By Tom Smith
Corey Atwell is a seventeen year old rising star from Moravian Falls, North Carolina. As of April 11, Corey is the ninth ranked bull rider in the IPRA World Championship Standings. He is also ranked fourth for the Bull Riding Rookie of the Year honors. Corey is right on track with the career plan laid out by his father and him.
This is Corey�s rookie season in the big leagues, but the respectful young man is no stranger to the sport of rodeo. Corey attended his first rodeo when he was barely two weeks old. He practically grew up behind the chutes; the son of Charles Atwell, the 1979 PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding Rookie of the Year. Charles had a long rodeo career beginning in 1972. The North Carolina native rode broncs in the IPRA for many years, starting in 1977, and qualified for the 20th International Finals Rodeo in 1990. The wiry bronc rider hung up his spurs in 1996 but not before passing the torch to his son Corey.
I asked Corey�s mom, Debbie Atwell, �When did Corey first express interest in becoming a cowboy?� She responded with a big smile, �It�s all he�s ever known.� The proud parents beamed reminiscing about Corey�s early rodeo experiences. As a toddler the young Atwell would hang out watching the action on the bucking chutes with the cowboys. On the drive home he would discuss bucking patterns of the bulls with his dad. Charles said it always amazed him how he would remember the names of the livestock and the different scores from the many performances. With a grin mom and dad remembered a rodeo coloring book where the nursery school aged cowboy had added brands and markings correctly identifying the bulls he would see on the weekends.
The pint sized cowboy had a pony saddle that he would drag along side his dad as the two made their way to the arena. The toddler would ready his gear imitating his father as he checked his stirrups and applied rosin to his chaps. Both Corey and his mom remembered one particular event when Charles had been thrown from his bronc. It was the first time Corey had seen his father hit the ground. He was fascinated by the occurrence and would demonstrate the buck off repeatedly to others by climbing on and jumping off of Charles�s bronc saddle.
The elder Atwell�s passion for the sport of rodeo began in much the same way. His father would take him to local rodeos in and around North Carolina. Charles has many memories riding in junior rodeos at Love Valley. Through out the years he has been a role model and mentor to many cowboys in the area including 1995 World Champion Bull Rider Jerome Davis. I remember myself watching him spur broncs in the mid-eighties. He has always been well respected and one to watch. Charles says he is content in his role as a spectator, supporting his son, but says �it�s still tough to watch a rodeo when the bronc riding is wide open.�
Although Corey has a bright future in the world of professional rodeo, both father and son are adamant about his education. Corey enjoys school and considers math and masonry class his favorite subjects. It is tough to make a serious run for the finals and maintain his grade average so Corey has had to limit his rodeo schedule in order to satisfy his school requirements. Several times he has got in from a rodeo at two in the morning and still managed to make it to class on time. His mom is proud of how he rolls out of bed on Monday mornings, although Corey admits to falling asleep in class a couple of times after a tough weekend going down the road.
On May 30th, three days after his high school graduation, Corey turns eighteen and plans to rodeo full time. Education still plays a big role in Corey�s plans and he is quick to point out that Western Oklahoma State College has expressed interest. He is slated to attend school there in August on a rodeo scholarship. He is looking forward to operating out of Altus in order to enter more Oklahoma IPRA rodeos. �I dream of winning the IPRA World Championship,� Corey stated with a confident smile.
Corey competed in the International Youth Finals rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma last summer. His first big league professional rodeo was in January at Longhorn Rodeo�s Tulsa, Oklahoma event. I asked Corey what it felt like to be competing at the professional level. Corey stated �It was pretty wild�and felt dang sure different�� Corey has made a couple of nice trips to the pay window this year, picking up checks at Longhorn Rodeo�s Cincinnati, Ohio event, and at Ken Treadway�s Circle M Rodeo in Pelzer, South Carolina. His rookie year has not been without a few rough spots; Cory split his chin open in Chattanooga, Tennessee and required several stitches. Apparently, the emergency room trip hasn�t deterred him any. Corey said �I would get on bulls everyday if they would buck them��
Rodeo announcer Carson Davis has watched Corey since his mutton busting days. Carson stressed that Corey Atwell, Brian Canter, and JB Mauney are three of the best bull riders to come out of the Southeast since the 1990s. �Those are three good straight kids� the best that I have seen since Boyce Knox, Jeff Canter and Jerome� Corey will make it happen. He has a good head on his shoulders, a positive attitude and he plays it straight. If he stays straight there is no telling how far he will go�� Growing up around rodeo has given Corey an interesting perspective on life. The guidance he received from his father, the support from his mother and advice received from mentors like Jerome Davis has helped mold Corey into a fine young man. Corey Atwell has come a long way from his mutton busting days in the Carolinas and I expect a lot of good things ahead for this cowboy.