1 week Ago By MADISON O'HARA | Advocate Staff Writer
Rick McCoy is a real cowboy; not like the ones you see on television. He’s a bona fide cowboy who said bull riding is more than just a career, it’s a way of life. “You don’t become a cowboy, you’re born into it,” McCoy said.
Last weekend, the All Cowboy and Arena Champions inducted McCoy, a long-time resident of Victoria, into its hall of fame. Bull rider O.D.
Dean Anderson founded the hall of fame in 2015 as a way to recognize top individuals in the world of rodeo and arena and for those who love western culture. “Rick has an extensive career of bull riding and he rodeoed for some of the greats. He made a name for himself,” Anderson said.
When McCoy got on the back of an unrideable and untamable bull, he did it dressed in a pair of starched jeans and a cowboy hat. He had no protective gear and no helmet. Since he retired from bull riding in 1980, the sport has changed.
“Now they have photo finishes where they look in control at the end and they’re wearing flak jackets and helmets. I couldn’t carry that much equipment and keep on a bull upside down,” McCoy said. Despite being born in Springfield, Louisiana in 1952, McCoy has always called Texas home.
Two years after he was born, McCoy’s family moved to South Texas and the rest was history. McCoy rode his first bull 13. “I was hanging out with some cowboys when they asked me if I wanted to try riding a bull.
I told them ‘let’s go,’ and when they asked me how old I was, I lied and told them I was 14,” McCoy said. Throughout high school, McCoy took part in the Future Farmers of America organization and was elected treasurer for the Texas branch of the FFA in 1970, all while participating in youth rodeos. “That’s where my lifelong love for rodeo began,” McCoy said.
Even after graduating high school and enlisting in the Marine Corps, McCoy participated in rodeos at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base in California from February to August 1974. During that time, McCoy rode a bull named Pedro at the Southern California Expo in Delmar, California on July 4. “The next morning I was featured on the front page of a San Diego newspaper riding Pedro,” McCoy said.
During his career, which spanned about 80 rides, McCoy rode some of the most unrideable bulls in the country. “Bull riding was all I ever knew. I had to win because all my winnings paid for me to travel across the country,” McCoy said.
Sign up to get our free daily email of the biggest stories! For three years, McCoy competed in the Real Cowboy Association and the Professional Real Cowboy Association rodeos across the country from Holley, Minnesota to St. Onge, South Dakota to Rosenburg, Oregon, where he received fourth-place for his bull riding. “Bull riding is all about finesse, balance and being about to think quick on your feet while you’re upside down and getting thrown around,” McCoy said.
In 1979, McCoy became the bull riding champion at the Hockley Fair and Rodeo in Hockley, Texas. Along with countless rodeos and competitions, McCoy has ridden alongside some of the greats. “I met men like Larry Mahan, Skipper Voss, Ben Johnson, Jim Shoulders, Harry Vold, Doug Brown, Misner and Sons, the Sankey family, Myrtis Dightman, and many other great cowboys,” McCoy said.
While McCoy loved to chase the thrill of sitting on top of a big bull, it came with its fair share of injuries. “Bull riding is a dangerous game. It’s not a matter of if you’ll get hurt, it’s a matter of when,” Anderson said.
McCoy underwent plastic surgery on the left side of his face after being spilt open while bull riding. “When you start bull riding, you never think of the danger,” Anderson said. He describes his love for bull riding as an addiction, one he never thought he was never going to outgrow.
But as McCoy got older, got married and planned to start a family, he retired from the world of professional rodeoing. Now with three sons and numerous grandchildren, McCoy is proud of not only his career but his family as well. Throughout his entire career, from 1966 to 1980, he said the greatest thing about rodeoing is the people he met while involved in the sport.
“I’m always proud to be a cowboy. Cowboys used to rule this country and the state, but they ain’t too much now. Cowboys can be self-centered, but we’re as good as anyone,” McCoy said.
Having lived the cowboy life, McCoy said he doesn’t have any regrets or complaints. He has some advice for the next generation of bull riders and younger cowboys. “There’s nothing wrong with rodeo.
Don’t let money buy you,” McCoy said. “Always take time to sign children’s autographs and spend time with the people around you. Don’t get involved in politics or rhetoric,” McCoy said.
McCoy was one of 16 inducted into the All Cowboy and Arena Champions Hall of Fame on Sunday in Kerrville. His cowboy lifestyle, his professional bull riding career and his service in the Marine Corps has made McCoy more than just a cowboy. It’s made him a legend.
“To dance with the beast is everything in life,” McCoy said..
