story by Ruth Nicolaus
t took a letter, written by Caiden Milam to his parents, to convince them to let their son ride bulls.
It wasn’t like Ricky and Michelle Milam were opposed to their son competing in the sport, they just didn’t know much about it.
But after some discussion, they allowed him to begin rodeoing, and now they’re fans. “They’re my biggest supporters. It’s awesome, to have their support.”
The seventeen-year-old, a member of the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association, became interested when he attended a rodeo with friends who were bull riders and barrel racers. They helped him get the gear he needed, and he rode at a few open bull ridings before becoming a high school rodeo member in the spring of 2022.
He’s not covered a lot of bulls yet, but he’s loving his new sport and the people he’s met.
A senior at Kenesaw High School, Caiden loves engines and motors and vehicles of any shape or size. In school, he enjoys shop classes and is building the front end of a motorcycle.
Out of school, he’s employed at two jobs. He works at DL Millwright in Holstein, Neb., assembling and installing grain handling systems. His second job is with Dwight Walton, who restores classic cars.
In the summertime, Caiden’s work with the millwright is fifty-plus hours a week. During the school year, he works six or seven hours each evening after school.
He’s worked on some unique cars for Walton, including a 1971 Porsche Laser 917 and a 1947 Chevy Fleetmaster. He and Walton have also modified a 1925 Model T, chopping it in half, lowering it closer to the ground, and adding big tires and big power to turn it into a T bucket street rod.
For fun, Caiden likes to fish and hang out at Harlan County Lake. He hunts deer, turkeys and waterfowl and likes to go rock crawling at Tuttle Creek State Park in Kansas.
The best food his mom makes is spaghetti with deer burger. His favorite beverage is lemonade and his favorite holiday is Christmas. One of his favorite places on earth is Guernsey (Wyo.) State Park.
His favorite dessert is nearly anything that his dad cooks or bakes in the smoker, including peach cobbler. Made from scratch, his dad bakes it on a low temperature for a long time. It gets a smoky flavor, Caiden reports, but it’s a subtle flavor. “It’s one of the best things you’ll ever eat,” he said.
This summer, he attended the PBR team series event at Cheyenne Frontier Days and enjoyed it very much.
After high school graduation, Caiden might get his education by earning his certification through a union. He has considered attending Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb., to become a lineman.
Caiden has a younger brother, Kayn, who is fourteen.
