Najiah Knight grew up watching her father ride bulls and knew from an early age that she wanted to follow in his footsteps. The high school senior from small-town Oregon has had many successes in her young career, riding her first steer at seven. Najiah has competed in the International Miniature Bullriders Association since 2010, qualifying for the finals five years in a row. She has also qualified for the Junior World Finals, appearing in Vegas for six years in total. In 2020, she was the first woman to ride bulls at Madison Square Garden. These milestones have led to opportunities outside of the arena, including acting, modeling and representing Western life on a national stage. A young woman riding bulls is certainly not common, but Najiah believes that anyone can pursue their dreams and hopes to set that example for other young people. She hopes to eventually ride in the PBR.
Born to Ride
Najiah is a self-proclaimed adrenaline junky, and her early interest in bull riding didn’t come as a surprise to her parents, Andrew and Missi, who have both been steadfast supporters. “I’m a daddy’s girl through and through, so I grew up behind the chutes with him, watching him ride and learning how to put the ropes on properly,” Najiah recalled. “When I first got on a bull, it definitely scratched an itch. I just wanted to keep doing it, and my dad let me.”
Andrew still gets on the occasional bull, sometimes competing against his daughter. “I never thought I would be riding against my dad, but then here I am. Sometimes he’s beating me, and sometimes I beat him. It’s funny, and I love it,” Najiah remarked.
Physically being able to ride bulls and make the buzzer built Najiah’s confidence, and she realized she had a skill for the sport when she started overcoming the inevitable challenges with humility. Najiah has made many good rides, but has also broken her arm and had her fair share of tough landings.
She shared, “Even after a bad bull ride, I always tried to keep a positive attitude. I realized I had a natural talent for it when, even if I did get hurt, I would still go for it, and I still wanted to do it.”
Putting in the Work
Bull riding is just one of many things on Najiah’s plate. She will graduate from high school this spring, and has participated in sports like track and field, volleyball and basketball. In addition to her academic responsibilities, time is limited and precious in the teenager’s day-to-day life. Najiah still finds time to prepare physically and mentally for competition.
Najiah has built this work into her daily routine, utilizing the gym she built with her dad and using practice barrels at her house. “You have to work out every day, and need to have the dedication and heart for it,” she shared.
Riding horses is also a valuable tool.
“I ride bareback, which really helps with bull riding — you practice feeling an animal beneath you,” Najiah explained.
Physically, riding bareback works the core, and Najiah also goes out with her dad, riding up and down hills. “That really helps with learning how to set your hips and get back over your hips in bull riding,” she shared.
Being smaller than the average male bull rider can be an advantage and a challenge. Najiah has found that a stock contractor’s prediction of what a bull is going to do usually doesn’t pan out when she’s aboard, no matter how consistent the animal has been in the past. “Bulls will do something completely different with me because I’m way lighter,” Najiah said.
Mentally preparing for a ride, and dealing with the excitement or disappointment that comes after the eight-second buzzer is also important to Najiah. She has found her parents to be the best resource and support. “The way I overcome a bad ride is to talk to my parents about it. My mom records everything, and she’ll go over the videos with me. My dad will tell me what I did, and what I could have done better,” she explained. 
This review is helpful, but Najiah is careful not to dwell on bad rides for too long. She also doesn’t think too much before a ride. “I’ve learned that I can’t focus on it too much,” Najiah reflected. “I can overthink it, and then overdo things. I’ve learned that I just have to go talk to people, laugh, have fun and take my mind off of it for a minute. Then, when it’s time to ride, I definitely focus and do what I need to do.”
Najiah points to her parents as being a critical part of her success, in bull riding and beyond. In the beginning, they helped her get to rodeos and paid entry fees. Once Najiah had momentum, Missi, who Najiah says is her “personal cheerleader,” helped her daughter find sponsors, which opened new doors and also helped pay her way. “They are the most supportive people,” Najiah shared. “Without my parents, I definitely would not be where I am.”
Representing Western Life
These partnerships and Najiah’s success in competition have put her on a national stage. She has appeared in advertisements for companies like Walmart, and has represented her Native Paiute culture at events like the West Coast Indigenous Fashion Show. She is sponsored by and has collaborated with brands, including Ariat, Cooper Tires, Chad Berger Bucking Bulls, MX Bull Ropes and HundredX Helmets, and has gained a significant following on social media. These opportunities, which are the result of many years of hard work and humility, have allowed Najiah to further pursue her goals.
With modeling experience under her belt, Najiah was tapped for a role in the upcoming Yellowstone spinoff. She was a part of the filming last fall, and will be traveling back to Montana after graduation to film for six more months. Her role in the project came about thanks to relationships built through the Western community. “Corrie Caster is my agent. She wants to see me succeed in life, so when any opportunity she sees seems like it’s a good fit for me, she helps me.” Najiah shared. “I’ve become friends with Jennifer Landon and Mo Brings Plenty, and they helped me get this part because they knew I can ride horses. They were just very supportive of me, and I’m very grateful.”
She has also stepped into her place as a role model in and out of rodeo.
“I want to represent all of the unheard people, like women and Natives, and break down barriers that have been built up for so long,” Najiah said.
“I love all of the support people give me. If anyone says I shouldn’t be doing what I do because I’m a girl or I’m Native, I say that I’m not doing it for anyone else. I’m doing it for me and because I get to.”
Najiah frequently gets to hear first-hand how her life and career are inspiring others. Women haven’t been present in events like bull riding, and Najiah believes that this shouldn’t stop anyone from chasing their dreams.
“Girls can do anything and everything they put their minds to. Do not let anyone hold you back because you can do whatever you want to do in life, as long as you work hard, put your mind to it, are dedicated, and have the heart for it,” Najiah said.
Follow Najiah on Instagram @najiahknight to stay up to date on her work and competitions.
