Ever since its inception in 2018, World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) has produced several heartwarming moments, coupled with giving much needed impetus to budding rodeo athletes. And the best of those is the chronicling of the decade-long struggle of one American rodeo sensation culminating in a million-dollar victory. The 4-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Qualifier scripted history last year at the WCRA Triple Crown of Rodeo event in Texas.

It really was a heartbreaking journey for one such California cowboy leading up to the $1 million victory last year. The 33-year-old bareback rider’s career was in doldrums before he finally rode supreme, and scripted history. As he looks to replicate last year’s heroics, the first victor of a $1 million bonus shares his tragic journey alongside his father.

American rodeo shares struggle before becoming a millionaire

RC Landingham’s career has been marred with heartbreaks. Leading up to the WCRA Triple Crown of Rodeo last year, the 33-year-old had spent the majority of his time recovering from the brutal injuries. “It’s been a struggle”, expressed his stepdad after he walked out as the first victor of $1 million last year from Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth. On the other hand, Landingham was feeling absolute goosebumps becoming a millionaire overnight. “I don’t know what to do with million dollars”, he expressed.

Landingham suffered serious injuries from a bull riding incident shortly after winning the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Bareback Riding title. Soon after, he got ridden to a wheelchair after a brutal car accident in 2011. The heartbreaks kept piling up for the PRCA rookie as his mom, Wendy Skiver, was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. He took a hiatus and didn’t return in full stead until 2021.

But soon after he ticked his favorite California Rodeo Salinas off his bucket list in 2022, Landingham was en route to the absolute best times of his life. However, he scarcely thought the good times would start with becoming a millionaire.

R.C. Landingham scripts history after a long struggle

After returning to riding in 2021, Landingham didn’t look back. He made back-to-back NFR trips in 2021-22 and has participated in five WCRA Triple Crown of Rodeo events. It took the hobbyist ranch cowboy only 3 rodeos to earn the first million of his career, thanks to the ever giving PRCA.

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As he walked into the Cowtown Coliseum, Landingham already had two wins under his belt, needing only one more to win the $1 million dollars. He produced back-to-back monstrous rides, scripting 84.5-point and 89.5-point rides in the successive round. It was the perfect end to a decade-long struggle, and the Californian would love to repeat the same this year on 23rd December.

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