LAS VEGAS – Cole Franks wasn’t yet born when his dad was battling for rodeo’s gold.
Bret Franks last qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 2000; Cole came along two months later. The lessons came not from watching his father but listening to him. Now, Cole Franks is one of the elite bronc busters in rodeo, the 2021 Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year and a three-time NFR qualifier himself, matching Bret’s trips to Las Vegas.
Not only did he grow up in a home with a champion, he was coached by his dad through his first two years at Clarendon (Texas) College, where Bret Franks continues to guide cowboys to the promise land. Clarendon has won two men’s team national titles and has had five men claim eight individual titles. Two of them are owned by his youngest son, who has cashed in during the opening two nights of this year’s finale.
Cole Franks rode Andrews Rodeo’s Empty Promises for 85 points to finish in a tie for second place in Friday’s second round, pocketing $23,364 for his night’s work. The horse, raised by former NFR bareback rider Jake Brown, was the perfect mount to not only lead Franks to a nice payday but to also build the young cowboy’s confidence.
“I’ve seen Tanner (Aus) was 90 on it and won the short round at Austin,” said Franks, 23, of Clarendon. “I knew it was a really cool horse. I’ve seen videos of it, and it looked pretty electric, almost my style of horse.
“I’d like to get the round win; that would be cool. But, hey, second place is nice. Second place pays pretty good, so I’ll take 10 second-place checks.”
Franks has collected $42,782 while in Las Vegas, with $10,000 coming from the bonus all qualifiers receive. He’s pushed his 2024 earnings to $182,338 and is eighth in the world standings. This is a business venture for the young cowboy, who was born in the Oklahoma Panhandle community of Guymon and raised just a few hours south. He knows what it means to play on the sport’s biggest stage, but there are other reasons he rides bucking horses for a living.
“I’m always having fun doing this,” said Franks, who finished 17th in 2023 and just missed making the NFR, where only the top 15 at the end of the regular season advance. “The comfort’s coming back. I’m knocking a little rust off the comfort zone right now.”
As he adjusts the kinks out of his armor, Franks will continue to push forward. His dreams, like his father’s before him, are to leave Las Vegas with a world championship and the prestigious Montana Silversmiths gold buckle that comes with it.
To make those images become reality, it takes a willingness to work hard for that elusive title and a passion for riding bucking horses. That’s what makes it the most fun.