Meet the Member
Pepper James
story by Ruth Nicolaus
Two years ago, after his dad broke both wrists and couldn’t go back to his off-shore job, and his mom was diagnosed with cancer, he and his brother Tyler had to help out. Tyler worked for neighbor (and two-time PBR champion) Chris Shivers, and Pepper got jobs done around the place, feeding cows, fixing fence. Any extra money the boys had went to paying bills.
But now things are back on track. His dad’s wrists have healed, his mom is cancer-free, and Pepper is enjoying his final year of Louisiana High School Rodeo.
The 17-year-old bull rider began ten years ago on calves, then graduated to mini-bulls, then senior bulls. It’s what he’s always wanted to do. “I was always fascinated by bull riding and decided that’s what I wanted to do when I grew up.”
The Monterey, La. cowboy is a senior at Monterey High School. His second favorite part of the day is advanced math, but his most favorite part of school is getting out at noon. He spends his afternoons in the hayfield, helping with cattle, and working for his dad or for Mr. Chris.
The James family raises bucking bulls and has about 130 head of mama cows. For Pepper, his favorite bull is a six year old Brahma named Big Bad Wolf. Big Bad Wolf has bucked in the PBR Touring Pro events and at a few rodeos.
Injuries go along with riding bulls, and for Pepper, his worst injuries have been when he was knocked out. The first time, he was thirteen years old. At seven and a half seconds, Pepper got set back off his rope, and when the bull bucked, he threw him forward, the bull’s horn caught Pepper on the chin, and knocked him out.
The second time he got knocked out was one week after the first injury. That time, the bull turned to the left, switched to the right, threw him up in the air, and Pepper landed on the back of his neck.
Pepper’s real name is Tucker, but only people who don’t know him well call him that. His nickname came from the movie The Cowboy Way with Woody Harrelson. Woody’s character was Pepper Lewis, and Pepper liked the name, so he asked his friends and family to call him that, and the name stuck.
Pepper competed at the state junior high finals all three years, and at the state high school finals his freshman year. As a sophomore, a serious cut on his leg prevented him from competing, and as a junior, he was home helping out his family.
After high school, he plans to attend McNeese State University and ride bulls collegiately.
He has four older brothers: Chad (29), Blake (22), Dyllon (21), and Tyler (20.) He is the son of Roy T. and Paige
James.