Most South Jersey kids spend their summers on baseball diamonds or at the beach. But for brothers Keagan and Brogan Santana, summer weekends are spent climbing onto the backs of bucking bulls and chasing 8-second rides.
The Mays Landing brothers have become rising stars in the rodeo world, earning championships, traveling across the country and proving that you don’t have to grow up in Texas to become a bull rider.
“They are just kids who absolutely love riding bulls,” said their father, Nick Santana. “I don’t know if it’s the notoriety, the adrenaline rush or a little bit of both.”
The boys’ journey into rodeo began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many traditional youth sports were canceled. While other children were sidelined, the Santanas leaned into their family’s farm and western lifestyle.
The brothers actually started much earlier, riding sheep at just 4 years old before progressing to steers, mini bulls and eventually full-sized bulls.
The boys father entered the rodeo competition world himself at a young age as a bullfighter, but when serious internal injuries sidelined him, Nick became his sons’ biggest fan.
Today, 15-year-old Keagan competes in professional bull riding circuits against grown men, while 12-year-old Brogan has already established himself as one of the country’s top young riders.
This spring, Brogan won a national title in Fort Worth, Texas. Both brothers also championed their divisions in the New Jersey High School Rodeo Association finals, with Keagan winning the high school bull riding championship and Brogan taking the junior high title.
The brothers have also competed at the Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas for the past four years. Last year, Brogan finished eighth in the world.
For Keagan, stepping into professional competitions has been a confidence booster.
“He’s competing against grown men, but he realizes that he fits in,” his father said.
Bull riding may seem simple on television—stay on for eight seconds and hang on for dear life—but the sport is far more complicated.
Riders must stay aboard for eight seconds before receiving a score. Half of the score is based on the rider’s control and technique, while the other half comes from the bull’s performance.
“You want a decent bull that will perform for you and that you can ride in order to get a decent score,” Nick explained. “The sport can be absolutely crazy.”
In fact, the amount of time riders actually spend on the backs of bulls is surprisingly short.
“If we have a phenomenal week, the boys might ride 24 seconds total,” Nick said. “But you could spend almost a week in Las Vegas and go home empty-handed.”
Between school and baseball and summer camps, Keagan and Brogan make sure to practice bullriding at home. The family invested in a manually-operated mechanical bull on their property, so the boys can go over techniques and skills. Nick also highlighted how physically demanding the sport can be, so he encourages his sons to work out regularly.
Despite the risks for injury, the brothers remain undeterred.
“It’s not about if you get hurt, it’s about when,” their father said. Fortunately, the boys have escaped major injuries, although Keagan suffered a slight concussion last year and both have accumulated plenty of bumps and bruises.
The family invests heavily in safety equipment, purchasing the same helmets worn by professional riders. Brogan also said that the family trusts in a guardian angel to protect them from serious harm.
As for future ambitions, Keagan hopes to continue climbing the professional ranks, eventually earning his professional card to compete at Cowtown Rodeo and one day reaching the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s biggest stage. “That’s my top goal,” he said. “To make it to the NFR.”
Brogan, meanwhile, is following closely in his older brother’s footsteps. Because they compete in the same sport, the brothers understand one another in a way few siblings can.
“When we’re going through something, we both know what it feels like to be there,” Brogan said.
Before each ride, they help one another focus. “We consider the mechanics and keep our heads clear,” he said. “We know it’s dangerous, but we think about what we have to do to win.”
The brothers also want people to understand that bull riding is often misunderstood. One common misconception is that the bulls are mistreated. “These bulls are bred to buck,” Keagan explained. “They enjoy it. It’s not something they’re forced to do.”
He also notes that the spurs riders wear are not sharp and are used simply to help maintain grip and balance.
While South Jersey isn’t exactly known as a rodeo hotbed, the Santanas have found a tight-knit community of fellow riders throughout the region.
“There is a bull riding community in South Jersey,” Nick said. “It’s not huge by any means, but it’s pretty great.”
For the Santana family, the sport has become more than a hobby. It’s a way of life filled with road trips, belt buckles, sold-out arenas and unforgettable memories.
As the brothers prepare for more competitions in New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia—and another trip to Las Vegas—one thing is certain: the boys from Mays Landing are proving that even in South Jersey, cowboy dreams can thrive.
For Keagan and Brogan Santana, every ride begins the same way: the gate swings open, a powerful animal explodes from the chute and eight seconds can change everything.
Sarah Fertsch of Egg Harbor Township holds a Bachelors of Arts in Public Relations. She is a locally renowned poet, storyteller, and dog lover.
