LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – For one 13-year-old boy, Saturday night inside Simmons Bank Arena wasn’t just another bull riding event. It was a night he will remember for the rest of his life.

Because while the crowd came to watch the world’s best riders try to conquer the rankest bulls on the planet, the most meaningful moment of the entire weekend had nothing to do with an 8-second ride.

Before the final bulls were bucked and before another buckle was handed out, the spotlight shifted away from the chutes and toward a young cowboy who had already shown more grit than most people will in a lifetime.

His name is Michael LaRosa.

And on Saturday night, the PBR community rose to its feet as he was honored with the Be Cowboy Award.

For most teenagers, turning 13 means school dances, ballgames and chasing independence.

For Michael, independence had become harder to find.

Michael lives with juvenile Tay-Sachs disease, a rare neurological condition that affects strength, balance and mobility. Walking long distances has become nearly impossible. The things most kids take for granted—running outside, exploring trails, keeping up with friends—had slowly slipped away.

But cowboys don’t quit when the ride gets tough.

Recently, Michael became the first-ever recipient of an Action Trackchair. Unlike a traditional wheelchair, the chair runs on rugged tank-like tracks, allowing him to travel across grass, dirt, gravel and uneven terrain.

For the first time in a long time, Michael could go where he wanted again.

He could explore.
He could adventure.
He could keep up.

Hell, he could even play in the 2026 Snowmageddon.

But most of all he could be a kid again.

That spirit—the refusal to let circumstances define you—is exactly what the Be Cowboy Award celebrates.

So on Saturday night in Little Rock, the PBR family made sure Michael knew he belonged right there where the real cowboys live, between the chutes.

As the arena lights focused on him, fans who had spent the evening cheering rides suddenly found themselves cheering something even bigger. Riders, bullfighters and arena crew members gathered around as Michael rolled into the spotlight in his trackchair, wearing a grin that could light up the entire building.

But the best moments of the night didn’t end there.

To Michael, they might as well be superheroes.

They joked with him. They welcomed him like family. They made sure he felt like he was part of the crew.

And then came a moment that Michael will likely never forget.

Ezekiel Mitchell walked over and handed him a glove.

Not just any glove—the kind a rider wears when climbing aboard 2,000 pounds of bucking power. The riders even signed it.

Michael took that glove everywhere the rest of the night.

Rumor has it he even wore it to bed later.

And honestly, there’s still a good chance he hasn’t taken it off yet.

Moments like that might seem small from the outside.

But to Michael—and to the people who love him—they’re everything.

Because what the crowd in Little Rock witnessed wasn’t just a ceremony.

It was proof that courage comes in many forms.

Sometimes it’s an 8-second ride on the rankest bull in the world.

And sometimes it’s a young boy who wakes up every morning, faces challenges most people can’t imagine, and still greets the world with kindness, resilience and a smile.

Michael LaRosa didn’t ride a bull Saturday night.

He didn’t need to.

Because anyone who saw the joy on his face rolling across that arena floor already knew the truth.

That kid is as cowboy as they come.

From all of us at PBR, thank you, Michael, for reminding us what it truly means to Be Cowboy.

A heartfelt thank-you to James Phillips for nominating Michael for this honor. To his mother, Jill, whose love and strength shine through in everything Michael does, and to everyone at PBR who helped make this dream come true.

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media