Family supports sons’ passion for rodeo
Dominic Hale is a 15-year-old bull rider.
Noelle McLaughlin and Doug Hale of Newcomerstown are the parents of two sons who love to ride rodeo bulls, with a third son already dipping his toe into the rodeo waters for a career of his own.
The elder two boys — Dominic Hale, 15, and Jayce Hale, 8 — began riding three years ago after Dominic Hale gave bull riding a try and fell in love with the sport. Jayce Hale started out riding more compliant sheep and decided to give bulls a try also.
The boys get practice on the family’s 47-acre farm. “They practice on stationary barrels to get their seating right also,” McLaughlin said.
The Professional Bull Riders Association has created the very first pro youth bullring teams ever put together, called the Warriors, and the Hale boys were chosen to compete. After viewing videos of each, judges reviewed a written account of why hopeful riders wanted to be a part of the event.
“It was like a football draft event,” McLaughlin said.
The boys always compete against other children, but Dominic Hale has already surpassed 6 feet in height, so he may compete with older bull riders.
The new team of rodeo Warriors will be coached by seasoned PBR champions. Six teams of young riders will compete on June 22 in Montcalm County, Michigan. Dominic and Jayce Hale were the only two chosen from Ohio to be a part of the youth team. Follow the team’s progress and events on Facebook by searching for Next Generation Bull Riding Team Showdown.
The upcoming late June competition has the boys in training while competing in smaller events along the way. All that competition isn’t cheap.
“It can be very expensive,” McLaughlin said. “There are association fees, entry fees, equipment, travel expenses. It can all add up.”
Now 4-year-old brother Joziah is itching to join his older siblings in the bull ring.
The sport is not without risks. “It can be very scary,” McLaughlin said. “Dominic had one hospital trip after an accident. They carried him off on a stretcher, and there was some fear that his neck had been broken.”
Fortunately, a concussion was the only injury, but the sport of riding on the back of a bucking bull can be as dangerous as it looks. The fright didn’t put a dent in the boy’s eagerness to continue.
“They’ll keep at it. They have no fear, really, just excitement,” McLaughlin said. “Dominic is fearless. Jayce will get on some bulls I would not go near. Then he gets off and asks, ‘When can we do that again?’”
Dominic Hale said he just likes the way it feels riding on the back of a big bull. “I just like the thrill of it and the adrenaline,” he said.
He puts fear out of his mind. “Oh, I’m scared all the time, but I just put that at the back of my mind and pay no attention,” he said, adding he won’t stop bull riding anytime soon. “I’m going to keep doing this until I can’t do it anymore.”
For his younger brother’s part, Jayce Hale said, “It’s the best sport ever.”
PBR began in 1992 when a group of champion riders sought to bring the sport into greater recognition while creating better opportunities for riders. Their efforts paid off beyond anyone’s expectation and today oversees professional events awarding millions of dollars in prize money. Learn more about the sport of bull riding at www.pbr.com.