Goin' Rounds: Northern Star - Seven Sensational Questions with Ty Pozzobon

In his first full year on the PBR Built Ford Tough Tour, Ty Pozzobon has been labeled by some media outlets as the “early-season sensation” and “the one to watch”. But this 20 year old, humble cowboy from Merritt, B.C., who grew up wanting to ride with 2-time PBR champ Chris Shivers, has worked hard for the past 14 years to be the best he can, so he can ride among the PBR elite.

So while many bull riding and rodeo fans, as well as the American media are just finding out about Pozzobon, the 2010 Canadian "Rodeo Rookie of the Year" is right where he wants to be, and his future is indeed bright.

Goin' Rounds: Do you remember your first 8-second ride? Was it that moment when the bull riding bug bit you?

Ty at 10

Ty Pozzobon: Oh yeah, I knew from the first time I tried it out. I think it was on a cow when I was about 6 years old, in my home town-- Merritt B.C. It wasn’t even in a bucking chute, I think we had a panel squeezed up against the fence.

GR: Tell us about your first event win

Ty at 17

TP: It was actually my first time entering an amateur bull riding event in Canada. I rode my first bull and I earned 84 points. It was the first time I was ever in the 80’s and I was pretty excited to cover my first one. Then in the short round I earned 86 points and I won the event. I think I had just turned 14 years old..

GR: As a Canadian, whose national sport is ice hockey, do you play hockey?

Ty playing goalie

TP: I did play hockey. I played serious hockey. I was a goalie and it came to the point in high school where I had to make a choice. I pretty much knew all along that I would be a bull rider, but I just rode it out as long as I could until I had to make that decision. I enjoyed it and had a lot of fun playing hockey, but I’m a bull rider.

GR: It seems there’s a growing “feud” between the ranks about helmets. Where do you stand?

Ty at 7

TP: I never wore a helmet when I first started riding. I used just a face mask that my cowboy hat sat on and I eventually went to a helmet. Then one-time when I was in high school, I was in a bit of a slump, so I took my helmet off and just wore my cowboy hat. I ended up winning the high school championship, so I thought to myself, “This is the ticket!" About 3 weeks later I got hit in the face and broke my nose. So, I thought this is not for me and I put the helmet back on.

GR: Have you ever covered a bull deemed unrideable and once you stepped off say, “How the heck did I do that?”

Ty in Glendale, AZ

TP: Oh yeah, I’ve done that a couple of times actually. Not anymore. I feel like I’m a lot more confident but there were times when I was younger. Sometimes you are really nervous and you say can I ride this bull? And you go out and ride it. It’s a pretty cool feeling to conquer something like that.

GR: Do you have a particular bull you are dying to ride?

TP: Yeah there’s a bull from Canada, Gunpowder & Lead. When he first came out he was in Canada and I was down here in the U.S. I was hoping to get on him up there. I'm hoping to get on him soon. I’m sure I will sooner or later.