Carolina Cowboys: In their own words

Heading into the Labor Day weekend and heading to Springfield, MO for PBR Teams: Thunder Days, the Carolina Cowboys sit atop of the Team Series standings at 11-1-1. The loss occurred last week when they were defeated by the Kansas City Outlaws during the Gambler Days event this past weekend in Austin, TX. Bloodied by the setback but not unbowed, the Cowboys reasserted their dominance on night three going five of five on their rides for the second perfect game of the season by crushing the expansion New York Mavericks 429.25 to 88.75.

This season is a stark improvement over 2023, when the Cowboys finished sixth in the then eight team league. Their 11-17 record prevented them from qualifying for the final team championship event in Las Vegas. That outcome was unacceptable to General Manger Austin Dillon and Coach Jerome Davis. They knew the roster was loaded with former champions and if Davis pushed the right buttons, the Cowboys could be a factor in the championship ride. The Cowboys performance so far indicates his decision making has been spot on.

Draft Carolina had the opportunity to catch up with members of the Cowboys at the Freedom Days event in Fort Lauderdale, FL from August 2-4. They were asked questions about a variety of topics. Here are their responses.  Thank you to Kacie Albert for rounding up the Cowboys and recording their answers. Some answers may be edited for clarity.

Cowboys Coach Jerome Davis is a legend in bull riding circles. He won titles beginning in high school. He was a founder of the Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association. He was a five time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and a five time Professional Bull Riders World Finals Qualifier. Davis was paralyzed in 1998 during a competition. That did not stop his love for the sport or his involvement. He and wife Tiffany host several bull riding events during the year at their ranch in Archdale, NC. The Davis ranch has been used by the PBR for pre-draft combines. He was inducted into the PBR Ring of Honor in 1998 and in 2018, he was inducted into Bull Riding Hall of Fame. He has been the coach of the Cowboys since 2022.

You are heading into the Freedom Days event in Fort Lauderdale undefeated on the season. How surprised have you been with the start?

“I though we would run into more snags than what we have, but our team has held together really good. I felt good when we rolled out of camp that we had a good year in front of us. We’re just going to try and stay on track.”

You have several riders that have been champions at different levels and series, how much of a factor do you believe it has been in the team’s performance to date?

“There’s no doubt that when Austin, myself, Ross, and all of us put this team together, we believed in our picks. I think the success of this team has been that there is a lot of gold buckles in that room, but there’s no egos. At the end of the day, everybody, we’re one. We are a team and that has a lot to do with our success.”

In the 2023 draft, the Cowboys had the first overall pick and selected Sage Kizmey, how impressive is that pick looking so far?

“Sage is really healthy this year and it is paying dividends. I feel like he is doing what we thought, so we’re pretty excited. To have him on the team, he keeps our team motivated. Seven gold buckles, what more can you ask for?”

Bull riding is dangerous, riders can and do get injured. A couple of your guys are already banged up. Please address your team’s depth and the comfort it provides to you each week.

“Bull riding in general is a tough sport. We’re going to be sore. We’re going to get beat up. But that’s one thing that we looked for when we got our guys. Guys that were gritty, guys that were going to ride. The longevity of our team I feel like it will show up at the end, I hope. We’re just going to keep on the grind. These guys are built to do what they do.”

When a team is on roll like the Cowboys, to you keep riding the hot hands? Is there a part of you that might be superstitious, or do you trust your instincts and go ahead and alter your lineup if you feel that is the right move?

“I do my homework on our guys. I feel like I know my guys really good. I try and keep on top of the bulls. That’s one good thing about me being a stock contractor and being with the bulls a lot. I see them come and go and have that read. At the end of the day, I just trust my instinct. It’s all we have ever done, this bull riding game. So, I feel pretty confident in what I am matching them (bulls and riders).”

Your team has been nearly perfect this season. What do they have to improve upon going forward?

“We got to tweak everything. We are never happy. We either win something or learn something. Every time I told my team I want us to be like a fine oiled machine at the end of the day. From the top of our office staff to Tiffany (Jerome’s wife) here and Dakota and John (support staff), and everybody that comes to the events and helps us. We just try to pull it from every angle. I think it’s got a lot to do with our success. It’s just not that we got really good guys, as a team, our whole group of people with the Carolina Cowboys, everybody’s pulling their weight right now.”

Sage Kimzey was the first draft pick of the Cowboys in 2023, taken first overall. He was not your typical rookie. He is a seven time PRCA Bull Riding World Champion and that organization’s Rookie of the Year in 2014. He battled injuries in 2023 and 2024. The latter caused him to miss several months. Because of missed time, Kimzey had to ride his way into the finals PBR World Finals. In the World Finals Championship Rounds in Arlington, TX covered three of four bulls to capture the title. He currently sits fourth in Regular Season MVP standings with a score of 779.25. Teammate Cooper Davis is third with a score of 784.00. Kimzey and his wife Alexis have one son, Steele. 

You were the #1 overall pick in 2023. Do you still feel any pressure to perform to that lofty status?

“Not really, because I guess it is one of those things, I don’t really think about it, I guess. I know I am an integral part of our team. I just have to do my job every single out. If I do that, more often than not, we win. It’s one of those things that I guess the biggest thing for me is making sure the team is firing on all cylinders, and I’m just one part of that team.”

What was your draft experience like? Did you know the Cowboys were going to select you? 

“My draft experience was great. Arrogantly I would like to think I was the best guy in the draft that year. I had talks with a bunch of teams. Obviously, I was hoping to go first overall. (My) Draft experience was great. (To) Come to an organization like this is special.” 

You had a bit of a frustrating time last year, how satisfying was the finish to the season at Unleash the Beast?

“It was good. Injuries have been kind of nagging me the last three years. Staying healthy is hard in this sport. That’s been the biggest thing for me. Anytime I am healthy I usually feel like I usually have some success. Definitely at the end of the year getting the World Finals event title. It was definitely good. It’s a lot of money to win it. Also too, it was like my first big success here in the PBR. It was good.”

Do you think that the championship has helped to carry you this season’s hot start?

“I think momentum is great any time you can get it. This sport is super humbling and super difficult. Anytime you have some success to build on and take forward, that’s always a great thing. I don’t know that it really carries over, one to one, into the Team Series. Anytime you can have some success, it’s always something to build on.”

Have you given any advice to this year’s #1 pick Ethan Winckler? How do you think he is handling the transition to the Team Series?

“Yeah, I have. It’s one of those things he’s a real young kid coming in here. There is so much I wish I would have known whenever I was 18 coming into the professional ranks. He’s been great. He’s a super athlete. He’s a super athletic kid. But he doesn’t have near as much experience as a guy like me or Cooper (Davis), Daylon (Swearingen), Derek (Kolbaba), a lot of our veterans, especially when you get in our coaching staff, there’s a lot of experience in the locker room. We definitely have open lines of communication in Carolina. I would like to think that we will be able to shorten his learning curve for sure.

The Cowboys’ first selection in the 2024 draft was 18 year old Ethan Winckler from Winnie, TX. He was taken fifth overall. Winckler was a standout basketball and football player in high school. In 2018, he won the Mini Bull Rider World Championship in Las Vegas, NV. The Cowboys have luxury of easing his acclimation to the professional ranks by surrounding him with riders that own world championships of their own.

You were the Cowboys top pick this season, have you felt any pressure that comes along with a high profile status?

“No. All these legends we have in this locker room. That’s the only thing I am nervous about. Being able to ride in the bonus round and let them see my talent and see that I can actually ride. It’s a pretty cool deal. But, yeah, I get a little nervous up here.”

Are there any teammates that have taken you under their wing and given you advice?

“Sage (Kimzey), Coop (Cooper Davis), Derek (Kolbaba), Daylon (Swearingen), all of them, Adriano (Salgado). They tell me. They help me a lot. So, it’s pretty cool to be on a team like I’m on right now. I’m happy.”

You are a former world champion on a team with world champions in a league filled with world champions, do you ever get start struck?

“Every time I walk in the locker room I’m star struck. But it’s all an experience. I’m just happy to be here and doing what I love to do.” 

You are a Texas guy, how different are things in North Carolina?

“It’s a lot. I miss Texas. I love going back there and visiting with the family and stuff. Carolina is the new home and I’m ready to be at it.”

How would you asses your rookie season to date?

“It’s not where I where I want to be. I have fallen off three out of three. But not much more of it is going to happen. I’m going to go home and get right. Start practicing a lot more. Get healthy. Come back and start to the best of my ability.”

The Cowboys travel to Kansas City, MO and Anaheim, CA before they host their one event this season, Cowboy Days at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC on September 20-22. Tickets can be purchased at greensborocoliseum.com. The season concludes with the PBR Teams: Camping World Teams Championship October 18-20 in Las Vegas, NV. The PBR Team Series is streamed on Merit+ and can be seen on CBS on Sundays before the start of the NFL season.