Cowboy Lifestyle Network’s Official PRCA Athlete of the Month is Richmond Champion, a professional bareback rider of the PRCA. The 28-year old Professional Rodeo Cowboy is from Woodlands, Texas, but he is better known as, the “Million-Dollar Cowboy” after winning the 2014 RFD-TV’s The American and winner of top prize of $1.1 Million Dollars. Just 21 at the time, this was the most significant cash payout ever awarded to a rodeo contestant in a single day at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
This bareback rider certainly knows how to position himself to keep his body on some of the biggest and baddest bucking horses in the sport or rodeo today. Meanwhile, Richie Champion has proven to be one of the toughest competitors in Pro Rodeo because he also knows how to read the horses he hops on, which allows him to produce some of the most amazing 8-second rides that leave rodeo fans on the edge of their seats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLr-eSwan7s
Richmond began his rodeo career in 2006 as a teenager riding bulls at the age of 13. As a matter of fact, he rode bucking bulls until his junior year in high school, when he tried bareback riding for the first time at the age of 17 on July 4, 2010. Clint Cannon, Chris Harris, and Pete Carr all had a great impact on Richmond Champion when he attended 3 separate bareback riding schools in just a 6-month period of time.
On a more personal level, Richmond Champion enjoys all kinds of music, staying in shape by working out and living healthy. He also loves fishing, hunting, and being outdoors when he isn’t competing in the rodeo arena. But when it comes down to bareback riding, Champion is a new breed of athlete.
According to the PRCA website, some of his career highlights are listed as below not including the win that started his career, back in 2014 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
- 2019: Finished fourth in the world standings with $238,983. He placed third in the Wrangler NFR average, earning $108,154, after winning Round 1 and placing in three rounds.
- 2018: Finished fifth in the world standings with $243,345. Placed in six rounds at the Wrangler NFR, while earning $123,526 there and finishing fifth in the average.
- 2017: Finished second in the world standings with $268,511. Won Round 8 and split the win in Round 2 while placing in seven rounds to rank second in the average with 847.5 points on 10 head at the Wrangler NFR.
- 2016: Placed in three rounds of the Wrangler NFR to rank fifth in the average. Finished 11th in the world standings with $129,092.
Richie continues to be one Cowboy Lifestyle Network’s favorite cowboys to watch ride and he has been a blast to watch grow throughout his career. We can’t wait to see what this next season of riding will bring him. We wish you all the best buddy!
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