facesofdsu benipaulson - Dickinson State University

F A
F A C E
C
S O F
E S O F D S U
BENI PAULSON
CONQUERING TWO WORLDS
F A C E S O F
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O C T O B E R 2 0 , 2011
NOVEMBER 3, 2011
BY DAVID JAMES

F A C E S O F D S U
Photos by Deryl Matthew
B E N I P A U L S O N
By DSU Communications Student
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David James
Dickinson State University alum, Beni Paulson, rode
bulls for 15 years and reached the pinnacle of his sport
when he competed at the Professional Bull Riders World
Finals in 2001.
Having mastered one profession Paulson is now try-
ing to master another; the world of contemporary coun-
try music.
Surprisingly bull riding, which is also part of the en-
tertainment industry, has given him plenty of experienc-
es to draw upon and a good foundation for succeeding
in this next adventure.
Meanwhile Paulson and his band Outlaw Sippin’ ,
who recently played at DSU’s Cowboys & Candlelight
dinner/auction/dance, are getting better everyday.
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Photos by Deryl Matthew
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F A C E S O F D S U
B E N I P A U L S O N
Where were you born and raised? Dunn county, N.D., on a farm/ranch. I live
in Killdeer now.
How did you arrive at your choice of where to attend college? What were
your plans for your education? What was your best experience? I went to
Cheyenne, Wyo. for two years because they had a good rodeo program and I
wanted to spread my wings a little. I came back to DSU because they have a
great rodeo program in a great state and to get my bachelors degree in Busi-
ness Administration with an Ag concentration. My best experience was being a
part of the Reserve National Champion DSU Men’s Rodeo Team.
How did you get into bull riding? I think because I won a buckle riding calves
when I was a kid and it felt good to win. I then progressed to riding steers,
then cows and then bulls. I grew up by Brad Gjermundson so of course I had
to try being a saddle bronc rider but it was too dangerous
for me so I decided to focus on riding bulls.
What were your bull riding goals? My goal was to be the
best bull rider ever.
What did you like most about bull riding? What did you
not like? The best part is the challenge of conquering a two
thousand pound beast that wants to kill you and the feeling
of being successful at it. The camaraderie within the sport is
great and as we speak I am at a (PBR ) Professional Bull Rid-
ers alumni reunion in Las Vegas and it is awesome to see all
my old buddies and fellow competitors. The only thing I
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B E N I P A U L S O N
really didn't like was the pain that occasionally comes into play.
What were you thinking, when you were in the chute, just before you
signaled for the chute gate to open? As little as possible. The thinking
and preparation comes before you get in the chute. In the chute I focused
on being really aggressive and making sure that my gear and everything
would function properly and allow me to do my job, which was to stay on.
Once the gate opens there is no time to think, just react instantly. If you
think about what you’re doing it’s too late and you are probably bucked
off.
As you mentioned, you were recently honored at the PBR World Finals in
Las Vegas. Tell us a little about that PBR experience (when you were
competing) and about this past week’s experiences. Anytime you have
the opportunity to be around the best athletes in the world in any sport it
is awesome. The positive energy and the confidence is really inspiring to
push you to be better. Thousands and thousands of fans and a lot of mon-
ey helps too. I worked very hard for a long time and it was very fulfilling
to reach the pinnacle of my sport and compete at the PBR World Finals in
2001. The relationships I developed, the places all around the world that I
traveled, the great bulls I rode, being in rap music videos…….it was all a
very fortunate bonus for all of the work and dedication I did and I consider
myself very blessed for all of the opportunities.
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B E N I P A U L S O N
What kind of injuries did you experience from bull riding? As I said, I was very blessed and lucky to not have any real major
injuries in fifteen years of riding bulls. Aside from a lot of little injuries and pulled muscles, a broken leg was the worst I sus-
tained. The most important factor in staying healthy is to stay strong and in shape and I focused hard on training for that rea-
son.
Five million more people attend rodeo annually than attend NBA basketball games for example. Why do you think rodeo is
so popular? The danger factor is definitely one reason.
How did you get into singing in and/or creating a band? When Joe Blankenship and I were in college at DSU Joes dad had
some old speakers and equipment, so we bought it and went to work. Our roommate was Clair Fitzpatrick, a bronc rider from
Canada. He started playing bass and my little brother, Brady, who was barely in high school, jumped in. My family is very
musical so we were always around it as a youngsters.
Who is your favorite singer and why? Right now probably Brad Paisley or Keith Urban because they are also two of the best
guitarists and song writers in the world and that is very admirable. But my absolute favorites are Brady Paulson, Phil Espinoza
and Kim Landis because they are awesome (and they are my band, Outlaw Sippin's vocal team). And they are only awesome
because our drummer, Chad Heidt, is phenomenal and Emil Anheluk makes us very unique with his amazing skills on the fid-
dle, keyboard and accordion.
Who is your hero and why? My heroes have changed a lot since I was a kid. When I got into the PBR and PRCA (Professional
Rodeo Cowboys Association) I found out that some of my bull riding heroes weren't the best role models outside of the arena,
so I found new ones. A hero is someone you want to be like and should be chosen wisely.
Your current band, Outlaw Sippin’ is outstanding and features primarily contemporary country music. What are your goals
for the band? Our main goal is to be the best band ever. Right now we are focusing on working together as one perfect music
making machine.
Photos by Deryl Matthew
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F A C E S O F D S U
Photos by Deryl Matthew
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B E N I P A U L S O N
What is it like when you are entertaining an audience? It is very rewarding.
Having a great band requires a lot of work. All of the individuals have to be very
proficient at their respective instruments, then everybody has to know their
parts to each song, then we put it all together as a group and make a show out of
it. It’s definitely fun but if takes a lot of time and dedication so it is nice be able
to have people who enjoy what we do.
What is your favorite kind of venue? Ro-
deo dances, fairs, special event, things like
that. Not so much bars where a lot of the
people are there for reasons other than to
dance, have fun and be entertained.
Tell us a little about your wife’s jewelry
business. My wonderful wife Michelle has
amazing vision and the ability to constantly
create new and unique pieces. She is pas-
sionate about what she does and genuinely
cares about her clients. Plus she is just a
good person. The combination of these
things makes it pretty easy to have a suc-
cessful business and at the same time in-
spire me and others to be better people.
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