For many siblings, it's the older brother that paves the way for the younger brother. But for Marvin Begay, 30, it was his younger brother Craig, 26, who inspired his passion for bull riding.
"I swear, when he fell out of my mom, his first words were 'I want to ride a bull,'" Marvin said. "He almost rode his first bull when he was a kid. And from then, it just took off, and that's what he's been doing since."
The brothers are full-blooded Navajo Indians living on the reservation in Rough Rock, Ariz. It wasn't until Marvin's senior year in high school that his curiosity finally got the best of him.
One of his friends had a bull and offered to let Marvin ride him. After seeing how much fun Craig had, he wanted to see what made bull riding so exciting. But he still was skeptical.
"I remember sitting there thinking, 'what in the hell am I doing?'" Marvin said. "The adrenaline and fear was going through me but after I was done I couldn't wait to get back on."
Since then the brothers have been traveling together, sometimes with their middle brother, Christopher, from rodeo to rodeo. In 2010, Craig finished at the top of the standings in the Turquoise Circuit while Marvin was the average winner in the circuit's finals.
Like all riders, Craig and Marvin have a certain amount of fearlessness when it comes to bulls. But their approach to rodeo animals might differ from other competitors.
Thanks to their Navajo upbringing, the Begays were taught to respect the animals they compete on. So before every ride, Craig and Marvin talk to their bulls.
"I think the first time I talked to a bull, I asked it not to hurt me," Craig said. "But I'll tell him my name and try to reassure him that I'm not going to hurt him. They listen."
In addition to riding bulls, Marvin makes bull ropes and Craig does welding work. And once their careers are finished, they want to go back to school and get into the education field because both their parents are educators.
Despite the hazards and injuries - Craig sports a fresh scar on his left cheek from going head-to-head with a bull last month - their passion for bull riding is still strong.
"I always felt the day I was scared to get on a bull was the day I would stop riding," Marvin said. "But for now, the passion is still there, so we'll keep going with it and we'll see what happens."
