MILES CITY — Cowboy Christmas is approaching, marking professional rodeo’s richest stretch of the regular season. Q2’s Athlete of the Week understands that he will be putting in the miles, but not as a competitor.
Sylvan La Cross wears many hats. He is a professional bull fighter, a teacher, and the head rodeo coach at Miles Community College.
“We take care of the facilities and livestock,” La Cross explained at the MCC rodeo grounds. “I also help develop these kids in various aspects within the arena, such as announcers, bull fighters, pickup men, and teaching them how to operate a rodeo from start to finish.”
This is evident in the success of his students, who have even operated a high school rodeo independently.
But La Cross doesn’t stop there. In his free time, he pursues his childhood dream of bull fighting, gaining valuable insights in the process.
Currently, La Cross is fighting bulls at the Junior High National Finals Rodeo in Des Moines, Iowa, and will continue at PRCA rodeos in North Dakota and Minnesota during Cowboy Christmas.
In addition to his professional endeavors, La Cross also steps in to fight bulls at many of his college team’s own rodeos, demonstrating his commitment to their success.
Ultimately, his passion lies with his rodeo team, for which he was recently named Big Sky Region Coach of the Year.
The dedication and hard work he puts into his team reflect his true calling, and he remains prepared to wear any hat necessary for the job.
“Well, it depends on the weather,” he joked. “I’ll either wear this one (a cowboy hat), a ball cap, or a flapper cap.”
