Bayou Blue rodeo star ready for 8 seconds in the spotlight

Tim Josey began winning rodeo competitions when he was 10 years old, riding steers in his native Bayou Blue.

Today, at 25, the sixth-year professional travels the country nearly every weekend staying on top of thousand pound bulls for a living.

But this weekend is special because he gets to compete in front of his hometown fans as he takes part in the 8th annual Fear No Evil Bull Riding Challenge Saturday at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $13 to $21, and are available at the box office.

“It’s a chance for my family and friends that don’t get to go out of town every weekend to see me ride. They can all come and support me,” Josey said. “It’s kind of my hometown deal.”

Josey has competed in Fear No Evil every year and won the event in 2007. Last year, he finished fourth.

“I didn’t make the full eight seconds in the short round,” he explained about not winning in 2008. “This year, I’m going to try and stick to the basics, hopefully cover both my bulls and let the judges decide.”

Josey prepared for the event by competing in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Mid-Winter Fair & Rodeo in Lafayette last Friday.

On weekdays, he works as an electrician at Tony James Electrical Services in Houma. So he rarely gets the chance to practice his rodeo skills. When he does, it involves a good bit of traveling.

“If I get off early, I’ll go to Baton Rouge and get on some practice bulls,” he said. “I could go somewhere closer, but they have better practice bulls in Baton Rouge.”

The only child of Bob and Charlene Josey, Tim was drawn to the rodeo from an early age, as the family raised cattle in Bayou Blue.

Just a mile from his home, Josey would watch the rodeo at Blanchard Arena, formerly owned by Fear No Evil co-promoter George Blanchard.

Josey competed in high school rodeos and qualified for the state finals in his freshman, sophomore and junior years. As a junior, he was ranked fifth, but he never made it to Lake Charles for the finals.

“In the rodeo before the finals, I broke both my collarbones, so actually I couldn’t compete,” he said. “My senior year, I didn’t compete in any rodeos.”

Josey graduated from Terrebonne High School in 2001 and started bull riding professionally the next year at age 19.

Entering 50 to 60 rodeos a year, Josey has won so often that, “I couldn’t even tell you (a total),” he claimed.

He has competed in contests in all but four states: Hawaii, Rhode Island, Maine and Connecticut.

So how does the guitar-playing cowboy describe the experience of riding a bucking bull for eight seconds?

“It’s like riding a roller coaster with one hand,” he explained.

Josey, who has been married to wife Melissa for two years, has paid a steep price for his love of the sport. Besides breaking both collarbones, he has broken ribs, an ankle, an arm and his femur, twice, which he considers his worst injury.

“I was coming out the chute, and my foot got caught in the bull rope, and he (the bull) just stepped on me,” Josey described bluntly. “It (injuries) happens pretty regularly, but it’s mostly pulled muscles, pulled groins. Knock on wood, I haven’t broken anything in a while.”

Josey is hoping he competes well enough this year to pick up a regular sponsor. Most bull riders get sponsorships for a particular event. Few have contractual sponsorship deals with a company.

For Fear No Evil, Valley Supply Co. of Houma is going to be sponsoring Josey.

“I get a couple of sponsors here and there, like one or two per contests,” he said.

On Saturday, Josey can reclaim the Fear No Evil title, and show that he is worthy of such an investment by sponsors.

Even though he has made thousands of rides, there will be extra emphasis placed on this showing.

“Pretty much every bull riding contest is the same,” he said, “but I do have a little more pressure on me at this one, I guess.”