He might not yet have hit the big money, but Lloydminster bull-rider Colt Hillis has been making his season count just the same.
Read more: Rain doesn’t deter Onion Lake senior at Sports Days
Back on the Bull Riders Canada (BRC) circuit this summer, Hillis has had a string of oh-so-close rides just shy of making the requisite eight-second mark.
“A lot of seven-second bull rides, but at Rockyford just last Tuesday, I just about rung the bell there, so that was a good one,” Hillis, 19, said three days later during another Alberta-based BRC competition, the Edgerton Bull-A-Rama, on Friday night.
“But seven seconds doesn’t pay. I’m just looking to make as much money as I can before I head to the States. Just ride bulls.”
Hillis, who graduated from Lloydminster Comprehensive High School in 2025, refined his craft this past school year as part of the Laramie County Community College rodeo team in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
“I spent a lot of time at school just perfecting my bull-riding, so coming in here, I knew I was in fighting shape, for sure,” Hillis said.
“Cheyenne is a great place. I’ll go back there for one more year. It starts Aug. 25.”
Likewise, his older brother Gage, also a bull-rider, plans to return to the same school, hoping for a healthy college season after enduring tough luck that only bull-riders can appreciate.
“He’s going to come back for one more year down there, too,” Hillis said. “He’s hurt again, so he was out for all of this season.
“He broke his collarbone, twice at school, and then he broke it once again when he came back home. So, he’s letting it heal up this time.”
Just like in junior college, the younger Hillis is learning the ropes this summer in BRC events across the Prairies. The next-wave association features a barn-full of talented young bull-riders, some of whom are also dipping their toes into the pro rodeo ranks.
John MacNeil – Meridian Source
Hillis was still in high school when he got his first taste of BRC action. He’s that much more prepared this summer.
“Well, I think I’m ridin’ a lot better than I was last year,” he said. “I’ve been more consistent, by any means. It’s been feeling a lot better.
“This (BRC level) is what I’m going to do all this year, and then I’ll try and maybe buy my pro card next year and chase that trail.”
It’s been a whirlwind trail this season for Hillis and company. At the end of a busy stretch, he welcomed the Edgerton event, which attracted about 1,000 spectators relatively close to Lloyd and his Hillmond home.
“We were everywhere last week,” he said. “We went from Rockyford (Alta.) to Bengough (Sask.), which is seven hours, and back to here (Edgerton).”
One of his close calls this summer came during Friday’s long-go, as Hillis registered an entertaining 7.8-second ride on a Thompson Rodeo bull named Don’t Be Coy.
“I seen my buddy get on him earlier this year in Meadow Lake, so I knew it was a good one,” he said. “But they just called me for a slap at 7.8 seconds. So, onto the short-go, I guess.”
In the championship round, young guns Sloan Walker of Carstairs, Alta., and Chase Skene of Prince Albert, Sask., made successful rides to finish first and second overall, respectively.
Another fresh face, Brodi Beasley of Patricia, Alta., has been lights out this season. The rookie leads the BRC standings with earnings of $31,890.
“Brodi Beasley, he’s been taking all our money all year,” Hillis said with a smile. “He’s the one to beat, for sure.”
Hayden Mulvey of Brooks, Alta., sits second ($20,995), while Kaden Piper of Stoughton, Sask., is in third place ($18,748).
“It’s been one of my better seasons, my best season,” said Piper, 20. “Just need to continue on, doing good.”
Piper, now ranching at home in Saskatchewan, competed at the college rodeo level in Hobbs, New Mexico, this past year and in Borger, Texas, the previous season.
On the BRC circuit, he embraces an environment where the bull-riders support each other, while also competing against each other.
“It’s good to see everyone do good, and it sucks when you see your buddies fall off,” Piper said. “You just cheer for everyone. You want to see everyone win.”
Piper, who has known Hillis since they were kids riding steers, said the Lloyd bull-rider is one of the most popular cowboys in the bunch.
“He’s funny. Yeah, he’s a pretty easy-going guy.”
Read more: Onion Lake Sports Days makes a splash
