Cajun Cowboy Dustin Boquet of Bourg, Louisiana qualifies for his first National Finals Rodeo
28-year-old Dustin Boquet jumped 47 places from the 2017 PRCA World Standings to qualify for the 2018 National Finals Rodeo as the No. 3 ranked bull rider in the PRCA. He joins the nation’s top cowboys as they head to Las Vegas next week for the ten round Super Bowl of Rodeo.
Boquet competed in approximately 110 rodeos that earned him $114,587.51 during his quest to compete at the Thomas and Mack for the first time.
Bouuet didn't get on his first bull until he was 16 years old which some would call a "late" start, but he more than made up for it with this stellar season. His process was to give it all he had and know that there would be tough times and great times. "I just keep my faith strong and kept chasing the goal I had, and it paid off. “
"If Prayer becomes a habit then success becomes a lifestyle" is the phrase on Facebook describing the twenty-two-year-old bull rider who also uses #mygamehisglory.
The Louisiana native from the Deep South city of Montagut is currently sharing the spotlight with Koby Radley as one of the two latest bull riding sensations to come out of the Bayou state.
Finishing third in the PRCA standings headed into the 2018 NFR is no easy feat as this Cajun Cowboy’s home is 45 minutes south of New Orleans.
“It is a long drive just to get out of Louisiana - much less to a rodeo or bull riding,” said Boquet now living in Bourg.
Boquet financed his NFR run from a good showing early in the year at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo where he won over $41,000 in PRCA dollars. It was that moment he realized he now had more money at his disposal than ever before.
He started the 2018 season with $32,272. He has added $114,588 to that already and plans to make more in Las Vegas. He will start the NFR in third place.
At 28 years old, it is not his first thought or attempt at bull riding stardom.
Dustin Boquet clowning around in Cheyenne during the 2017 CBR World Finals introduction
In 2016, Boguet was attempting a PRCA and CBR run, and in January he broke his leg in the practice pen eliminating him from competition for seven months. When he got back on his feet, he qualified for the 2017 CBR World Finals in Cheyenne where he finished in top 25 and shifted his efforts to rodeo where he earned $32,272 in the early days of 2018 qualifying.
Dustin enjoys outdoor sports including fishing and hunting and joins a long line of successful Louisiana bull riding talent including PRCA World Champion Mike White (1999), PBR World Champions Troy Dunn (1998) Chris Shivers (2003), and CBR World Champion Cole Echols (2013).
2018 Highlights
• Won the Snake River Stampede (Nampa, Idaho)
• Won Dixie National Rodeo in Jackson, Miss.
• Won Division 2 Xtreme Bulls in Lawton, Okla.
• Won Tops in Texas Rodeo in Jacksonville
• Won That Famous Preston (Idaho) Night Rodeo
• Co-champion at the Mineral Wells (Texas) Rodeo
• Co-champion at the Mid Winter Fair & Rodeo in Lafayette, La.
