By Lori Bizzell / Photos Courtesy of LaVergne Family

There’s something steady, not loud and not showy, about Ty LaVergne, just tough minded in a way that doesn’t need announcing. As a Cavender’s team member, he carries that same quiet steadiness with him, the kind that shows up in how he rides and how he represents the people standing with him.

When I asked him how he would describe himself, he didn’t reach for anything dramatic. “I would describe myself as a confident person, and I know what I am capable of. I am also the one people go to when they need help. Like, say a guy behind the chutes needs a hand, I tend to be the one to help.” That tells you more than a buckle ever could.

Bull riding doesn’t reward ego for long. It rewards presence, discipline, and the willingness to show up again, especially after you’ve been humbled. Ty knew early this would be his event. “I first realized bull riding was going to be my event when I was young. Probably around 6 years old, I would beg and beg my dad to let me start riding bulls, and he finally gave in, and now here I am today.”

He didn’t stumble into bull riding. He chased it. “I think the main thing that hooked me to bull riding was the adrenaline rush and the feeling of hearing the buzzer go off, knowing that you rode the bull. It is the greatest feeling you can feel, and words can’t even describe it.”

Most people stop at adrenaline, but adrenaline doesn’t keep you here. The mind does. “I think bull riding is more mental. This is because someone can be in the best shape possible and still fall off of bulls constantly. If your mind isn’t where it’s supposed to be, then you normally won’t ride very well.”

When the chute gate opens, there isn’t chaos in his head. “Surprisingly, not a lot goes through my mind when the chute gate opens. The main thing that I tell myself is I’m about to strap this bull. Another way is just having confidence to set yourself up for success and not failure.” That kind of clarity is built over time, and his dad has been central to that foundation. “My dad has taught me about everything I know about bull riding, but the thing that sticks with me the most is riding aggressively. If you don’t ride aggressively, then the outcome isn’t going to be great all the time because it’s a battle between you and the bull every second until you step off of him.” It’s not recklessness or chaos, it’s resolve.

Freshman year, Ty missed qualifying for nationals by eleven points, close enough to taste it and far enough to sting. “I would say winning High School Nationals is my favorite win because back in my freshman year of high school, I got humbled at the state finals by missing nationals by 11 points. This lit a fire underneath me and drove me to get better and make it to nationals the next year. I ended up winning it, and I felt a sense of relief because I had been looking forward to just making it to nationals, and I tried my heart out and ended up pulling off a win.” Relief is the word he chose, not spotlight or pride, but the kind of relief that comes from answering disappointment with discipline.

“Bull riding has taught me so much about discipline because it has taught me that if you don’t get on practice bulls, then you won’t get much better because you aren’t fixing what you need to fix and working on your fundamentals. This will start showing at rodeos, getting on bulls is the best way to get better.” Humility, for him, looks like owning the ride, even when it did not go his way, “It has taught me a lot about humility because you don’t always win, and you have to take the losses and learn from them and keep that drive to win.”

Along the way, Ty has also earned a place as a Cavender’s team member, and he does not talk about that like a logo, he talks about it like a responsibility. He knows he is representing more than himself when he puts his hand in the rope.

Before every ride, he prays. “I pray before every ride. It brings me peace and lets me know God is protecting me. If it’s his will, it will work out.” In a sport where nothing is guaranteed, not the draw, not the score, not the landing, peace matters. “Everything I have accomplished was because of him.” That perspective carries beyond the arena. “They treat me like family, and I’m grateful to represent them. I’m not just representing a company. I’m representing a family.” The way he describes Cavender’s is the same way he describes the people who shaped him, with gratitude and a sense of loyalty that runs deeper than business.

When I asked what he hoped people would see when they watched him ride, his answer was simple. “I hope they see that I’m humble and grateful because there are so many kids who wish they were in my position.” And when he talks about the future, he doesn’t just talk about winning, he talks about providing for a family one day.

The aggression his dad talks about, the kind required for eight seconds on a bull, isn’t reckless. Instead, it’s fierce resolve: full commitment, learning, adjusting, and going again. While bull riding may last only eight seconds, the person it shapes you into lasts much longer.

Ty’s Accolades/Courtesy of Cavender’s Team:

2023 LJHSRA State Bull Riding Champion

2023 NLBRA World Bull Riding Champion

2025 LHSRA State Bull Riding Champion

2025 NHSRA Bull Riding World Champion

2025 Cinch WCJR Junior Bull Riding World Champion