story by Lily Weinacht
“I love the whole aspect of being around rodeo and being a part of it, and I love fighting bulls,” says Zach Devol. The 24-year-old bullfighter from Elbert, Colorado, started out as a competitor, entering both roughstock and timed events in the NLBRA. He went on to rodeo for Otero Junior College and found instead that his niche was face to face with the bovine athletes. “At our college practices, we didn’t really have anyone to fight for us, so we took turns doing it. I kind of liked it more than riding bulls, and realized I was pretty good at it and decided to go that direction.”
Zach went to a Miles Hare and Rob Smets bullfighting school and also practiced with Reggie Kuhn, a retired bullfighter from the area. “You either have it or you don’t,” Zach explains. “Riding bulls so long, I could read certain situations and know where the bull’s going or the cowboy’s going, so I think that made it a lot easier for me. You meet bullfighters everywhere. There’s too many that have helped me to name, but even guys I fight with now, like my buddy Connor Rowley is setting the world on fire right now. Other guys I fight with have been fighting a long time and you see how much they still love it. They always give me pointers and try to help out. Rodeo has really good people, people who are willing to do anything for anybody. I like the whole aspect of the sport — where it started and what it’s become — and carrying on that.”
Zach continued riding bulls for a short time after college rodeo, and he qualified for the CPRA finals in 2013. One year later, he was voted in to fight the CPRA finals and he’s worked the finals consecutively the last four years. He also works youth rodeos and bull ridings, but says youth rodeos are often the most challenging since the kids are still learning how to take care of themselves in the arena. “The calmer you are the better you are,” says Zach. “If you start stressing or panicking, you move too fast and accidents happen, so it’s better to stay calm and relaxed.”
Outside of bullfighting, Zach works full time for H&H Rodeo Company and Summit Rodeo Company. “It changes day to day, but it’s feeding bulls and doctoring, and a lot of hauling bulls to rodeos and getting new bulls or hauling bulls he’s sold.” His latest rodeo venture is starting his own rodeo stock. “I bought a bunch of cows and I’m trying to get some good bucking bulls out of them. It’s a hard game to play. It takes a lot of cows to get a couple of good bulls, but everybody gets a superstar once in a while, so I thought it would be fun to play.” Zach also helps with his family’s cow/operation, and they grow and cut hay on a small scale. So far, he’s the first and only member of his family to rodeo, but they are his biggest fan club. “If I go to the CPRA finals, they don’t miss that, and they come to as many rodeos as they can.”
Another big step in Zach’s bullfighting career is working PRCA rodeos, and he’s in the process of being evaluated to get his card. “Hopefully I’ll get accepted for that and I can fight some bigger names for rodeos and try to make a name for myself. Every bullfighter, their end goal is to fight the NFR.”
