused on his goals.

“My goal this year is to be PBR Rookie of the Year, and also be the world champ,” he said. “I think these are realistic goals, but I have to keep getting better because this sport will pass you by.

“You can be on top, but you can fall off really quickly. So I have to keep improving.”

Mitchell rode at the Monster Energy Buckoff at the Madison Square Garden in New York City this past weekend. Mitchell is ranked ninth in PBR World Standings as of press time.

In 2019, he has competed in four events, won one, was in the top five in two and amassed 240 points. He has a total of $7,600 in winnings this year.

He is the son of Danny Mitchell, Sr. of Rockdale. and Janie Davis of Baytown.