Kolbaba

JOSEPH — In addition to his many local fans, rodeo bull rider Derek Kolbaba now has a national supporter — Busch Light.

The Walla Walla, Washington native, who spent many of his growing-up years in Joseph, recently received a deal to endorse the beer brand during his performances on the Professional Bull Riders circuit.

In fact, it was his focus on the PBR that led to his decision this year to skip Chief Joseph Days this year after an impressive string of wins at the Joseph rodeo, the 28-year-old said.

“I really wanted to focus on the PBR and I’m not getting any younger,” he said during a Zoom interview Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Anheuser-Busch, the beer’s parent company, announced Sept. 17 that it has a multiyear partnership with the Professional Bull Riders and is sponsoring Kolbaba.

Kolbaba declined to give details of how much the Busch Light endorsement is worth, but the partnership comes about nine months after it became the official beer of PBR and at a time when bull riding is gaining a wider audience and attracting the attention of brand marketers, according to Busch’s website.

“I’m just thankful my name was on the list,” he said.

This isn’t Kolbaba’s first endorsement deal. He has an agent who has helped secure others over his decade-long rodeo career.

(Busch has) “the same passion as myself and appreciate the hardworking men and women” who come from a country life style, he said.

Rodeo attendees will see a Busch Light logo on Kolbaba’s shirt when he rides, but that’s not all he’s required to do to earn his endorsement deal.

“Just treat people the way they want to be treated — that’s how my mom taught me — and just try to be a good person,” he said.

As for the PBR circuit, Kolbaba  said time off for recovery from rodeo injuries has helped.

“I’m really feeling well with how my body’s been feeling,” he said. “I’ve been pretty fortunate, for the most part. I’ve had a few broken bones, I broke my leg when I was younger and had quite a few surgeries on that; broke my jaw, tore up my knee pretty good, collapsed lung. Other than that, I’ve been pretty lucky. You’ve got to pick your battles.”

But he’ll keep picking those battles as long as it’s feasible.

“I will keep riding bulls not until I can’t but hopefully until I don’t want to anymore,” he said after his 2023 win at Chief Joseph Days. “It’s a young man’s game and I feel like I’m just getting to my prime.”

Raised in Joseph, Kolbaba is the great-grandson of Chief Joseph Days co-founder and the rodeo rough contractor stock Harley Tucker, for whom the CJD arena is named. Kolbaba moved to Walla Walla as a child but still has deep roots in Wallowa County. His grandmother, Darlene Turner, still lives in the county, as do many other aunts, uncles and cousins.

Will he be back in Joseph for the next Chief Joseph Days?

He said he’s not sure yet, but, “I’ll be there for Christmas.”