Sage Kimzey strives for third title at NFR

Sage Kimzey’s goal might seem lofty — or downright unrealistic — to some.

He wants to be remembered as the best bull rider of all time, and in setting his goal, he is bold and unapologetic.

But when you look at what he’s accomplished in his career by age 22, it’s easy to see why.

The bull rider has taken home world championships in his first two years and entered this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in first place.

He leads the next-closest competitor by $56,764.71 and seems well on his way to his third title.

“To (be the best), I’d have to win nine world titles,” Kimzey said. “Donnie Gay’s got eight bull riding world titles, and I truly believe that the way my career’s went so far, it’s totally doable, me being a nine-time world champion. So that’s what I’m really out here to do.”

He won the first go-round Thursday but was bucked off Friday, leaving his total 2016 WNFR earnings at $36,230.77.

Kimzey is well-positioned to become ProRodeo’s youngest millionaire sometime over the next week.

He came to Las Vegas with a career $844,685 pocketed. He has averaged $164,022 in his first two NFRs, meaning the million is certainly attainable with continued solid performances.

“That’s a young man that you can, in fact, really appreciate who he is, what he does, what he stands for,” PRCA commissioner Karl Stressman said. “I think the world of him and I love it, the fact that he’s becoming the first one to win a million at that age. That just tells us that rodeo is at least making some headway in terms of the financial aspect of it for the contestants.”

It says as much about that as it does about Kimzey’s success.

By the last day of competition, Kimzey will be 22 years, three months and 15 days old, well ahead of when Tuf Cooper set the record at 23 years, 22 days.

“It’s crazy. Anytime anybody can get a million dollars doing anything, it’s pretty special and pretty cool. And so for me to be able to do that, especially at such a young age, would be an awesome accomplishment, no doubt,” Kimzey said.

Kimzey knows a thing or two about accomplishments, becoming the first bull rider to start his career with two world championships and experiencing immediate success.

In 2014, Kimzey pocketed $318,631, a new rookie record.

And while he’s dreamed about it his whole life, the success has come more quickly than even he could have predicted.

“It’s something that I’ve envisioned ever since I was a little kid,” Kimzey said. “For it to happen so quickly, this being my third year rodeoing really, I’d say that was really the only surprising part of it was how fast it all came.”

Kimzey is enjoying the opportunity to travel all over the country. He competed in his first Professional Bull Riders event last month in Las Vegas, the PBR Blue Def Finals, and said PBR might be something he’d entertain in the future eventually.

But right now, he’s busy taking the PRCA by storm.

“I feel really good this year. This being my third NFR, I’ve got a little more of a grasp of what it all takes to come in and be successful,” Kimzey said. “It’s the Super Bowl of rodeo. It’s the biggest stage that we have, and this year I feel way more prepared than I’ve ever been.”

Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.