PUEBLO, Colo. – Ezekiel Mitchell may be a national superstar with fans all over the world, but it is not uncommon for him to show up to a practice pen or jackpot bull riding from time to time.
Mitchell makes it a priority to give back to his local communities with lessons for aspiring bull riders, and he will often participate in charity bull ridings throughout Texas and North Carolina.
The Rockdale, Texas, native feels it is important to make sure he does his part to help the future generations. Even if it is a simple response on social media or being available for a photo can go a long way to a kid, Mitchell believes.
“I have done stuff for kids back at home and stuff,” Mitchell said. “Just to help people have an opportunity to further their career and to learn things is important.”
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Mitchell, though, will be giving back in different way this coming weekend, and on a national stage, when he climbs into the bucking chutes on the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas, for the PBR Air Force Reserve Cowboys for a Cause event.
Cowboys for a Cause is a five-team invitational featuring 15 cowboys riding to support military members and their families through a new PBR charity initiative, which will benefit multiple charities. PBR partner Ford will donate $25,000 for every qualified ride during the competition and fellow partner Wrangler will donate $25,000 to Operation Homefront on behalf of the winning team.
Operation Homefront is a nationally recognized military nonprofit organization providing financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing, and various recurring support services to U.S. military families.
“This is going to be unreal,” Mitchell said. “To be able to do something to give back to the people who fight for our country is pretty extraordinary. These guys lay their lives on the line for us, and they allow us to do the things we enjoy as free Americans. This is definitely cool and for a much deeper cause than ourselves.”
Mitchell will be riding for Team South Point alongside 2016 PBR Brazil champion Dener Barbosa and Roscoe Jarboe.
The first-of-its-kind event will be broadcast on CBS national television Sunday, at 3 p.m. ET or 5 p.m. ET (check local listings). Additionally, CBS Sports Network will air a special preshow for the exhibition event on Friday at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET. The PBR will announce total charitable donations from the event during the broadcast.
Mitchell heads into the event following an 18th-place finish in the world standings, which is the second Top-20 finish of his career. Mitchell went 1-for-4 at the World Finals and concluded the season 22-for-68 (32.35%) on the premier series.
The 23-year-old’s lone ride came in Round 3 when he converted on Red Dawn for 89 points.
“He needed to get a score,” two-time World Champion Justin McBride said on CBS Sports Network. “That was a really, really good ride. Where that has been? I don’t know, but I am glad he showed up now because this is what Zeke can do. Yes he can bring the flair, the funny stuff, but his riding is for real.”
PBR is in the process this week of constructing a bull riding arena on the 872-foot long launch deck on top of the famed USS Lexington aircraft carrier known as “The Blue Ghost,” bringing in 300 tons of dirt and steel and more than 15 miles of copper and fiber optic cables to support the event and television broadcast. Bucking bulls will be brought on board via the ship’s still-functioning aircraft elevator that brought planes up to the flight deck during battle. Aircraft aboard the ship will be used as set pieces off the dirt.
“This is going to be unreal,” Mitchell said. “I never thought about going into the army, but that is one of the coolest things I have ever seen – them being able to land planes on a ship.”
The PBR has a history of bucking bulls in unique locations. In 2010, the PBR bucked bulls in Times Square in the heart of New York City. Six years ago, Bulls on the Beach took place just before the 2014 World Finals and featured the Top 15 riders in the world squaring off against 15 rank bulls on the cusp of the Pacific Ocean in Huntington Beach, California.
This weekend truly will be an once-in-a-lifetime experience for all involved with Cowboys for a Cause.
“This is something not many guys will ever get a chance to do,” Mitchell said. “Who knows, this may be the only time in history it ever happens. I am just stoked to be a part of it.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media