MANSFIELD — Jared Hughes can’t wait to get back to Wyoming, but the Richland County Fair will do for now.
An aspiring bull rider, Hughes took part in Wednesday evening’s Shelby Tube Group Rodeo at the fairgrounds’ grandstand. The local event was a warm-up of sorts for the Ontario-area resident, who plans to relocate to Wyoming to pursue his passion.
“Some people fall in love with the idea of bull riding and some people are in love with bull riding,” Hughes said. “There’s a difference.”
Count Hughes among the latter. He was inspired to take up the sport by Mike Yunker, a former professional bull rider with area ties.
“He kind of helped me pursue it with a passion,” said Hughes, who works for Amcrete Concrete Construction. “Bull riding helped me conquer fears. It’s given me a boost of confidence.”
The possibility of pursuing bull riding as more than a hobby came into clearer focus after a trip to Wyoming. Hughes participated in a rodeo in the Cowboy State and turned a few 10-gallon hats.
“I went out to Wyoming for a week and rode in a rodeo out there and did pretty good,” Hughes said. “I had some guys approach me after that and say they wanted me to ride locally there.”
The 20-year-old Hughes will immerse himself fully in the cowboy experience. He plans to work as a ranch hand when he relocates to Wyoming.
“I’ll be tending animals and mending fences,” Hughes said. “You do a little bit of everything when you are ranching. I am looking forward to it.”
Not surprisingly, rodeo is taken a little more seriously out west.
“I’ve been doing this for about a year, but the people out there grew up doing this,” Hughes said. “It’s a way of life for them.”
Hughes wanted to put on a show for friends and family at the Richland County Fair before he heads west.
“One of my friends said he wanted to see me ride so I decided to do the Richland County rodeo,” Hughes said. “I’ll probably have more than 30 people here cheering for me. I hope to give them a good show.”