Sage Steele Kimzey (born August 26, 1994) is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. For most of his career, he competed in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), winning seven bull riding world championships. He also competed in the now-defunct Championship Bull Riding (CBR) organization, where he won three world championships. In 2023, he began riding for the Carolina Cowboys in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Team Series. Since 2024, he competes full-time in the PBR. Since 2025, he rides for the Austin Gamblers.
Early life Sage Steele Kimzey was born on August 26, 1994, in Strong City, Oklahoma. His father, Ted, was a PRCA barrelman who also worked at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 1980 and 1987. His mother, Jennifer, is the CEO of Gold Buckle Realty. His older sister, Dusta, is a pharmacist, and his younger brother Trey followed in his footsteps by becoming a bull rider as well. His mother and siblings sideline as trick riders. Kimzey graduated from Cheyenne High School in Oklahoma. He played basketball there for four years. His team won the state championship in his senior year. He attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University (Weatherford).
Career highlights
2013 season Kimzey began his PRCA career this year. He won the Rangers Rodeo in Lawton, Oklahoma, with a 93-point ride on D&H Cattle's No. 43x; the Chisholm Trail Stampede in Duncan, Oklahoma; and the Crosstie PRCA Rodeo in Hinton, Oklahoma. He won the Land Rush Pro Rodeo in Beggs, Oklahoma; the Kit Carson County Fair & Rodeo in Burlington, Colorado; and the Area Chamber of Commerce Fourth of July Rodeo in Belton, Texas. He won the Mesquite ProRodeo Series in Mesquite, Texas, on June 21 and July 5; and the MH Henry Pro Rodeo in Bowie, Texas, on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15. He was co-champion at the Topeka PRCA Rodeo in Topeka, Kansas; and the Jayhawker Roundup Rodeo in Hill City, Kansas. He set a PRCA record for most money won on a permit in a single season with $47,726.
2014 season In the PRCA regular season, Kimzey won the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas; the San Antonio Xtreme Bulls, also in San Antonio, Texas; and the All-American ProRodeo Finals in Waco, Texas. He won the New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo in Albuquerque, New Mexico; the Central Wyoming Fair & PRCA Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming; and the Elks Rodeo in Woodward, Oklahoma. He won the Tulsa State Fair PRCA Rodeo in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Chisholm Trail Stampede in Duncan, Oklahoma; and the Will Rogers Stampede in Claremore, Oklahoma. He won the Spokane Interstate Rodeo in Spokane, Washington; the Southwestern International PRCA Rodeo in El Paso, Texas; and the Kitsap Stampede Division 2 Xtreme Bulls in Bremerton, Washington. He won the Division 2 Qualifying Xtreme Bulls Event in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and the Gem State Classic ProRodeo Series in Blackfoot, Idaho. He was co-champion at the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale in Ellensburg, Washington; the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo in Guymon, Oklahoma; the Rapid City Rodeo Wrangler Champions Challenge in Rapid City, South Dakota; and the Nacogdoches Pro Rodeo & Steer Show in Nacogdoches, Texas.
In the Championship Bull Riding (CBR) circuit, he won the Casa Ford Tuff Hedeman West Texas Shootout Presented by Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino in El Paso, Texas; and won his first CBR world championship at the CBR World Finals at Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
At the NFR, he won four rounds, won the average title, and became the second rookie to win a bull riding gold buckle. His total NFR earnings of $175,466 was the highest of the event, giving him the Ram Truck Top Gun Award. He finished with a rookie record total of $318,631. The record could be any event or a combined amount. By winning this championship during his first two years, he became the first competitor to do so as a card carrying holder in the PRCA.
2015 season In the PRCA regular season, Kimzey won the Ellensburg Rodeo in Ellensburg, Washington; the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale, also in Ellensburg, Washington; the Pendleton Round-Up in Pendleton, Oregon; and the Wrangler Champions Challenge Finale in Omaha, Nebraska. He won the Wrangler Champions Challenges in Logandale, Nevada and Redding, California; and the Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo in Spanish Fork, Utah. He won the Rangers Rodeo in Lawton, Oklahoma; the Gooding Pro Rodeo in Gooding, Idaho; the Range Days Rodeo in Rapid City, South Dakota; and the Cassia County Fair & Rodeo in Burley, Idaho. He won the Pasadena Livestock Show & Rodeo in Pasadena, Texas; and the Division 2 Qualifying Xtreme Bulls Event in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was co-champion at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo in Guymon, Oklahoma; and the Cattleman Days Rodeo in Ashland, Missouri. He was also the PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour champion.
He won RodeoHouston in Houston, Texas. He also won the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta.
In the CBR circuit, he won the Kansas Star Chute Out in Mulvane, Kansas; and the Red Wilk Construction CBR Bull Bash in Huron, South Dakota. He finished second in the CBR world standings.
He placed in seven rounds at the NFR. He finished second in the average. He won his second world championship in a row with $327,178. Kimzey came into the NFR with a very large lead, having had a very successful regular season. At the finals, he drew some tough bulls. His rides were not as successful as he wanted. However, his successful regular season covered that. He rode six bulls. Still, the bulls he did and did not ride cost him money. The championship came down to the finish. He managed to ride well enough to win.
2016 season In the PRCA regular season, Kimzey won the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas; the Pendleton Round-Up in Pendleton, Oregon; and the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo in Sikeston, Missouri. He won the Ogden Pioneer Days in Ogden, Utah; the Molalla Buckeroo Rodeo in Molalla, Oregon; and Kansas' Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg, Kansas. He won the Wrangler Champions Challenges in Spanish Fork, Utah and Pueblo, Colorado; the Cody Stampede Rodeo in Cody, Wyoming; and the Cody Stampede Wrangler Champions Challenge. He won the 40th Annual Isanti, Minnesota Firefighters Rodeo; and Iowa's Championship Rodeo in Sidney, Iowa. He was co-champion at the Horse Heaven Round-up Wranglers Champions Challenge in Kennewick, Washington; and the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo in Abilene, Kansas.
He won RodeoHouston in Houston, Texas, for the second year in a row.
In the CBR circuit, he won the Eldorado Resort Casino Shreveport Tuff Hedeman Championship Bull Riding in Bossier City, Louisiana; and the CBR World Finals in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He also won his second CBR world championship.
At the NFR, he won Round 1. He placed in five rounds to rank third. He won his third consecutive world championship with $311,462 in earnings.
He rode Aftershock from Frontier Rodeo in the first round and scored 86.50 points. He was second in Round 3 once he rode Night Moves from the Calgary Stampede with a score of 87.50. He covered his bull in the fifth round, but did not win any money. He split second and third in Round 6 with a score of 87.50 on Half Nuts, from Pete Carr Rodeo. In Round 7, he split a score of 79, for fifth place, with a bull named Long Haired Outlaw. Outlaw was a bull from New West Rodeo. In the tenth and final round, he rode the Lancaster & Jones bull Total Bulls Battle Born earning an 83-point score which clinched the world championship. Kimzey had now entered the record books winning three world titles in a row in his first three years as a card holder. Another thing Kimzey had managed was too stay relatively injury-free except for minor injuries.
2017 season In the PRCA regular season, Kimzey won the Days of '47 Cowboy Games and Rodeo in Salt Lake City, Utah; the K-Days Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta; the Ellensburg Rodeo in Ellensburg, Washington; and the Walker County Fair & Rodeo in Huntsville, Texas. He won the SWELS-Xtreme Bulls in Fort Worth, Texas; the Crystal Springs Rodeo Xtreme Bulls in Clear Lake, South Dakota; and the Lea County Fair & PRCA Rodeo Xtreme Bulls in Lovington, New Mexico. He won the Bell County PRCA Rodeo in Belton, Texas; Rodeo Killeen in Killeen, Texas; and the Mandan Rodeo Days Xtreme Bulls in Mandan, North Dakota. He won the Wild, Wild West ProRodeo in Silver City, New Mexico; the Red Desert Roundup in Rock Springs, Wyoming; the Wind River PRCA Rodeo Roundup in Riverton, Wyoming; and the Crossett Riding Club 68th Annual PRCA Rodeo in Crossett, Arkansas. He was co-champion at the Redding Rodeo in Redding, California. He also won the PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour championship for the second time.
He won The American Rodeo in Arlington, Texas. He also won the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta.
In the CBR circuit, he won the Navajo Nation CBR in Window Rock, Arizona; the Championship Bull Riding Battle on the Great Plains in Enid, Oklahoma; and the Casa Ford Tuff Hedeman Championship Bull Riding Presented by Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino in El Paso, Texas. He also won his third and final CBR world championship.
As the reigning PRCA world champion bull rider, Kimzey was invited to compete at the 2017 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Velocity Tour Finals on October 28–30 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He successfully rode all four of his bulls and won the event; solidifying himself a spot at the PBR World Finals as a wild-card qualifier on November 1–5, also in Las Vegas. He successfully rode three of his six bulls at the World Finals and finished 12th at the event. He ended up finishing 33rd in the 2017 PBR world standings.
At the NFR, he won Rounds 5 and 10. He split the win in Round 3. He placed in five rounds. He finished first in the average with 601.5 points on seven head. He finished the year ranked first in the world standings. His earnings for the NFR were $436,479.
For two years in a row, Kimzey did things no other bull rider had done. He won his fourth world title in his fourth attempt. He rode 4L and Diamond S Rodeo's Girl Money for an 88-point score to win Round 10 and win the gold buckle in front of 16,954 people. He was now halfway to tying Don Gay's record. He said he is halfway up the mountain and each step is special. Usually by now he had a healthy lead. However, this year he had some injuries, but got things going in the spring. Kimzey also won the NFR average title this year. He had 601.5 points on seven head. Kimzey became the only bull rider to break $400,00 in earnings in a single season. He won $192,134 at the finals to give him a total of $436,479, breaking his own record of $327,178 in 2015."I don't see any reason not to win nine or 10 in a row", Kimzey said. "I've got the talent and drive and ability, and the Lord has blessed me in ways I can't imagine."
2018 season