ESTHERWOOD, La. – Taylor Broussard burst onto the ProRodeo scene a decade ago and was quickly identified as a rising star.
He proved it in 2019 with his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale that takes place over 10 December nights. He finished the campaign 15th in the world standings with nearly $94,000 in earnings. Two years later, he was back in Sin City, where he finished 14th on the bareback riding money list.
Three years and a lot of personal growth have happened since, but Broussard is back among the elite bronc busters. He finished the 2024 regular season with $129,499 and enters his third NFR as the 14th ranked bareback rider. The rodeo takes place Dec. 5-15 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus
“It means a lot, because I feel like I belong there,” said Broussard, 31, of Estherwood, a village of 678 souls in southern Louisiana. “I feel like I should have made it more than two times already, but I know stuff happens. I’m just glad to be going back there.”
Las Vegas hosts this premier event, the world’s richest rodeo that features the top cowboys, cowgirls and livestock from this season. Roughstock hands like Broussard will test their talents and their mental aptitude on bucking horses that have been bred to perform at that level and have been selected to be part of the showcase.
The rewards are many, with contestants vying for their fair share of the $12.5 million payout. Go-round winners will pocket $33,687 every night. The ultimate prize is the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle that awaits the world champions in each event, the men and women who finish the campaign atop the money list.
“That was pretty special getting in there this year,” said Broussard, who credits much of his success to his sponsors, Cinch, American Hat Co., Smith Pro Rodeos, Acadia Crawfish Co. LLC, Cajun Bayou Blend Seasoning, VOXX Exhibits, CorVive and Deanna Harrison Essential Oils. “The talent we have in bareback riding and with these young guys coming up is unreal. It came down to the very last rodeo with me, and I was able to get it done.”
That ride was in Mona, Utah, on a horse aptly named Last Hope from Legacy Pro Rodeo. Broussard and the powerful bay matched for 86 points, good enough for fourth place and a check worth $1,745. That pushed the Louisiana cowboy into the 14th spot, but he was just $752 ahead of Tanner Aus, who finished No. 16.
That’s just a whisker of an advantage in a sport, where only the top 15 in the world standings advance to the NFR. Had Broussard fallen to fifth place in Mona, his margin to make the finale virtually disappeared.
“That was my last hope, literally,” he said, noting that bareback riders are allowed to count 100 rodeos a season. “That was my 100th rodeo, and I had to be in the top four to make it to where I was safe.”
It made a difference, but so did several other instances. He credited great success at Calgary and Colorado Springs in early July for having been major contributors to his earnings. He pocked nearly $20,000 between those two rodeos alone. While credited with nine rodeo victories, the bulk of Broussard’s earnings came from placing high at a lot of rodeos. He didn’t win either Calgary or the NFR Open in Colorado, but the money all added up.
“I put in a little bit more work this year, and I think it paid off,” said Broussard, who lives in Estherwood with his wife, Alishea. “Even in the middle of the season, there was a time where I didn’t draw good horses, and I got down on myself a little bit. I didn’t even look like I was having fun, so I just reminded myself that this is fun; this is bareback riding, and I love it. I’ve lived for it.
“I just flipped the switch and started having fun again. That’s what I just go by, and it’s more of God’s plan.”
There are many things that go into God’s plans, and Broussard is living proof. Even before he was 20 years old, Broussard knew he had a problem. He just didn’t do anything about it until about three years ago.
“Where I grew up, people just drink beer, and it was just something I grew up into,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘I’m probably an alcoholic,’ but I just ignored the fact.”
He continued to drink every day, and after an injury sidelined him from competition a few years ago, he began drinking more, starting earlier in the day and hiding it. It was his painkiller, which was another justification to continue to consume. His cravings worsened, and he’d have days where he didn’t want to drink, but he found beer in his hand anyway
“There were just these little signs that God was sending me that I needed to get some help, but I just kept ignoring them,” said Broussard, who has witnessed an older brother remain sober for 11 years after seeking treatment. “People started telling my brother that I would be drunk at like 10 o’clock in the morning, but he knew whatever he was going to tell me wasn’t going to work until I was ready for it.”
Broussard eventually sought help, went to a rehabilitation clinic for 45 days and has been sober ever since. It’s changed his life and his livelihood.
“It was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” he said. “I know it made my riding better, and I think it’s just made me a better person all around.”
It’s a big reason he gets to play on rodeo’s biggest stage again. His family has supported him, from his wife to his folks, Scott and Julie, to his siblings, Trent, Trey, Emily and Elisabeth. Most have been there from the beginning, when he started this rodeo life decades ago. With oldest brother Trent leading the way, Broussard followed right along, first riding sheep, then getting on bulls. He knew at an early age what he wanted to do for a living, and he’s been chasing it ever since.
It was because of rodeo that he met his wife, Alishea, whom he considers his biggest proponent.
“She supports me 100 percent with this rodeo,” he said. “She is a full-time barrel racer and horse trainer. She ended up in the top 30 of the (WPRA) world standings in 2019, the year I went to my first finals, and she’s a veru good horse trainer.”
Originally from Oregon, she attended Wharton (Texas) Community College, which is where the couple met. They married in 2016, and they’ve strengthened their bond, forged through the trials of alcoholism, weeks apart because of the rodeo schedule and a common belief in chasing rodeo dreams. The goal for every rodeo cowboy is to end a season on the mountaintop, being crowned the world champion.
To get there, though, takes hard work, dedication, talent and a little bit of luck. Each day at the NFR offers a new round, a chance at big money and an opportunity to do something he’s never done.
“I’ve never had a round win, so I’d like to get that done this year,” said Broussard, whose family owns Acadia Crawfish, one of the biggest crawfish businesses in the world. “I feel like I’m going to my first NFR, and now that I’m two and a half years sober, I’m going in with a different mindset. I’ve never been there not drinking, and I feel like I’m a different person. I’m in the best shape of my life right now.
“I’m preparing my mind and my body, and when I get there, I plan on winning.”