Bareback rookie heading to Las Vegas
By Adelle Ellis, Times Reporter
Photo Courtesy of Nicky Rae Photography
Campbell, who has been riding bareback for a little over a year, won a wild card qualifier spot during the Canadian Junior Roughstock Championship Oct. 4-6 in Teepee Creek, Alta. to the world finals.
“I placed well; both my rides were good. My first horse was good and the last horse I got on was a really powerful horse, she was a full-sized horse and that horse has never been covered and I didn’t cover her because she’s a little more powerful,” said Campbell, who rode his first horse Sebastian, but got bucked from his second horse, Buckskin Annie, in 3.6 seconds.
Sebastian tested Campbell’s nerves as he decided to drop his front two legs to the ground just as Campbell nodded for the chutes to open. Once Sebastian was flushed out from the chutes and started bucking, Campbell recovered and spurred the strongest he could, got a great mark up and was able to come out of the ride with a good score, but not before getting hung up in the rigging.
“It was a little scary; I spurred really hard and well and I ended up getting hung up. It was my first time getting hung up so luckily the pickup men were there to help get me out,” said Campbell.
After getting bucked from his second horse Buckskin Annie, Campbell was sore from the ride and a little hurt, especially knowing that because he didn’t cover both horses he probably wouldn’t win his way to worlds in Vegas, the dream that he has been pursuing since starting in rodeo. Good news came his way when only one senior rider covered both his horses and there were three spots available for the world finals.
“I got pretty sore off that last ride; I was kind of hurt physically and mentally but I was told I would be going to Vegas in a wild card spot and that cleared my day right up,” said Campbell, who has been eating healthier, doing exercises and training his body in preparation for the world finals next month.
He was also able to find four corporate sponsors to help cover the costs of the trip and has received some personal donations as well, but is still looking for some more sponsors.
Campbell, who has autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and social anxiety disorder, says all the encouragement and help he has received from family, friends and the rodeo community has helped him to find his passion, work his hardest to make it this far and help him to feel included with a strong sense of belonging.
“I’m so proud of his dedication and how much effort he is putting into improving,” said Tiffany Campbell, Jaxon’s mother. “He is actually thinking long term about competing in college and trying to get scholarships, and he even asked about moving to Montana to go to a school there that has a rodeo program, like we have hockey programs. I’m amazed with how much he has grown and changed in the last year.”
Although Campbell may be looking long term at a career in rodeo, for now he is just focusing on the world finals in Vegas and will be aiming to win.
“There are going to be some powerful horses. I’m a first-year rookie and I made it as far as I can go, to Vegas, so I’m going to try my hardest to win,” he said.