Caine Riddle has been around rodeo all his life. It’s just natural

His daddy is Rusty Riddle, who rode bareback horses on the biggest stage in ProRodeo, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. His momma is the former Dollie Beutler, whose family has been in the stock contracting business since 1929.

I’ve seen him as a youngster working behind the scenes at Beutler & Son Rodeo Co. events. I’ve seen him try to ride bareback horses when he was still learning the trade.

On Thursday night at the American Royal PRCA Rodeo, he rode an NFR-caliber bucking horse for 84 points and took the lead in bareback riding at the first Wrangler Million Dollar Gold Tour Rodeo of the 2011 season. There are four more performances remaining, but he made a move he should be proud of.

This weekend, his grandfather, Jiggs Beutler, will be inducted into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Rodeo Historical Society Hall of Fame. The family is plenty proud of the heritage set forth decades ago. It’s equally proud Caine Riddle.