Daylon Swearingen is one of the toughest athletes in professional sports — a cowboy who measures success not by wins alone, but by how many times he gets back up. Born and raised in Piffard, New York, Swearingen grew up in a rodeo family. His father, Sam, owns Rawhide Rodeo Company, and his mother, Carrie, was a barrel racer and trick rider. Daylon was on the back of livestock before he could drive, and by college, he was hauling himself across North America — logging more than 30,000 miles in a single season — to chase points on both sides of the border. That relentless pace paid off in 2019 when he won the NIRA Bull Riding Championship, the PBR Canada Championship, and became the youngest cowboy in history to qualify for both the PBR World Finals and the NFR in the same year.

By 2022, that drive carried him to the top of the sport. Swearingen captured the PBR World Championship, going 6-for-8 at the World Finals in Fort Worth to claim both the event title and the gold buckle. Drafted soon after by the Carolina Cowboys, he quickly became one of the team’s most dependable riders and vocal leaders, finishing No. 2 in the MVP race during the inaugural Teams season. Known for his quiet focus and gritty comebacks, he was featured in The Ride on Prime Video for his toughness and leadership both inside and outside the arena.

Though 2025 brought its share of injuries, Swearingen never stopped showing up for his team. Even while sidelined, he supported the Carolina Cowboys from behind the chutes all the way to the 2025 PBR Teams Championship, where Carolina was crowned champion for the first time in franchise history inside T-Mobile Arena. For a rider who defines success by perseverance, it was a victory that proved heart counts just as much as rides.

When he’s not climbing down on a bull, Swearingen lives the Western lifestyle full-time. Based in Sulphur Springs, Texas, with his fiancée Sierra Powers, he has experience riding horses and competing in bareback events. He only drinks coffee if it’s from Tim Hortons, and his go-to gas station snack is trail mix with peanut butter. Among the essentials in his gear bag are a few handwritten notes from his mom, reminders of home he keeps close wherever the road takes him. Off the dirt, he’s as grounded as he is driven: a cowboy who watches SWAT, listens to country, rap, rock, and gospel, and still smiles when he talks about his favorite bull he’s ever owned —227 Roman.