Rick Young, ProRodeo Hall of Fame Bull Rider and Clown Passes at 92

The rodeo community lost one of their own earlier this month as ProRodeo Hall of Famer Rick Young passed away at 92. The legendary cowboy was known for his work as a bullfighter and rodeo clown. He was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2022 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

60 Years in the Arena

Young spent nearly 60 years of his life working in ProRodeo. He was known as the "Ragin' Cajun" and later "The Agin' Cajun" as his career began in the mid-1960s and continued until he retired in 2019 at the age of 85. Even age couldn't pull Young out of the arena.

A long and decorated career precedes the cowboy, as he was named PRCA's Clown of the Year in 1980. He was also selected to work the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City in 1974. These weren’t his only awards as he was named Coors Man in the Can at the NFR in 1991, 1994 and 1996-97.

This career path isn’t always an easy one, and in an interview with PRORODEO Sports News in 2022 he said,

"You don't realize how many lives that you touched with all those years of rodeoing until you step away," he said. "A lot of people know me, but I don't know them because they see you out there with your makeup on and clowning.” He continued, “Then they walk up to you like they've known you your whole life. The people are really what I miss more than anything and seeing all my friends in rodeo.”

A Life Well Lived

Young ‘s passing will leave a hole in the hearts of many, but his life was one well lived. He was raised in a village called Tickfaw, Louisiana, he grew up in sports but when the time came, he chose to join the rodeo team at Louisiana State University.

It was there that he found his true love for rodeo, competing in bareback riding, bull riding, roping, and steer wrestling. Young found his way to bullfighting and clowning by accident. When someone else didn’t show, he stepped in to do the job, and a lifelong career was born.

Following his time in college rodeo, he was asked to continue to work with the Kinney Brothers Rodeo Company in their rodeos across Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana and by the time they made their move to the pros by joining the Rodeo Cowboys Association, Young went with them.

As his career progressed, Young started booking his own shows to give himself time to raise his own Appaloosa herd. But his career wasn’t one without injury. Young suffered broken ribs, a broken leg, a broken jaw, stitches, and plenty of bruises, all while he continued to work, proving his heart was one of a true cowboy.

Young’s talents brought him to movie sets as well, working on "The Great American Cowboy," "Alvarez Kelly," and "Everybody's All-American." He worked for over 50 years for the Sikeston (Mo.) Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, among many others.

Young was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 2004. He is survived by his wife, Bernie Lee, who continues to maintain a family business dedicated to breeding and selling Appaloosa horses.