If you go ...
What: CC Bull Riding and Barrel Racing
When: 6:30 p.m. today
Where: Green County Fairgrounds Grandstand
Cost: Free with fair admission
MONROE - Juda's Chris Swedlund enters the Green County Fair as an up-and-coming bull rider.
Swedlund, 29, a 2005 Juda High School graduate, won a bull-riding title Saturday in the Upper Peninsula Championship Rodeo in Iron River, Michigan. Swedlund had to ride two bulls at the same time in Iron River for the title. After getting bucked off one of the bulls, he rode the other one for a personal-best 8 seconds and scored a personal-best 86.5 points to win the championship. Now entering the Green County Fair bull-riding competition today, Swedlund is on a roll and is primed to be one of the favorites.
"It's a big confidence booster," Swedlund said of winning the title in Iron River. "It's the first bull I have rode for 8 seconds in competition and my highest score. It's been a long time coming. I cannot be happier."
Swedlund, 29, is excited about putting on a show for his family and friends.
"There is nothing better than to ride a bull in your hometown with all of your friends and family watching you compete," he said. "It's fun to do it in my own backyard."
Swedlund is a boer goat farmer in Juda. The 75 boer goats are a meat type of goat. He also has five horses. He has three children: Briliey, 12, Mason, 7 and Allycen, 1. It will be a busy time this week at the fair for the Swedlunds. Briliey is showing four goats and one pig at the fair. Mason made a T-shirt and a poster that he is displaying at the fair.
"The biggest challenge is getting everything ready the kids are showing at the fair," Swedlund said.
Swedlund grew up helping his grandfather, Harold, on the farm. Chris Swedlund started bull riding when he was 12 years old. He took the lessons his grandfather and the Little Britches national rodeo program taught him to heart.
"The biggest thing is staying in shape and keeping good confidence," he said. "It's 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical."
Swedlund has attended several bull-riding schools, including the Gary Leffew school. After 17 years of bull riding, Swedlund has experienced some obstacles. He has suffered black eyes and had 20 stitches due to injuries while bull riding. Swedlund has dislocated his elbow riding a bull. Yet, he keeps coming back to ride again.
He's confident in his abilities. This will be Swedlund's seventh bull-riding competition this summer. He's looking forward to the challenge tonight.
"For the summer, I would say I'm at my best I can be this year," Swedlund said. "It doesn't matter what my draw is. I think I can ride them all."
Swedlund, 29, a 2005 Juda High School graduate, won a bull-riding title Saturday in the Upper Peninsula Championship Rodeo in Iron River, Michigan. Swedlund had to ride two bulls at the same time in Iron River for the title. After getting bucked off one of the bulls, he rode the other one for a personal-best 8 seconds and scored a personal-best 86.5 points to win the championship. Now entering the Green County Fair bull-riding competition today, Swedlund is on a roll and is primed to be one of the favorites.
"It's a big confidence booster," Swedlund said of winning the title in Iron River. "It's the first bull I have rode for 8 seconds in competition and my highest score. It's been a long time coming. I cannot be happier."
Swedlund, 29, is excited about putting on a show for his family and friends.
"There is nothing better than to ride a bull in your hometown with all of your friends and family watching you compete," he said. "It's fun to do it in my own backyard."
Swedlund is a boer goat farmer in Juda. The 75 boer goats are a meat type of goat. He also has five horses. He has three children: Briliey, 12, Mason, 7 and Allycen, 1. It will be a busy time this week at the fair for the Swedlunds. Briliey is showing four goats and one pig at the fair. Mason made a T-shirt and a poster that he is displaying at the fair.
"The biggest challenge is getting everything ready the kids are showing at the fair," Swedlund said.
Swedlund grew up helping his grandfather, Harold, on the farm. Chris Swedlund started bull riding when he was 12 years old. He took the lessons his grandfather and the Little Britches national rodeo program taught him to heart.
"The biggest thing is staying in shape and keeping good confidence," he said. "It's 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical."
Swedlund has attended several bull-riding schools, including the Gary Leffew school. After 17 years of bull riding, Swedlund has experienced some obstacles. He has suffered black eyes and had 20 stitches due to injuries while bull riding. Swedlund has dislocated his elbow riding a bull. Yet, he keeps coming back to ride again.
He's confident in his abilities. This will be Swedlund's seventh bull-riding competition this summer. He's looking forward to the challenge tonight.
"For the summer, I would say I'm at my best I can be this year," Swedlund said. "It doesn't matter what my draw is. I think I can ride them all."
