NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On any night in Arkansas, there's bound to be a cowboy ropin' rodeo; on Tuesday, it was in El Paso.
But this isn't just any old rodeo. Tuesday, viewers saw what could be the youngest bull rider in the world.
Cowboy Doc Leavy coaches his daughter Laithan Dickerson, who has been riding horses since she could walk. However, a few years later, her interest pushed past horses.
Leavy said that at just seven years old, Laithan Dickerson is the youngest and the only Black female bull rider in Arkansas.
"When I see her, I know she can do it," Leavy said. "She just goes out there and gets it done."
And while riding a bull, even a young one, might be intimidating, Laithan keeps it going.
"When I ride, I feel like a real cowgirl," Laithan said. "I'm in there too, so let me try that,"
Leavy said that while his daughter may sometimes be the smallest girl in the room, she stands tall.
"The guys always claim to be the toughest in the rodeo world," Leavy said. "When you hear a little girl that likes to ride animals like that, you encourage her to ride more and do more."
Breaking records doesn't come easily; sometimes, Laithan needs a little help from the crowd, with her sisters and parents cheering her on.
After that, not only does she get back on, but she stays on. Laithan competed at a rodeo this weekend and took home the gold with a trophy almost as big as her.
"Sometimes I can't do it because it's really hard," Laithan said. "If I try again, I'll always achieve my goal."
That mindset was established with the same support and first bump from her coach and dad before she got up to ride again.