Cottonwood Cowboy grew up watching Red Bluff Round-Up and is now competing in it

SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — As the Red Bluff Round-Up approaches in a few weeks, we spoke to a Cottonwood cowboy that grew up watching the rodeo as a kid and is now competing in it.

Just eight days after he was born, James Banister was watching his dad steer wrestle at a rodeo in Oregon.

"I didn't really have a choice if I was going to grow up around rodeo or not, I went to my first one of my dad's when I was eight days old in Central Point Oregon."

Growing up, James Banister watched his father, Jim, compete in steer wrestling at the Red Bluff Round-Up and he is now following in his footsteps.

"Once I was old enough to try it, my dad was all about it. He definitely encouraged me to go that direction more than anything," James said.

The Cottonwood cowboy attended West Valley High School and wanted to be a bull rider, but his dad thought he was too small at the time.

"When I was in junior high, and high school, I didn't want to steer wrestle as the event I was going to do. I wanted to be a bull rider really bad." Banister added, "I definitely was really small, a little bit of a late bloomer, and my dad thought that that was going to be way too much for me."

The bulldogger talked to KRCR about what his mindset is like when he is getting ready to take down a steer.

"Usually, don't break the barrier because that always sucks. But, really, not a lot. I don't really get nervous or anything." Banister continued, “I’ve done it so many times, it's kind of just a routine for me."

Banister said it's like a job for him, "You just have to go do a job is the way I look at it. I just need to do exactly what I have done so many times before, just, this time, it's not for practice, it's for money and then just do it."

Rodeo is such a hot and cold sport, Banister explained. "It's very streaky when it comes to rodeo. When you're hot, you're hot. And when you're not, you are definitely not. It feels like you are never going to win again sometimes."

Banister explained how it really has come full circle for him and his family.

"It's definitely cool especially I think for my whole family it's something that we have been around for so long and something that I'm giving it all I got to try and figure out but yeah it's cool I love it."

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