Stetson Long rode to victory Wednesday night at the Days of ’76 Rodeo in Deadwood after completing an 8-second ride that demonstrated both technical skill and composure under pressure. The ride placed the 20-year-old from Howes, South Dakota, fourth overall so far in the multiday event, which continues through the weekend.

Long, who has been riding bulls professionally for four years after starting at age 16, grew up on his grandfather Paul Schultes’ ranch near Howes. He continues to work for the family’s cattle-buying and selling operation, which spans approximately 10,000 acres across two locations and has shaped his work ethic and approach to bull riding.

His earliest memory on the ranch is of his grandfather having him and his older sister pose for a picture on a pair of 3-year-old, unbroken buckskins that had received their first rides earlier that day. He chuckled, “My grandmother was mad as hell at my grandfather for that one.”

Bull riders are naturally drawn to the adrenaline rush. Long approaches what is often ranked among the world’s most dangerous sports as his favorite way to spend a day off from working on the family’s cattle operation. “I just have fun with it,” he told me as his eyes lit up.

Young Stetson attended bull-riding camps coached by Dylan Madsen and Cole Elshere in Kadoka. He has sent most of his siblings there to learn how to ride bulls, with the exception of his younger brother, Sy, 18, who attended Wednesday evening’s ride to support his big brother. Sy said he was “so proud of him and how well Stetson rode.”

Rodeo, as it does for many riders, courses through Stetson’s veins. His father, Lyle Long, rode bulls briefly in high school before focusing on wrestling. His mother, Darcy Long, supports his bull-riding career despite her concerns about the sport’s inevitable and inherent dangers.

Long said his faith in God plays a central role in how he approaches the risks associated with professional bull riding.

“I don’t have any fear for my career in bull riding because, at the end of the day, it’s not my plan; it’s God’s. I’m just living day by day and trusting in Him to carry me through.”

On Wednesday, he drew the bull Dapper Dan, an animal he believes he “matched jump for jump.” After the 84-point ride, Long dismounted with just as much style and grace as he rode, dropping one knee to the dirt as the bullfighters safely led Dapper Dan away. He removed his Stetson hat and looked up to the sky.

When I asked Long what he was praying, he nodded upward and said he was “attributing his successful ride to the big guy upstairs and thanking Him for allowing me to do it and for keeping me safe.”

He also said he hasn’t always felt safe riding and was once afraid of getting hurt after watching riders ahead of him suffer serious injuries at previous rodeos.

That fear led Stetson to move into team roping for several years. But after sustaining more injuries in that sport than he ever had while riding bulls, he wanted to return to the 8-second rides and the feeling of freedom they gave him.

“It used to screw with my head just before I would give the gateman a nod and take off from the chute on my own bucking bull,” he said.

But after becoming a man of God and getting into the Word, he no longer feels that way. He encourages other riders to do the same and to look up his favorite scripture, Isaiah 41:10, which speaks of finding strength through God and not being afraid or dismayed because He is alongside them, lifting them up.

Long also encourages riders to get on as many bucking bulls as they can.

“It’s the only real way to get better at the ride,” he said with a cool, calm and collected focus uncommon for a rider his age. It speaks to the work and dedication he puts into his goal of becoming one of the best in the sport.

Stetson settled onto Dapper Dan in the chute, his gaze narrowed and focused as he and the other riders positioned his rope in the Brazilian riding style. Long said he chose that style after trying both the American and Brazilian methods because he believes it makes him less likely to get hung up and helps ensure a safer dismount.

The chute swung open after Long gave the gateman a nod. Dapper Dan lunged into the air, clearly ready to give Stetson one heck of a ride.

He rode the full 8 seconds in nearly perfect position, allowing his spurs to run evenly up Dapper Dan’s flanks. He sat back in his seat and maintained his balance with his right hand as the bull dipped and turned from side to side.

I’ve never seen or heard an arena so still. At first glance, someone might have suspected the crowd was unimpressed. But as I sat in that moment on a late July evening, I realized we were all captivated by the rider’s art and style.

He made the ride look easy, even though it was dangerous and physically demanding, especially considering Stetson was riding with a broken foot from a Deadwood rodeo just the month before.

Many riders compete through injuries, as long as those injuries don’t affect their ability to hold on or maintain their balance.

Long showed the spectators what dedicated training, phenomenal mentors and coaches, faith, and the belief and support of a loving family can do for a professional bull rider.

He was elated by the opportunity to ride in the Days of ’76 Rodeo this year, saying it was an event he had always set his sights on. He called it a special rodeo because of its wooden chutes, a feature rarely seen in arenas today, and because it gave him the opportunity to compete alongside talented men and women in the rodeo’s many events.

This rider has come a long way since climbing aboard a bull named Boats and Heifers, which Long remembers as the bull he was most terrified to ride. He ended up winning that event last year in Williston, North Dakota, with an 82-point ride at just 19 years old.

Bull riders aren’t always guaranteed another ride. In fact, many retire fairly young because of the injuries they sustain. But one thing I know for certain is that Stetson Long is going to do his best to hold on to every moment he’s granted beyond the 8-second rides of his career.

Every person who helped shape him into the man he is today has reason to be proud of him.

During the interview, he made sure to say how thankful he was for the hard work and dedication of everyone in the organization. He also emphasized how tough and dangerous the jobs of the gatemen and bullfighters are during every ride of the rodeo, not just his 8 seconds in the arena.

To support and follow Stetson Long, follow the PRCA Badlands Circuit and the PBR. You can also follow him on Instagram at @stetson062023.