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The Texas Rodeo season is well-known to the residents of the Lone Star State as a widespread celebration of the cowboy culture that Texas and much of the south lived through during their years before the modern era. Now that the modern era is more advanced than it’s ever been, there is still an effort to stay connected with those Texas roots. Some people never let go of their inner cowboy, while new cowboys take up their hats and boots at an increasingly high rate. Cowboys and cowgirls of all ages get the opportunity to show off skills straight from the old west during the many rodeo competitions. One of the most exciting tests of bravery and displays of cowboy confidence is in the bull riding competition, where even the slightest miscalculation can spell danger for an unprepared rider. RCISD student Dax Moffett has been getting his first cracks at the bull riding experience this year, already getting a chance to compete in the Youth Bull Riding World Finals this coming August.
After initially drawing interest after seeing a Facebook advertisement for a riding competition, Moffett quickly got ready for his first-ever bull ride in late January. He and his parents, Brad and Jana, took a trip to Marion near Seguin for just a trial run to see just how much desire Moffett had to pursue such a dangerous competitive pastime. The thought was, after experiencing the pain of being bucked off for the first time, Moffett would either decide it was too much and walk away or fall in love with the excitement it came with. After a brief first ride that ended with a hard fall, his mother Jana was nearly brought to tears after seeing her boy hit the ground. But Moffett, described by his mother as an ‘adrenaline junkie’, had already stirred something up in his cowboy spirit that would lead him to continue pursuing the sport. Even when his second-round ride against “Twister” left him shaking with adrenaline after his fall, he had already been smitten with how exciting it was battling with the beast.
“My mom was like ‘we don’t have to do this anymore, we can just go home,’” Moffett said of his mother’s comments following his first ride, “I was like, ‘no mom, I still want to ride.’” Fast forward a few months later, the Moffett family is preparing for an early-March competition in Cleveland where Dax would face off against a familiar foe. The more experienced rider had a much nicer time with his old friend “Twister” as he began to get used to the impact of being bucked off. The impact of his next round left Moffett breathless as a bucking “Joker” gave him his hardest fall of his young career.
Despite the pain, Moffett resolved to keep going as he continued a busy month of competition in March. The Youth Roughstock Series in Bay City. There, he takes even more punishment as he took a kick and a stomp in his second ride of the day at the March 11 clinic. His nature for taking on the meanest, toughest bulls finally drew blood as the bull added some extra hits on the way down. Still resolved to keep going, Moffett competed in Bay City again on March 18, and three times in April.
With more competitions under his belt, Moffett had a desire to take things to the next level of competition, but at the time, there was no clear path to the World Finals as the series they competed in were not official qualifiers when they initially entered. Little known to the family, those competitions would later be named as a qualifying performance for the Youth Bull Riding World Finals in Abilene in the late summer. Moffet’s personal performance throughout the series qualified him for his chance at a strong start in his early career. A few more competitions in the following months would help Moffett stay sharp as he continues his preparation for the international competition.
The Rice student, who can recall every ride with detail, was indeed a product of his community. Playing in youth football and soccer, he only missed one soccer game the entire spring season while also managing his bull riding career as well. His grades never suffered in school either, maintaining on the honor roll despite the intense schedule. It is fair that in turn, he received plenty of support back from his community. People from all over Colorado County purchased meal tickets for a plate at the Columbus Fire Station to support the funds behind his dream of becoming a World Finals Champion in his first year. Sponsorships from local companies filled three riding shirts for Moffett with about 13 sponsored spaces each.
“I get choked up thinking about it,” Dax’s mother Jana said on the support from their county, “the community stepped up.”
The inspiration Dax got from YouTube cowboy Dale Brisby and retired professional Bull rider J.B. Mauney helped the young rider develop his own early identity. With the support of his family and the community behind him, Moffett will be looking to turn his dreams into reality.
