PALMYRA, Ind. — An Indiana family known for winning rodeo championships includes a 6-year-old who is already winning competitions. 

Sage Brown won the junior bull riding competition in the 6- to 8-year-old age bracket during a December 15 rodeo in Russellville, Ky.

His mother, Aubrey, said her 6 year old son has ridden a few bull calves in the past but he had neveer been on the back of a junior bull, which roughly weighed 700 pounds.

He stayed on the bull for six seconds, longer than any of the other pee-wee competitors.

“It was his first actual bull ride where he rode with one hand.  It runs in his blood for sure,” she said.

Sage, who received a belt buckle for his efforts, said his goal is to one day compete in rodeos professionally.

He could be on his way judging from his past successes.

Sage was named Rookie Cowboy of the Year for the Southern Indiana Junior Rodeo Association last year for racking up the most points in SIJRA sponsored competitions for his age bracket.

Other highlights from 2022 included a first-place finish in mutton busting. Mutton busting is an event held at rodeos similar to bull riding in which children ride or race sheep

Junior rodeo members in the SIJRA start with mutton busting then graduate to calf riding before moving up to junior bull riding.

Sage said he was nervous but excited when placed on the back of a bull wearing a helmet then after the ride was more thrilled about winning.

“We weren’t sure how it was going to go but he gave it everything he had.  He sleeps and breathes cowboy,” said Aubrey.

His father, Ty, was named by the Great Lakes Pro Rodeo Circuit as its Rookie Cowboy of the Year for adults in 2013. 

The circuit is part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which recognizes the weekend or part-time rodeo cowboy in states like Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Ty also qualified for the national finals last year in steer wrestling based on points in all of the rodeos he competed in on the circuit.

“He’s had quite the accomplishments.  Our buckle table is full,” Aubrey said. 

The couple’s 11 year old daughter, Paisley, is also a chip off the old block.

“I guess it’s just kind of in my blood,” she said. 

She competed with adults in the December 15 rodeo and was just a fraction of a second from sharing in the prize money for barrel running. 

Paisley has prior first place finishes in barrel running. During the junior rodeo national finals last year, she finished an impressive 16th in barrel running with her quarter horse, Jose.

“It was awesome,” she said.

The couple’s youngest child, Steely, 3, is being groomed to compete in rodeos when she’s eligible at age 5.

Right now, she’s already riding a horse by herself.

“They’ve been horse backed since they were three weeks old,” Aubrey said.

The couple has five horses along with a few steers and calves on 15 acres in Palmyra, which is about 30 miles northwest of Louisville, Kentucky.