No matter who you are or what you do, there are probably a few things you can learn from John Crimber, the cocky 20-year-old bull rider from Texas. Allow me to share a few observations from the recent PBR Finals.
John Crimber is very sure of himself! He loves riding bulls – and he knows he is great at it! Success in any business or occupation is heavily based on your confidence in yourself and in what you do. If you don’t have an overwhelming passion for what you are doing, then you are probably in the wrong business or occupation.
Two years ago, when John Crimber was an 18-year-old rookie bull rider, he was expected to be the youngest-ever World Champion Bull Rider. He was that good! It came down to the very last ride of the finals. Crimber ended up in the number two position behind 24-year-old Cassio Dias from Brazil. Although young John was a gracious loser, that experience had a major impact on him.
Crimber was sitting comfortably in the number one position for two months prior to the recent 2026 PBR Finals. The world title was in the bag. All he had to do was continue riding over 50% of his bulls. Not wanting to take any chances, Crimber clamped down on his first seven bulls in the PBR Finals. Clamping down, however, is not Crimber’s style. Consequently, he bucked off five bulls and received mediocre scores on the other two.
As a result of playing it safe, Crimber came very close to losing another world championship.
I did not realize how tense and tight Crimber’s first seven rides were until I watched and rewatched videos of his last two rides. While riding his last two bulls – both for round wins – Crimber was having fun! He was loose as a goose. He allowed his body to automatically make the required adjustments for him. Crimber was having fun – and he became a World Champion Bull Rider!
There is a lesson here for all of us – but I am going to focus on John Crimber’s lesson for Old Bears. I consider most (but not all) people over age 60 to be an Old Bear. Did you read the Young Bulls and Old Bears article I shared in last week’s PCC Update? Very few subscribers did. I suspect most are afraid of things that might challenge their preconceived thoughts and ideas. That’s okay because it gives the rest of us a huge competitive advantage!
Typically, we use bulls and bears to describe markets. However, bulls and bears can also be used to describe people in general. People who are considered bullish are more optimistic and aggressive than people who are considered bearish. So, how does age factor into this? Older people, who have more to lose, tend to be much more risk-aversive and bearish than young people who have little to lose and much to gain. Old Bears are afraid to lose what they have.
Instead of making the necessary changes in their operation, Old-Bear cow-calf producers clamp down in an attempt to hold on to what they have acquired. That did not work for John Crimber, and it is not going to work for Old Bears. Old Bears hate change – but change is a fact of life! If unwilling to loosen up and change with the times, Old Bears will gradually lose much of what they have acquired – not leaving much for the next generation.
Quote Worth Re-Quoting
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” ~ Charles Darwin
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