By Ted Harbin//Photo Courtesy of Robby Freeman

Noah Lee may be a prodigy.

He’s certainly gifted enough to fit that description, but there’s genetics and an inner drive that have guided him to this place in ProRodeo. He is the No. 1 bull rider in the world standings, just six months into his 18th year on Earth.

His father, Mike, was just 21 years old when he won the PBR world championship in 2004, so the bloodlines are strong. There are other characteristics that point to Noah Lee’s ability at such a young age.

Instead of traditional high school, Lee graduated at age 16 from RISE Academy, an alternative high school program in Weatherford, Texas. He finished his credits, then went through the pomp and circumstance in the spring of 2025, when most his age were finishing their junior years. He was focused and intent on doing one thing: riding bulls.

“I had been a graduate for a year before I turned 18,” said Lee, who became eligible to compete at the pro level in January. “I did that on purpose so I could just go with rodeo.”

His foresight was stronger than most high-schoolers, but it’s doubtful even he considered just how successful his inaugural year in ProRodeo would be. He won $20,000 before he closed out his permit; he’s already closing in on $300,000, and the calendar just turned to August. That means there are still two months left in the regular season.

He’s put in the work. From the day he finished school until he went to his first PRCA event at Guthrie, Oklahoma, he got on a lot of bulls. He was preparing his mind and his body to handle the caliber of animals with which he’d be matched.

“I practiced pretty hard and just went to amateur rodeos,” Lee said. “I won the (United Professional Rodeo Association) last year and went to a lot of bull team stuff and was in the practice pen all the time. I got on a lot of bulls just to get ready to turn 18. I knew it was coming, and I wanted to be ready for it.

“I got on rank bulls all the time. I got on trashy bulls all the time, just doing whatever it took. When I said at Bullnanza that I’ve been preparing for this day my whole life, it was the truth. I really had been preparing for this day my whole life.”

He’s the big man in bull riding at 5-foot-2 and 110 pounds. He’s won seven stand-alone bull riding titles and is No. 1 in the Xtreme Bulls standings; he leads a pretty stout Rookie of the Year race that features three other cowboys that are among the top 15.

Prodigious might just be the best word for it.