Around the world: Cowboy, tattooist, podcaster, TV personality

Bennett Neil waited until retiring from his boxing career to begin as a cowboy, and hasn’t looked back. “You just get on bulls, and it’s just a blur”.

Muskerry cowboy Bennett Neil has broken nearly every bone in his body chasing his dream, and regrets absolutely nothing.

“Not once during all of it did I ever waver what I wanted to do,” he said.

Bennett Neil started bull riding at about 28 years old. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Bennett, 33, has had 14 surgeries in the five years he’s pursued the rodeo lifestyle.

He said he had known he wanted to be a cowboy since he was little.

“I was going to the Heathcote Rodeo when I was a kid, it was one thing my parents always put money aside for,” he said.

“You just get on bulls, and it’s just a blur. It feels like you nod your head and hit the ground.”

Bennett is the sixth generation on his family property, which has traditionally held sheep, but is now also home to Bennett Ranch, a rodeo arena and a bull herd.

“When you start with panels in a paddock people can’t really see it, so I stopped telling people about the dream and decided it would be better to show them,” he said.

Bennett Neil owns his own rodeo company at Bennett Ranch, he is pictured with Get Jacked. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Bennett just had his first event at Tailem Bend, SA, in partnership with Diamond A Cattle, contracting bulls for different rodeo events.

He has previously hosted three of his own rodeos at his property, including the Victorian bullriding titles which featured 130 bulls bucked.

His passion led to a top-rated rodeo podcast in Australia, reaching number one after just 10 months, titled Broken Bulls and Bullshit. He plans to eventually launch a women-focused podcast, Broken Bridles and Bullshit, with a female host.

Bull rider and breeder Bennett Neil is a famous tattoo artist. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Bennett joined the rodeo scene at 28, after he finished up his boxing career with a final event in Austin, Texas. Meanwhile, he has also been a tattoo artist for more than 15 years.

He’s tattooed in every Australian state and territory, across the United States and Europe, and featured on Channel 10’s Bondi Ink in 2015.

He started with black and grey realism, now focusing on country-style and bull-riding portraits to marry his two interests.

“I got a good portfolio together with my drawings and went to every tattoo shop that would talk to me,” he said.

“I’ve only ever done so much because I’ve never been scared or said no to an opportunity.”

He said his best advice for young people would be to have a go.

“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, at least there’s no questions of ‘maybe I should’ve done that’.”