Bareback Riding's Next Generation: Kash Lloyd Hits the Road

At just 18 years old, Kash Lloyd is already proving he belongs among some of the biggest names in professional rodeo.

The Cleburne, Texas, native recently captured the Texas High School Rodeo Association bareback riding title and is preparing to compete at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Nebraska later this summer. Between high school competition and the professional rodeo trail, Lloyd has been steadily building momentum while competing against some of the sport's most accomplished veterans.

One of his most memorable performances came at the Coleman PRCA Rodeo, where he found himself competing against bareback riding standouts Jess Pope, Tim O'Connell, and Ty Pope.

"Tim O'Connell is somebody I've looked up to since I was 8 years old," Lloyd said. "Now to be riding against him and then to win that rodeo, it means that much more."

The recent stretch of rodeos has continued to build Lloyd's confidence. After competing in Mesquite, where he split a round win with fellow bareback rider Brayze Schill, he followed it up with a fourth-place finish at Rodeo El Paso. With checks won at multiple rodeos and more opportunities ahead, Lloyd is preparing for a busy summer that includes the West of the Pecos Rodeo, rodeos across the Southwest, and the National High School Finals Rodeo.

His passion for bareback riding began at an early age while watching his father compete.

"When I was three or four years old, my dad was still getting on bareback horses," Lloyd said. "He'd get on a bareback horse and I'd get on a sheep at the rodeo. I thought that was the coolest thing ever."

By age seven, Lloyd was riding bucking ponies and quickly developed a love for the event.

"My mind was blown, and I've loved it ever since," he said.

While many young rodeo athletes focus on immediate goals, Lloyd already has a long-term vision for his future. He hopes to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo, contend for world championships, and build enough financial success to retire early.

"I want to make the NFR and win the NFR," Lloyd said. "I want to make enough money and win enough money to retire by the time I'm 30 or 35 and be set for the rest of my life."

Before chasing those professional goals full-time, Lloyd will represent Texas at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Nebraska, where the state's top bareback rider will compete against the best young rodeo athletes in the country. If his recent success is any indication, the young Texan's journey is only getting started.