A nine-year-old Texas boy is off to prove next month at the National Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas he has a work ethic and discipline beyond most adults.

Third-grader Lealond Henderson has spent the first half of this year as the number one-ranked mini-bareback rider in the world. But being on top of the Pee Wee Division has come with some hard hits — even mild concussions.

“And I had a big ol’ rainbow across my head where a horse kicked me when I landed on my hands and knees,” Henderson told FOX4 News.

The nine-year-old is one of the lightest riders in the Pee-Wee division, weighing in at 55 pounds.

9 year old texas rodeo
“This will be a pretty tough matchup.”

“He has a natural talent to do what he’s doing,” his dad, Jimmy Henderson, told FOX4.

“And he’s been good at it ever since he’s three years old.”

His parents said they plan to go as far with the riding as their son chooses.

“Because there are moments where he wants his mom, so that’s a good feeling, too,” said his mother, Deborah Henderson. “But I know he’s got it covered.”

While the nine-year-old’s rank has slipped to second in the world in the past few weeks, he aims to regain the top spot in Las Vegas in December.

“There’s a lot of tough kids to compete against,” he said. “So this will be a pretty tough matchup.”

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