CODY — Edgar bull rider Parker Breding just wrapped up a busy Cowboy Christmas, with stops in St. Paul, Oregon, Cody, Wyoming and Red Lodge.
After 11 years on the circuit, Breding is going to need a little added time in an ice bath to get right.
“I do feel my age in my body. I have noticed there’s lots of things I can’t get away with like I used to anymore, and it takes a little longer to recover from the smaller injuries where I never even used to notice it when I was one of those 19-year-old kids. Time sure flies, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything," Breding told MTN Sports at the Cody Stampede.
With his 30th birthday on the horizon, the thought of ‘How long can I do this?’ has certainly crept into his mind. But if he’s a chip off the ol’ block, he’s got several years ahead.
“It’s been on my mind here and there. How much longer are you going to be able to hold up and be able to do this? My dad rode till he was 41, but he’s a different breed. I don’t really know anybody tougher than he was," Breding said of his father Scott. "It would be awesome to do that, but I’m hoping to at least get a few more years and make a few more National Finals Rodeos.”
As for now, Breding hasn’t strayed far from Edgar, as he’s just down the road in Fromberg, and remains high on the list of Montana’s most eligible bachelors. But what’s he going to do when he does decide to hang it up?
“That’s the million dollar question, too. Hopefully I’ll still be involved with rodeo somehow," Breding said. "I actually really like team roping. It’s hard to make a living doing that, but I can get around out there so I’ll at least have that to keep me around rodeo. The rest we’ll kind of have to figure out as we go.”
