![]() “That was a turning point in my young career and that’s when I took it seriously.” “It got to where I always wanted to do it so I practiced all the time,” Creek said. His fear faded over time and changed into a craving. “I was always a little hesitant and scared when I was younger, and I did it anyway.” “I wasn’t very good as a freshman and struggled with staying on,” Creek laughed. Getting better and seeing his hard work pay off helped him grow into the bull riding powerhouse fans know today. So, I let it go and we shifted gears to ‘let’s make it happen,’ and he did.” He knows where he is going and has strong friendships and is a well-rounded 15-year-old. “It was so clear to me that I decided by sophomore year this isn’t that important. “I could tell he did not light up the way he does at his rodeos,” Michelle said. Although he did well, it was clear that he wasn’t passionate about it. While growing up, Michelle encouraged Creek to participate in football, basketball and track. “Maybe that’s because I’ve always done it.” “I don’t know if everyone understands how it (rodeo family) works, but I feel like it’s more common here than people think,” Creek said. Charlie and Shanna McDonald family – Creek 13 years old is back row on the right with his friends Kelly McDonald and Quincey McDonald – Shelby Chante’ Photography He listed Mollie Howard and her grandson, Josh Steele, both of his grandmas, Lois Porter and Barbara Young, his aunt and uncle, and a long list of friends and family including Charlie and Shanna McDonald family. “When my mom passed, people stepped up and made me feel better.” “I have an extended family, a rodeo family,” Creek said. He also has two half-sisters and a half-brother who are several years older than him, Najee Donson, Derrion Donson, and Bailey Young. Michelle didn’t know anything about rodeo, but was determined to support her nephew’s dream. His aunt Michelle finished raising him while his rodeo family continued to grow. But, every cloud has a silver lining and Creek’s was arguably better than gold. I love it for my own reasons because I had to find my own way.” “I never connected it with him because I was so young. “I love bull riding for my own reasons,” Creek said. Randy was a bull rider and bullfighter, but he died when Creek was a toddler. His journey on the other hand, has been anything but easy.Ĭreek was born to Randy Young and Raneé Porter-Young on Nov. “I have more arm to give on the bulls and that makes it easier.” “I don’t feel like I’ve ever had a problem or rode different because I’m taller,” Creek said. “He has a really strong mental game but it took him a little longer to get the basics down because he’s always been taller than the average kid but that’s hard for me to judge because I’m 5-6,” Denton said.Ĭreek Young and Michelle Porter at the ACRA finals 2018 in Springfield – Michelle PorterĪt 6 feet tall and 150 pounds, Creek is taller than most of the 2021 NFR bull riding roster. Breaking $100,000 was pretty cool.”ĭenton watched Creek progress through the Missouri Family Rodeo Association and the Junior Pro Bull Riders-Missouri. ![]() “By the middle of the summer run, the dollars were stacking up. “Last year, I left the house with $10,000 and hoped I’d win enough to keep going,” Creek said. It’s impressive.”Ĭreek blew the competition out of the water in the race for PRCA Rookie of the Year with $143,511 and finished No. He has a strong moral compass and has this wisdom about him that’s like an old man. “He loves his quiet time and is contemplated and focused. “When he was little, he’d ask very deep questions and he was like an old man in a young man’s body,” Michelle said. His aunt, Michelle Porter, didn’t know about the nickname yet her description of Creek was identical, but for very different reasons. ![]() “It’s not as modern as it was a few years ago I guess.” “He’s kind of an old soul so that’s where the nickname Old Man River comes into it,” said Creek’s friend and mentor, Denton Fugate, referring to Creek being a fan of Lil Wayne. Now, the cowboy from Rogersville, Mo., is living a 21st century version of those tales with a bull riding twist that’s taking him to the 2021 National Finals Rodeo. Jackie Jensen Written by: Siri Stevens < Back to ArticlesĪ framed $25 check for winning the first mutton bustin’ he entered at only two-and-a-half years old hung on Creek Young’s wall for years.Īs a kid, Creek’s grandma, Lois Porter, would read to him from Gary Paulsen’s series, “Tucket’s Travels,” about a boy in the mid-19th century and his adventures in the American West. Creek riding Universal Pro Rodeos’ Lee’s Red Raider at Cheyenne Frontier Days.
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