Traveling from Australia to the United States regularly, Brady Fielder has found success around the world in Western sports riding bulls, particularly in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). From growing up on cattle stations in Queensland, Australia, to moving to more populated areas down under and now living in Henrietta, Texas, the 24-year-old athlete has always sought out the best rodeo and bull riding opportunities he could find. He is a three-time PBR Global Cup qualifier, 2019 PBR Australia Rookie of the Year, member of the 2023 PBR Team Series champion Texas Rattlers team, and one of the PBR’s top competitors.
Fielder sat down with us to chat about all things bull riding, Australia, traveling, his career, and who he is at the core, and this is what we learned!
What is your background in rodeo? When did you start getting on bulls, and when did you know you’d be pursuing it as a career?
I grew up mainly on cattle stations and working around horses and cattle. My dad rode bulls, and I have two older brothers who rode bulls, as well. It was a family thing, and I’d been around it all my life. I started getting on sheep and calves and worked my way up through the age groups. I really looked up to my brothers and dad who helped me out a lot. I moved around quite a bit through my school years, but I ended up down south where rodeo was bigger when I was in grade nine. They had a rodeo at the school once a year, so that’s where I really wanted to go through all my schooling. I rode there pretty well every weekend, and it’s where I started my career.
When I was 16 years old, a bull jumped on my chest and sent an air pocket up that disconnected the retina behind my right eye, and I’ve been blind out of the right eye pretty well ever since. At that point in time, it never really worried me because I was young, but you have to really love what you do. I’m thankful to be healthy now and feeling good.
How have you seen growth in yourself and your career since your rookie year in 2019?
Coming over here to ride at the beginning of 2020, I got on tour, but I ended up getting a horn to the belly giving me a couple of weeks off. I never had much money when I would come over here, so I really wanted to do well to keep going down the road. Then, COVID came around, and that sent me back home. I struggled a little from then on, even back home. There wasn’t much to do but continuously get on practice bulls and work on myself. But, going through hard times is what makes you better. It’s just a matter of coming out on the other side, and I’m thankful for that.
That set me up well to deal with all other challenges. At the start of the Team Series last year, I wasn’t even on the team, but I knew I had to do whatever it took to get there if that’s what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be. I did everything I could and went at it with all I had, and thankfully, I got back on the team. At the start of that season, we weren’t doing that well really, but I suppose that is what makes us so good in the end. Even Cody (Lambert), when we’re losing games, he never loses faith, and he always believes in us. When he believes in you, it helps you believe in yourself.
There are so many different forms of competition that I get to participate in, but at the end of the day, it is still just bull riding. My job is to ride each and every bull I get on, and that’s the plan that remains the same. That’s the life I live. It’s what I love to do, so that makes it easier when it does get tough.
What is the Western sports world like in Australia compared to the United States, and what has your experience in both places been like?
Bull riding in Australia is definitely not as big as over here as far as the caliber of bulls and the whole rodeo world. It’s more normal to me now; but going from back home to over here, it took a little getting used to. But, I have realized that it’s all just bull riding, no matter where I am.
When I first came over, I was lucky enough to qualify through a bull riding series back home to the Youth World Finals in Abilene, Texas. So I came over three years in a row qualifying for that, and that was my first taste of it over here. In 2019, that was the first year I rode at a higher level, but I could only come over three months at a time. Then, in 2022, I got to stay on tour and was fortunate enough to get drafted by the Texas Rattlers after that season. Since then, I came back for the Team Series in 2023, went home for a month, and haven’t been back to Australia since. Now, I plan on staying here for the most part until I achieve what I want to in my bull riding.
When you’re not riding bulls, what does your life look like? And as far as your bull riding goals, what do you hope to achieve?
When I do go home, I’m usually contract mustering (gathering) cows with horses and dogs. But, I don’t really get to do that over here, so I’m usually working on myself during the week and trying to stay busy. I do like to ride a horse a lot during the week. It helps my bull riding.
As far as moving forward as a bull rider, I just want to do really well in the PBR. Of course, I would love to win the gold buckle. That’s the plan, but I just want to stay consistent in my bull riding, do the best I can in the Unleash the Beast tour, and when Teams start back up, I’ll be riding with the Texas Rattlers again. At this stage, this is where I want to be in my bull riding right now. Now that I have had my Visa for five years, I want to make the most out of it while I’m over here.
Hannah: You’ve traveled all over to compete, and you’ve had the chance to get on some amazing bulls in different places. What’s that like, and what are some of the coolest experiences you’ve had?
Brady: I went over to Canada for a month in 2018, and that was fun going over there as well. The bulls were great, and it was a great time. But, as far as places, Las Vegas, New York, Cheyenne – I’ve gotten to go to heaps of cool places. Back home, you listen to all the Chris LeDoux songs talking about places and traveling there; and then coming over here, I’m getting to go to all the places they talk about.
And, there are a lot of great bulls that are good to ride. I rode The Punisher in 2022 and Pookie Holler in the last round of the World Finals, and they were both pretty good bulls at the time. Those meant a lot to me, and I was thankful to get Pookie Holler rode in that last round to finish second in the round there. Another great bull going right now is Man Hater. I’ve been on him twice now, but he’s a bull that bucks so hard. It feels great, but I’ve yet to get him rode. I’m planning to, though!
The Western world is completely different in different places. Even just the mindset of coming here and riding bulls at the highest level, I’ve learned a lot. The places I’ve been and the people I’ve spent time with, it’s pretty crazy. But, where I’m at today around the best in the world, it’s a great experience, and I learn a lot every day.
As Brady continues to traverse the globe in pursuit of his dreams, his journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring bull riders everywhere. Through dedication, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to his craft, Brady Fielder epitomizes the spirit of the “global cowboy” and the enduring legacy of Western sports around the world.
