By Lori Bizzell/Photo Courtesy of Team Cavender’s

As a second-year Team Cavender’s athlete, Eli Espy is already stepping into opportunities that are broadening his perspective on rodeo and life. What stands out most, however, is not just the new doors opening, but the steady character he developed long before recognition ~built on hard work, discipline, and a real love for the sport. Eli’s journey reflects how the demanding world of rodeo has shaped who he is.

This foundation leads to the next point: for some young athletes, passion unfolds slowly. For Eli, it came early, and it stayed.

He rides bareback, not the kind of event someone enters lightly. It asks grit, pain tolerance, courage, timing, discipline, and mental toughness. There’s no faking through it, and for Eli, the interest was immediate.

He grew up around rodeo. His dad is a veterinarian, and Eli had a close-up view of the horse world from a young age, not just from the stands, but through the kind of everyday exposure that lets a child absorb the rhythm of it all before he can fully explain why it matters. Raised in San Antonio, he spent time around the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, and somewhere in all of that, something took hold.

At seven, his dad let him get on a little bucking pony in San Angelo. What could have been a one-time thing quickly became much more. Eli won his first rodeo, saw the check, and immediately felt a personal draw ~something he wanted to chase.

From that moment on, his path was set. And he has been chasing it ever since.

Eli understands what bareback riding demands. In his words, it is as mental as it is physical. Strength matters. Technique matters. Preparation matters. But so does the ability to deal with pressure, pain, fear, frustration, adrenaline, and the kind of mental noise that can crowd in all at once. For Eli, learning to ride has also meant learning how to steady his own mind.

He talked about slowing down. Paying attention to even his breathing. About taking a step back and trusting his preparation. That kind of answer does not come from someone trying to sound mature. It comes from someone who has already had to learn, in real time, what it means to settle himself when a lot is on the line.

As Eli began riding bigger horses, the sport became more physically demanding. He was honest: he was getting beaten up because he wasn’t big or strong enough yet. He responded by training harder, gaining weight, and letting the sport push him to greater discipline.

This sets up an important distinction. A lot of young people love the idea of something hard. Fewer are willing to be shaped by what it actually requires. Eli seems to understand that part.

He trains consistently, working out four or five times a week and riding most weekends, often after long drives. It takes a lot of time, miles, and effort that people don’t always see. Like most rough stock riders, he’s already paid physically: broken his hand twice, broken thumb, dislocated shoulder. Pain is part of this world, but coming back is where grit shows.

A major moment for Eli was becoming the Junior NFR World Champion in bareback riding in 2023. The win meant more because it reflected years of effort, riding, travel, and practice. Success in rodeo always carries the weight of every step before it.

He spoke honestly about times that did not end the way he wanted. After winning the Junior NFR World Champion title, he moved up to the next age group, finishing sixth and then third the following years. Eli is competitive and wants more from himself ~a quiet fire that turns disappointment into drive.

That focus extends beyond just personal achievements. That same seriousness shows up in the people he values. I asked who had poured into him, and he did not hesitate. His dad. Kash Loyd. Kash’s family. His dad gave him that early access to the world he now loves, and through his veterinary work, Eli also got to see something deeper ~how resilient horses are, how much can change with the right help, and how strength often shows up in recovery as much as in performance. Kash and his family helped him with the specific side of bareback riding ~gear, guidance, wisdom, and the kind of practical support that matters when a young rider is trying to grow into the sport.

And the advice that stayed with him was simple ~don’t quit. In Eli’s world, that is not just a motivational phrase. It is real. In the arena, quitting does not end well. In life, it does not either. That line carries weight for him because he has already lived enough to know it does.

Eli also values his experience with Team Cavender’s. He described the summit where athletes connect with trainers, judges, sponsors, and leaders. For a high school student, that access matters ~it broadens his perspective beyond the next ride to relationships, character, and career possibilities.

Team Cavender’s is helping him introduce himself to the broader industry and to the people who can shape both his career and his life. For someone like Eli, who is clearly already thinking ahead, that kind of investment matters.

But there is another side to him, too, which I liked.

Despite the adrenaline and competitiveness, Eli said something telling ~rodeo gives him happiness, but fishing brings peace. He values challenge and quiet, appreciating space to breathe and reset.

That same groundedness showed up when we talked about injury risk. Eli knows this sport is dangerous. He is not naive about that. He knows serious injuries happen. But he also said he puts his trust in the Lord and that if something happens, it is in God’s hands. There was nothing performative in how he said it. Just calm. Just conviction.

Looking ahead, he is still only a sophomore in high school, but he is already thinking about college, and the opportunities rodeo can open. He mentioned that he would like to attend Texas A&M and is considering something along the lines of agriculture or business. I liked that, too. There was a healthy realism in the way he talked about the future ~an understanding that rodeo can be part of opening doors, not just part of chasing adrenaline.

By the end of the conversation, what stood out was not only Eli’s toughness, though he clearly has that. It was the maturity underneath it. When I asked what kind of cowboy and what kind of man he hopes people see, he said he wants them to see someone who is dedicated, passionate, and not willing to take no for an answer when he sets his heart on something.

Rodeo fits him. The discipline, the demands, and the growth they bring. Little by little, ride by ride, Eli is not just learning to compete, he is forging the kind of man he wants to be. In every challenge faced and every finish earned, he is becoming a true testament to grit, purpose, and the power of never giving up.

Photo Courtesy of Dusty Saddles

Photo Courtesy of Robert Conn