Tiny Hometown Cowboy

Florida has a long history of ranching and our cowboy culture. In fact, the first cattle and horses to arrive in North America did so right here in Florida, way back in 1521. The first ranches were founded and cowboying became a profession first, right here in Florida and those traditions are still alive and well. Alive on our working ranches and, even more so, alive at our ranch and circuit rodeos. There are a lot of different skills on display at the rodeos, from roping and barrel racing to goat tying and bulldogging, but it’s the rough stock that really draws the crowds. Rough stock competitions pit riders against the rankest bucking horses and bulls.

There are competitions geared towards all skill and age levels, including a true crowd favorite, the miniature bulls ridden by the tiniest of cowboys. One of those tiny cowboys, Jim “Jimbo” Dixon, hails from right here in Hernando County. At only six years old, Jimbo’s short career in rodeo began in mutton-busting events. Mutton busting is a competition where the youngest cowboys start out riding sheep and in 2023, Jimbo did great at riding the sheep he drew and eventually won the Grand Champion title at a rodeo in San Antonio, Texas.

I recently had the opportunity to sit and visit with Jimbo and his mother Ariel Dixon at Coney Island in Brooksville and learned a bit more about the tiny cowboy. I asked her, how it came to be that Jim began his involvement in rodeo.

“Well,” Ariel began, “I’m a veterinary tech and I was working with a large animal vet and Jim used to tag along with us. He fell in love with the horses and cows, goats and sheep. He even helped us with bottle-feeding some of the young stuff. Then one night, I was at a rodeo, assisting with the on-call vet, which there is always one on hand at every rodeo and Jim was right there with me, taking it all in.

“He had been watching competitors on horseback and one of those cowboys came back behind the chutes and spotted Jim and struck up a conversation and offered to let him come see his horse. That man was so kind, and he really made an impression on Jim. So much of an impression that Jim began asking if he can cowboy at the rodeos. I let it slide, figuring he’d soon lose interest, but he continued for months, wanting to ride. So, I bought him some gear and started letting him enter in the sheep riding.

“Now Jim had always been very shy and I thought that maybe rodeoing would be a way to get him over that shyness and really build his confidence. And, it sure has. Nowadays, Jim is quick to speak up. He knows no strangers and his riding just gets better and better.”

I then asked Jimbo to tell me, just what it is he likes best about rodeos. “I feel at home there,” he told me. “I really like our rodeo family and I really like riding the bucking calves.”

To illustrate Jimbo’s fondness for the sport; in recent times, his mother and he lost everything due to a house fire. He was supposed to ride the following evening, but she didn’t expect that he’d feel up to it. But, even after the most traumatic event of his young life and helping his mom bury their dog, which was lost in the fire as well, he asked to go to the arena. He didn’t ride but rather, stood by the chutes and cheered encouragement to the other riders. “That was just a house,” he told his mom. “It’s here at the arena that I’m at home.”

Jimbo has graduated from sheep up to bucking calves on the mini-bull riding circuit and has done quite well for himself. One thing he really enjoys is the cash prizes he wins, along with his ribbons and championship buckles, all of which were sadly lost in the fire. His mom tells me that he saves his money, but from time to time, she’ll let him buy himself a toy. When asked what he’s planning on doing with the money he’s saved, he answered, “I don’t know, maybe buy ten thousand Hotwheels
cars!”

Already, Ariel has taken her son to dozens and dozens of events all over the Southeast and Texas. He’s completed five circuits of rodeos under different sanctioning bodies. The organization he’s been focused on lately is the World Champion Miniature Bullriding. He has attended enough events and made enough qualifying rides that he has earned the right to compete in the World Championship event coming up next week in Mount Pleasant, Texas. At the World Championships, Jimbo will be offered two bulls to ride in the long round. If he scores high enough on those two bulls, then he goes to the short round to ride one more bull for his shot at the title.

In bull riding, the scoring is done fifty-fifty. The cowboy and the bull are both judged on a scale from one to fifty points and the combined score of bull and rider are submitted for the official score. Now, a word about the bulls: these are not the bucking calves found on the local circuits, but rather, three-quarters of a ton, older bulls past their bucking prime. They’ve still got a little spirit in them, though. Just enough to give the youngsters a chance to show off their riding skills.

One thing to note, riding on the circuits is not cheap! Ariel works two jobs, her second one solely to cover the expenses of entry fees, memberships, gear and gas. He has drawn a bit of attention and picked up some sponsors, Dixon Farms, AHD Hoof Trimming and most recently, Waller Brother’s Bucking Bulls. He also has a growing fan base and the respect of this writer. I hope you’ll all join me in offering prayers and best wishes that our tiny hometown cowboy makes it back from Texas with that World Championship belt buckle on his belt!