Brian Courson embarked upon his bull riding career by chance. He was a horse jockey until he was 17; when Courson got too heavy to race horses, he thought riding bulls might suit him. He describes himself as the type of guy who “rides bulls because he likes riding bulls.” Courson is a classical cowboy, with a fearless demeanor defined by grit and guts. Courson improved his technique by practicing at a friend’s arena, it was there he sustained the worst injury of his career. Courson got hooked by a rank bull called Rattlesnake, and punctured his jugular vein. A tube was inserted in the side of his neck to repair the damage. When asked how long he was sidelined by the injury, Courson replied, “I ended up getting on, and riding the same bull the next weekend with a tube in the side of my neck. The only way to overcome your fear is to face it.” Before joining the PBR, Courson toured with various bull riding circuits, making a living at what he calls “podunk shows”. He was named the 1999 Southern Professional Bull Riding Association Champion and also captured the 2001 National ProAm title. He joined the PBR last year at age 30 and has been quite successful thus far. Courson has placed at various PBR events, and split first place with Justin McBride in Jacksonville, Florida in 2005. Courson had to sit out of the Build Ford Tough World Finals after breaking his ankle in the practice pen. The injury required surgery but look for him to be back in action beginning in January of 2006.
About Brian
