BULVERDE, Texas – Tanner Gonzalez may be only 9-years-old, but he's got this rodeo stuff already down. In fact, at this point in his young life, he’s experienced so many rodeos, he could give seasoned bull riders who will be competing in the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo advice from years of riding stock.
“I just hold on for six seconds. Well, now do 8 seconds now,” he said, laughing, because he has now graduated and is getting ready to ride small bulls in junior rodeos. He started out with mutton busting like many kids, but caught the rodeo bug, much to the chagrin of his grandmother who watched his uncle get tossed to the ground many a night.
Tanner said, "Mema, she don't want me to because of him, because he got hurt and she doesn't want me to get hurt. That's what she said.” Uncle Yancey James has been his mentor from the beginning. He is the voice and ringmaster of Tejas Rodeo in Bulverde, a local professional rodeo that will commence its Saturday night rodeos after the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo finishes March 5.
James rode bulls and was a professional roper as well. "He's got a lot of talent. I tried to steer him away from it for many years as a rough stock rider. Yep, he's got the bug but you get to the point that you figure if he wants it bad enough, you've got to guide him in the right direction, and help him," said James.
That guidance has taken little Tanner to a world championship this year. That's right, 9-years-old, and the world champ. He said he hopes to continue on to bull riding in a couple of years.