Hill takes bull riding success in stride

Hungry Horse News

After winning a $40 prize, 14-year-old Beau Hill was hooked on bull riding.

And the West Glacier native has been riding bulls and winning money ever since.

Hill, 25, won $159,455 last year, including $71,981 for taking third at the National Finals Rodeo in December.

That sure dwarfs the $40 Hill earned for his second-ever bull ride during a rodeo in East Glacier.

But that small check and the thrill of riding bulls was enough to hold Hill's curiosity. The teenager quit playing football for Columbia Falls High School so he could enter rodeos.

It was a late start compared to other bull riders. Many of them grew up riding calves and sheep in competitions. Hill didn't do that. His only experience was riding pigs in the yard with his cousins.

Hill made up for inexperience with his natural abilities. The long legs of his 6-2 body were great for wrapping around larger bulls. He also had excellent coordination and balance, allowing him to adjust his position as the bulls bucked and whirled. Hill excelled at baseball and basketball too.

By age 19, he was attending Miles City Community College on a rodeo scholarship and earning almost $15,000 from summer competitions in Montana and nearby states. He was also the runner-up in his college region in 1998.

After finishing college in three years with a degree in building technology, Hill went on the road.

He competed in rodeos near and far, driving to Oregon, Texas and California.

In 2001, his first year as a full-time bull rider, he had some success, winning the Farm City Pro Rodeo in Hermiston, Ore.

But the next year was when he really started to shine.

In 2002, Hill won two major titles and was co-champion in another, finishing seventh in the world standings. He also qualified for his first National Finals Rodeo, the year-ending event in Las Vegas, with larger payoffs than any other rodeo.

Hill continued to ride well the next year. He won two more major rodeos and had another tie for first. He also took first in the 2003 Montana pro rodeo circuit.

But then he broke his ankle and missed two and a half months of competition. He finished $2,000 shy of qualifying for his second National Finals Rodeo.

Hill said that without the injury, he probably would have qualified.

Despite the disappointing finish in 2003, bull riding had already rewarded Hill. He had earned $240,033 in his career.

So he set his goals high for 2004. He wanted to win the aggregate title at the National Finals Rodeo and finish in the top five in the world standings.

He almost did both. He won two titles and took second in the Pace Challenge in Omaha, Neb., and the Pace Classic in Dallas. Entering the NFR, he was eighth in the world standings with $87,474.

Despite the pain from a ruptured tendon in his left wrist, he rode well in the 10-round finals. With 499 points for six rides, he was just 1.5 points behind Paulo Crimber, who won the title with an aggregate of 500.5.

So he didn't reach his goal of winning the finals. But the money from his third place finish was enough to attain his other goal. He finished fifth in the world standings with $159,455.

Hill spent the holidays unwinding with his wife, Keri, and two-year-old daughter, Lakia, in rural Columbia Falls. But he's not totally kicking back. He's remodeling their new home.

It's not a huge, fancy home either. It's a modest-sized two-story house that doesn't stick out in the neighborhood. From the outside, you wouldn't believe that it's the new home of a bull-riding star.

If you knew Hill, you might. He's tall, lean, talented, soft spoken and humble. He said he would be bothered if his friends and family started treating him differently because of his success.

Sure, he is proud of his achievements. And he'll show his trophies when asked.

But watching him help his daughter squeeze yogurt into her mouth, it's easy to see his kind and gentle demeanor.

Hill said one of the hardest parts of his job is traveling and being away from his family.

He said he anticipates competing until he is in his mid-30s. After that, he's not sure exactly what he'll do, but he'll definitely spend more time at home.

Hill is on the road again now. This month, he is competing in rodeos in Louisiana, Denver, Great Falls and Fort Worth, but then he'll get another break.

He's having wrist surgery on Jan. 20. That should put him out for about two months, he said.