Raymond Mayo, 17, of Clearlake will be a senior at Lower Lake High School this coming school year. 

But before he gets back to class, he’ll be headed in the National Finals Rodeo July 16 to 22 in Gillette, Wyo.

He qualified by placing third in the state finals earlier this month in Bishop.

When it comes to big competitions, this isn’t his first rodeo, so to speak.

He’s a three-time qualifier for national competition for bull riding. In 2013 he competed at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Gallup, New Mexico, as Lake County News has reported.

In the video interview with videographer John Jensen, shown above, Mayo describes his experiences, his approach to bull riding and why he does it, and his plans for the future.