'I Decided I Was Going To Win It,' - Mason Taylor At The IFYR

'I Decided I Was Going To Win It'

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Bull Rider Mason Taylor’s mentor joked with him that he couldn’t come back if he didn’t win the 2018 International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Apparently, it was motivation enough for the young bull riding talent.

Not only did Taylor win the world’s richest junior rodeo, but he did it with flying colors. The Maypearl, Texas, cowboy was one of only five bull riders able to cover two bulls during the finals, and he earned the highest two scores of the weekend at 81.5 in round one and another 81.5 in the short round to win the average.

He had a worthy opponent in the short round, and two bull riders that had covered both of their bulls in the long round meant Taylor needed to make the eight-second whistle in order to give himself a chance to win the coveted youth finals title.

“I knew I could ride him,” Taylor said. “But on the back of the bucking chutes I could hardly spit, my heart was pumping. I’m just glad that everything worked out.

“He was kind of bouncing my feet all around and in my head I was like, ‘Oh, screw it, I might as well just start spurring if they’re going to be bouncing.’”


Taylor said when he competed in the 2017 event he didn’t exactly handle his business and was more worried about having fun than the competition inside the arena. 

“I took care of business this week,” Taylor said shortly after winning the IFYR title. “I wasn’t jacking around or anything. I came here with one set mind — I came here to win it and I’m glad it worked out and I did.”

Part of that motivation may have come from his bull riding mentor – PBR world finalist Cody Johnson – who won the IFYR bull riding title in 2011 and joked that Taylor better win or he couldn’t come back. 

“When he found out I was coming back here again he said, ‘Man if you come back and you don’t win it, you ain't allowed in my house or my car no more,’” laughed Taylor. “I wanted to still be around him so I decided I was going to win it.”

Johnson, who saw success in the PBR in his 2012 season with nearly $100,000 in earnings that year, has been helping young Taylor since he was a 15-year-old. Taylor has spent a lot of time living at Johnson’s place, honing the art of bull riding. 

He became my little brother and my mini-me,” said Johnson. “He’s one of the most talented kids I’ve ever seen. He’s got a heart of gold and will be wearing a gold buckle soon.”


“It’s funny because he is winning all of the same events I won at his age,” said the mentor. “I’ve always been pretty hard on him and joked about how he better not let me down, so of course he called saying he won it. He’s the real deal and people and sponsors better keep their eyes on him.”