Each night at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, the bareback riders kick things off. It's an event that's all about technique and rhythm while trying to ride a bucking horse for eight seconds.
One of the competitors, Mason Clements grew up riding motorcycles, not horses. However, once he was introduced to the rodeo world, he never looked back.
"I saw somebody bareback riding, it looked really awesome and intense," Mason said. "I said 'why not' and gave it heck."
12 years later and Mason is now the 18th ranked bareback rider in the world with three trips to the Wrangler NFR under his belt.
"It's no fear, full commitment," Mason explained. "I kind of like that scary, fear feeling, that's a little bit of my motivation."
This week marks the Spanish Fork, Utah native's 3rd time competing in Colorado Springs.
"It brings out the top talent around the country," he said. "That makes it a lot of fun and interesting when you get good horses and good cowboys matched up."
Bareback riding is one of the most physically demanding performances, yet Mason said the most challenging part of his job is travel.
"Everybody thinks with rodeo you get to ride and hang out and stay but you ride eight seconds, jump off, get back in the truck and you're on the road to the next one," he explained.
Mason said he spends roughly 200-plus days a year on the road. But the comradery he's built with the other riders makes it much more bearable.
"The friends that we meet here are pretty much family," he said. "It's just really awesome group of people to be around, everybody's pushing for each other while competing against each other at the same time."
Mason is hoping to win the big bucks in Colorado Springs to help punch a ticket to the National Finals Rodeo for the fourth time.
