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Canada's Ty Pozzobon has a problem-free philosophy, and it's landed him among the Top 10 in the world.

02/01/2012

By: Keith Ryan Cartwright

 PUEBLO, Colo. - Ask Ty Pozzobon any question and he's likely to give you the same answer.

"I'm only 20," he often says, "I haven't thought that far ahead."

Pozzobon is indeed young, and right now he's simply enjoying the vagabond lifestyle of a top-ranked professional bull rider on the Built Ford Tough Series.

His parents live in Merritt, British Columbia, and occasionally he returns home to visit, but this year, he plans to spend a majority of his time in the United States, especially now that he's ranked in the Top 10.

For longer than he can remember, his car was with a friend in New Mexico, but recently he had someone drive it to Texas, where he plans to spend time in Stephenville between BFTS events.

'I'm just living out of a little suitcase, really.'

"Yeah," he said, "I'll have my own wheels when I'm there."

He just won't have his own place.

He'll stay with friends, and he and buddy Douglas Duncan will compete at Touring Pro Division events and pro rodeos between BFTS events.

He cares less about the place he calls home and more about the opportunity to ride bulls.

Ultimately he's enjoying the freedom, even if that means wining only a few hundred dollars on a Wednesday night at the Lone Star Arena, where Boyd & Floyd host a weekly event that features their younger bulls.

"It's kind of nice, and I'm just living out of a little suitcase, really."

Ty Pozzobon had his own cheering section in Portland, Ore., two weeks ago.

It's hard to say whether his approach to bull riding is the same as his approach to life, or vice versa.

In either case, he simply goes with the flow.

"There are not many guys who when they showed up fit right in," said J.B. Mauney, who described Pozzobon with one word: "Rank."

"He'll be here for a long time."

Pozzobon said he doesn't get caught up in counting points or analyzing his position n the world standings.

He knows he's "up there" near the top, but that's only because twice in the first four events of 2012 he's qualified for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round.

Four events in, he's ridden seven of 14, with his best effort coming in Round 3 in Anaheim, Calif., when he covered Bad Moon for 88.75 points.

'A lot of the guys hadn't really seen me ride, but I didn't feel like I had to prove anything. I just went out and rode my bulls. … I hope to just keep rolling on.'

His style derives from balance and riding forward jump for jump or, as Pozzobon put it, "Like a rocking chair, I guess." He's not one to plan ahead and set traps - "that never usually works" - and, like his life itself, he takes it as comes.

As a newcomer who could easily get caught up in competing alongside the likes of two-time World Champion Chris Shivers, or awed by the lights and cameras that capture his every ride for television, he knows that approach is easier said than done.

Just don't ask him how he does it.

"I don't know," Pozzobon said. "That's a tough one to say. It's easier said than done when a guy's riding good, right? But if a guy starts getting in a slump then he really starts over-thinking things and that's when you have to go back to that rule, where you just take it one bull at a time."

He added, "I haven't been trying to think too far ahead. I've been trying to just take it one bull at a time. I think the more a guy thinks about things, and if he over-thinks things, that's when he starts riding bad."

He said he's not concerned about money, but that might not be entirely true.

In fact, he's keenly aware that his early-season success has affected his bank account. One month into a 10-month season, he's already earned a third of what he did last year, which was cut short when he broke his riding hand.

"It feels good to know that I'm here for awhile," said Pozzobon, who's aware of his relative ease in contrast to those who face the first cut of the 2012 season. "That's not even in the back of my mind. I want to just keep climbing the standings as much as I can now.

"I've watched guys like Chris Shivers and J.B. That's where I wanted to be. I've worked really hard to get here, and now I know I belong here."

"Now it's nice to finally be here," he continued. "A lot of the guys hadn't really seen me ride, but I didn't feel like I had to prove anything. I just went out and rode my bulls. … I hope to just keep rolling on."