ELGIN — Nate Bausch made his first time in Elgin a night he will never forget.
On Friday night, competing in his first EKG Bull-a-Rama, Bausch won the event.
More than 20 competitors took part in the bull riding competition. Bausch, 23 years old from Allen, NE, was the only rider in the first go-round to complete an eight-second ride, scoring a 78.
In the short go-round, only one other rider managed to complete an eight-second ride, scoring a 76.
Just moments after being declared the winner, Bausch spoke to The Elgin Review about his ride and the importance of winning the event.
“I’ve been on him before a couple of years ago,” Bausch said about the bull he rode to victory. “He bucked me off that time.”
This time around, Bausch said he had an idea how the bull would react and it helped him put together his winning ride. “He was kind of wild out there until he found his spot and started spinning and it worked out … Having ridden him before, it kinda lets you know what to expect just a bit more.”
Bausch comes from a family with a long history of competing in rodeos. “A lot of my uncles and cousins rode bulls and my grandpa. My uncle Kevin Smith, he was a PRCA Rookie of the Year in 1987. I learned a lot from him.”
After winning in Elgin, it was off to Kansas to compete in a rodeo Saturday. Bausch said on an average week, he competes in three to four rodeos. Such is the life of a bull rider. To read about all the action, turn to this week’s Elgin Review.
