On Sunday, May 2, six young men attending the High Plains Pro Rodeo’s saddle bronc and bareback school experienced what some would call a rare opportunity to learn from one of the greatest bareback riders that has ever ridden, Bruce Ford.

Ford is a five time world bare-back rider champion. He was in Kimball over the weekend with his son Royce, to help guide a new generation of riders. On Sunday morning he sat the students down and spoke to them about setting goals.

Ford told them that everything he accomplished in life he did by setting goals. Not goals that were lofty, he said, but ones that were attainable.

“I never set a goal that I couldn’t achieve,” he said.

Ford used examples of his many years of rodeoing  to help guide his lecture.

Ford said in 1976 he was comfortable doing what he was doing in life. He was making a living and was content.

“That was before I began setting goals,” he said.

But Ford had decided he wanted to do rodeo so he began setting goals. It was with this drive and passion that led Ford to his five championships. But it wasn’t without its hard times.

Ford said in 1974 he hadn’t set any goals.

“I just figured I would get back to finals and that’d be OK,” Ford said.

;margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 9.0px; line-height: 10.8px; font: 10.0px Garamond;">But then someone told him he was in contention to win the world championship. His standings lasted for about three days.

“I wasn’t prepared to be a world champion,” he said. He punctuated the point by saying he never set a goal for it.

In 1976 Ford was hurt and wasn’t doing as well as he had been in years past. Ford said the non-rodeo people told him, “It’s OK, you’ll be back next year.”

Those comments lit a fire in him and he ended up higher than anyone thought possible.

“I came back and was like fifth in world,” Ford said, “I saw Chris LeDoux win the world that year.”

Although straying from his topic of setting goals, Ford took the opportunity to explain to the students the importance of the guys sitting next you. He said these guys are your family.

“You have your rodeo family and you have your real family,” he said.

Ford explained that in 1980 he was trailing the lead by $15,000-$20,000. Ford was quoted as saying that if he could get within $10,000 behind the lead he could win it all.

At the finals Ford said the leader in earnings had a bad ride and put Ford in a great position to win it.

“I was worried about Mickey,” he said, “That’s how it gets, you get to worrying about your friends.”

Ford’s wife at the time helped him to refocus and get his mind back on the job. He won his third world title that year.

Ford went on to win in 1982, 83 and 87. He retired in 1987.

Through it all though Ford said he remained humble.

“You have to remain humble, because if you don’t that’s when things go bad,” he said.

Ford said he remained humble throughout it all. He said when he did well, he would sit down and cry.

“I was so humbled by what the good lord had given me,” he said, “when they were done patting me on the back I would sit down by myself and cry.”

“A tear would roll down my face as I called home and told them how I did,” he said.

After finishing his lecture/history lesson, Ford climbed off the railing and turned it over to his son Royce. Royce, shook his head and said he didn’t know how he could follow his dad.

“All I can say is let’s get your spurs on and let’s go have some fun!” Royce said.