Kriti Mehrotra
With Hulu’s ‘Not Her First Rodeo’ following five remarkable women as they navigate the world of rodeos and risk their lives for a shot at a championship buckle, we get an insight into the fast-paced world of professional bull riding. These five women are all pros under the banner of the Jorden Halvorsen-established Elite Lady Bull Riding, and all of them have two goals: to be the best in the business and inspire other girls to take up the sport too. Amongst them is none other than Texas native Catalina Langlitz, who has truly managed to achieve wonders despite her young age.
A Difficult Childhood Shaped Catalina Langlitz’s Resilience
Although primarily raised in Galveston, Texas, Catalina Langlitz is a proud native of Salado, Texas, which is where her father, professional bull rider Joseph Langlitz, hails from. According to her account, she knew from an early age that things were financially tight in their household, which is why there was even a period when she, her siblings, and her mother moved to Galveston to reside with her grandmother. Her father had to remain behind to continue working, but it’s a period of her life she doesn’t look back on fondly, despite her being just a toddler back then. Catalina alleged that her mother was never nice to her, claiming she was verbally as well as physically abusive. As alleged in the aforementioned show, she said her father never really knew about it. In fact, she claims there was once a time when her mother was talking on the phone and she accidentally pressed a button which disconnected the call, so she was immediately backhanded.
Catalina further alleged that though her mother apologized to her for overreacting at the time, it wasn’t an isolated incident, claiming that she was at the receiving end of several such slaps and even verbal reprimands. However, Catalina added, she could never tell her father any of it, despite them often talking on the call, because her mother was always standing right beside them, listening to everything being said. So, when the latter passed away, all Catalina remembers feeling is a sense of relief. She expressed that she was sad because her father was sad, but on a personal level, she felt as if she could finally breathe. All of this really shaped her into a resilient individual, though, which became even stronger once she found her passion and solace in riding horses as well as bulls, just like her kind, loving, supportive father.
Catalina Langlitz’s Strength Remains Unshaken Even After a Terrible Injury
Catalina Langlitz was merely 10 when she began riding bulls competitively after Joseph encouraged her just once to give it a chance, and she fell in love with it almost immediately. In fact, she won her first bull riding championship just a year later at the age of 11, only to continue honing her skills, her routine, and her drive in the years to follow. That’s how she ended up becoming the Women’s Bull Riding Organization’s (WBRO’s) 2021 World Champion and the 2022 Women’s Champion at not only Bulls on the Beach but also Eastland. Little did she know that her whole world would turn upside down that same year – the woman who had started on sheep when she was little, before facing bulls, finally realized the extent of the dangers that came with riding bulls when she faced a catastrophic injury.
Catalina was competing in a Rodeo in Mexia, Texas, in late June 2022 when her father surprised her, only for her to suddenly have a gut feeling that something was terribly wrong. “There is a little bit of a superstition to my routine, and if my routine is thrown off, the ride doesn’t usually end up going well,” she has admitted. So when her father helped her in her routine, she began feeling as if he was taking over, and it threw her off to such an extent that she couldn’t focus on her ride. This resulted in her being bucked off almost immediately, just for the bull to then stomp on her – she had a lacerated liver, 4 broken ribs, and a punctured lung, and in the heat of the moment, she did openly blame her father.
Despite being rushed to the hospital, Catalina’s situation became severe when she slipped into a coma, and when she awoke, she felt as if her career was over because of how much her body had changed. Nevertheless, once she realized she was having a pity party for herself, she decided to prove herself wrong and worked hard to not only relearn how to walk but also regain her strength and get back on a bull again. It took her a lot of time, and there are days when she still feels a little doubtful over her abilities and confidence, but she doesn’t let it take over her; instead, she works through it because she knows she is a great rider. After all, mere months after her hospital release, she became the Women’s Champion at Henrietta UPRA Clay County Pioneer Reunion 2023. Her hard work has always paid off.
Aside From Being a Rider, Catalina is a Family Woman, Student, and Vet Technician
Although the days, weeks, and months after Caralina’s injuries were difficult, the fact that her father was always by her side proved precisely how much he cares and supports her, which made her realize she had said things she didn’t mean. She has since apologised to him for every harsh word, and they took their time to talk things through to not just repair their relationship but make it stronger than ever. It’s evident that she is proud to be his daughter just as much as he is proud of being her dad. In fact, because she never shares her accomplishments herself in an attempt to lead a rather private, quiet life, he often uses his social media platforms to do so himself. Their relationship is truly admirable.
Apart from all this, it’s imperative to note that Catalina has been an animal lover all her life. After she earned her associate’s degree, she enrolled to earn a Bachelor’s in Animal Science. Furthermore, the former employee of an animal feed firm by the name of Brenham Produce Company is now a proud equine veterinary technician at Dr. T’s Equine Clinic and Elgin Veterinary Hospital. This is the path the 22-year-old camper van residing professional bull rider has carefully carved out for herself, and she seems perfectly content with it in every way, shape, and form. We should also mention that whenever this Salado, Texas, native is not traveling across the nation competing in rodeos, studying, or working, she prefers to spend time with her father as well as go roping and hiking with her beloved fur baby, Cano.
