1 of 4
Crystal Wise
2 of 4
Crystal Wise
3 of 4
Crystal Wise
4 of 4
Crystal Wise
A Zen-like calm takes over the tall lanky frame of professional bull rider Maverick Potter as he mentally prepares to ride one of the world’s rankest bulls at Dickies Arena Wednesday night.
Yes — that’s right, his name is Maverick, and no it’s not a stage name. Potter jokingly admitted that his pro-riding name is his middle name, not ‘Danger’ as one would expect.
But, with just a little over an hour to go before his stint in the chute, Potter doesn’t seem to have a care in the world as he humbly answers questions and poses for a few photos. This Waxahachie native conversely seems to be in his element, which consists of red dirt and lowing cattle.
In fact, if Potter wasn’t competing in this year’s Stock Show and Rodeo during the second night of the Bulls’ Night Out event, he would probably be in a very similar setting on his family’s ranch just outside of Fort Worth.
“My uncle and my dad did this, so it was kind of in the blood,” Potter says while surveying a herd of bulls under the stands in Dickies Arena. “My uncle was a pro bull rider, so I learned a lot from watching him and listening to his advice.”
Even though Potter had this edge, he says he feels like he got a late start in the sport since he didn’t really begin riding until he was at the ripe old age of ten. “Mainly riders start out at one or two years old, riding sheep or a smaller animal. Me, I started out riding a steer right out of the gate.” When asked if he had butterflies during his first ride, Potter smiled and replied that he has them every time he rides. “I mean I never got over having butterflies,” he says. “Yes, it’s scary but I knew what I was getting into before I rode my first time. It’s a dangerous sport that’s what makes it so addicting.”
A big part of this addiction, he says, comes in the form of a massive dose of adrenaline during the ride. “After I got on my first steer, I was hooked,” Potter says. “Nothing comes close to the adrenaline you feel when that chute opens and it’s just you and the animal. I rode dirt bikes, four-wheelers, and played sports, but nothing even comes close to this.”
Crystal Wise
Since his start as a pro rider in 2019, Potter has nearly doubled his earnings during the regular season making a sum of $116,065 in 2022. His major regular season wins include purses that equal over $29 grand in prize money. According to Potter, any success he has achieved is a result of his daily practice routine.
“I typically don’t take any days off plus me and my dad own a ranch with bucking bulls, so we get plenty of chances to learn,” he says. The over 450-acre ranch he is referring to acts as a sort of workshop for the up-and-coming rider. “This is almost another full-time job outside of bull riding,” Potter says with a smile. “I spend a lot of time fixing waterlines and mending fences.”
Potter says working with bucking bulls at his family’s ranch has been a huge benefit to him as a rider since he feels he understands the bulls better. “Every bull is different, but when you are near one 24 hours a day, it helps you learn when to and where to move … you learn the leads a bit better,” he explains. “If you are riding right, it’s easy like you’re in the zone, but it’s all those other times that make this sport hard.”
Like many bull riders, Potter has his share of scars and broken bones. But this occupational hazard hasn’t dissuaded this young talent from seeking what makes him happy — the rush.
As for his future plans, Potter says raising bucking bulls is in essence his way of always staying connected to bull riding even after his days of riding come to an end. “I’m never going to get out of it, it’s either going to be riding bulls or calling bulls.”
Potter racked up 78 points for his first-round ride on Rafter G Rodeo’s Frosty at Dickie Arena Wednesday evening. Potter’s second ride garnered him a decent 87.5 points after riding Pickett Rodeo’s Southern Style.
