Texas bull rider 'Mighty Whitey' onboard to win

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

Mike White used some of his time off to sign autographs during a promotional event in Mount Pleasant on June 13. The event was held at Big Tex trailers, one of White's sponsors.

Chris LeDoux sings, "He's hooked on a feeling; addicted to a natural high. Don't know why it's appealing; all he knows is he's got to ride?"

The ride is eight seconds, if you last that long, aboard a bull, and the pay is not bad if you win.

Professional Bull Rider (PBR) Mike White is one of many who enjoys the thrill and adrenalin rush of riding bulls; yet White is one of few who is leading in the sport.

Currently, the 26-year-old De Kalb resident is setting sixth in the PBR standings. He knows he will have to "cowboy up" if he wants to win the PBR world championship later this fall.

During a break in the competition in May and June, White could be found working around the place he loves, his ranch, and buying "crazy cows" to bred to his string of bucking bulls.

The champion bull rider is coming off a wrist injury, but is looking forward to the next event, BULLNANZA in Nashville, Tenn., June 28 and 29.

"I'll be 100 percent by the end of the month. I just need to cover the bulls," he said. "I'm not worried about the season. If it works out, it works out. If it doesn't, it doesn't."

White's bull riding experience began when he was 7; that's when older brother, Pat, put him on a bull. He also ventured out of the chutes on some horses, but, riding bareback horses and saddle bronc was not for him.

"I didn't like riding saddle bronc or bareback. Those horses can hurt you," White said.

As far as bulls, now that was a different story. From junior bulls, to senior bulls, to the "big boys," White has ridden into the record books.

The Louisiana native received a rodeo scholarship to Howard College in Big Spring, where he not only rodeoed, but meet his wife-to-be, Hannah, who was also there on a rodeo scholarship.

During his collegiate career, White became the Southwest Region Intercollegiate Champion Bull Rider in 1996.

In 1997, White qualified for the first of three trips to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas, Nev. When the 1997 season ended, White had the title of PRCA Resistol Bull Riding and Overall Rookie of the Year. He also set the world record for rookie PRCA winnings, $105,293.

The bull rider returned to Las Vegas in 1998 and 1999, when he won the NFR Bull Riding Championship Buckle.

In 1999, White tried his skill in the PBR. When the dust settled, White had won the PBR Rookie of the Year award. He is the only bull rider in history, according to the pbrnow.com website, to win Rookie of the Year in both the PBR and the PRCA.

After 1999, White appeared to be on his way, but injuries in 2000 and 2001 sidelined his career. In 2002, he was ready for the season, winning the Ty Murray Invitational PBR Bud Light Cup in Albuquerque, N.M., the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Open PBR Bud Light Cup and the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. PBR Challenger Tour Finals, but he was still plagued by injuries.

This year, Mighty Whitey, a nickname he earned from his peers, said he so far as been "pretty healthy." Healthy enough to win the Tacoma (Wash.) Classic PBR Built Ford Tough Series, the Ty Murray Invitational PBR Bud Light Cup (Albuquerque, N.M.), and the Philadelphia (Penn.) Invitational PBR Ford Tough Series.

"Albuquerque has been good to me," White replied with a smile. After all, he has won it two years in a row.

At this point, with total career earnings of $500,000, White is enjoying his career; but, White, the husband and rancher, misses home.

"The hardest thing about all this is being gone from home," he said.

Home, 412 acres with an additional 238 acres leased, is off the beaten track, down a dirt road. Where the road ends, White's happiness begins ... Broken W Ranch, outside of De Kalb. It is here that the Whites raise Quarter horses (preferably blue and red roans) and bucking bulls.

"Years ago, my family raised bulls for rodeos. A stock contractor who had good success with those bulls has been after me to raise bulls for a while now. I sold them all of my 2- and 3-year-old bulls this year," the bull rider/rancher said.

White is not the only champion in the family, wife Hannah is also a champion team roper. In April, she won a Chevy crew cab diesel at Booger Barter's Grand Champion Coushatta Rope for the Chevy Trucks II in Kinder, La, prize money, a Gist buckle and a Gist trophy bit.

"She's good." White said. "She heads and I heel. I hate heading." Sometimes they compete as a team.

Hannah qualified with more than one partner this year for the U.S. Team Roping Championship Regional Finals in Stephenville the weekend of June 14-15. She won a "little money," but White roping with Bubba Cochran of Cookville won the No. 5 shoot-out average. The win qualified the duo to the Bud Light National Finals of Team Roping in Oklahoma City Oct. 26-Nov. 2. This event will put a squeeze on White's schedule since the last PBR event is Oct. 17-18, with the PBR finals set for Nov. 6-9.

When it comes time for the last bull to be ridden, White said he will enjoy staying home and working with the horses and bulls.

Meanwhile, as LeDoux song continues, "He's addicted to danger, ruled by passion and pride, to pain and fear he's no stranger, but his lust needs to be satisfied. Hooked on an eight second ride."