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Three for the road

Lostroh, Elliott and Koschel go their own way

PUEBLO, Colo. (September 21, 2009) - It’s nearly midnight.

Many of the world’s top professional bull riders are at the official PBR After Party.

But the No. 1 rider on the planet is five miles away. Kody Lostroh is enjoying a late-night meal with Dustin Elliott and Josh Koschel.

As the trio waits on their order, they look over the list of bulls for Round 2 and talk openly about why, for the past three years, they’ve decided to separate themselves from the rest of the riders.

Part of the decision has to do with reserving their room through Priceline, but as Elliott pointed out, it’s also about avoiding “issues outside of the arena.”

It’s about three friends who respect one another, but it also has to do with the maturity of three guys who can trust and depend on one another.

Lostroh laughs, before adding, “I’m obviously the most mature one here so it’s my job to keep these guys in line.”

“Let’s take a vote on that,” said Elliott. “We could definitely be doing better—Josh and I could. You can’t really be doing much better than what he’s doing right now.”

Elliott was, of course, acknowledging the fact that Lostroh has won four Built Ford Tough Series events and is currently atop the world standings. But the 24-year-old from Longmont, Colo., adds, “Actually, I could be doing better.”

“If you look at it,” Elliott said, “each of us are in the Top 20 in points and we’re right up there in money. I don’t know if that’s ability or out-of-the-arena activities. Is that the maturity level that you’re talking about? Put yourself around good people who keep you focused, keep you driving?”

Lostroh and Koschel, both Colorado natives, met and have been friends since they were barely in their teens. The pair met Elliott after he won a PRCA world title and decided to focus on competing in the PBR.

Sure they both joke that they “got stuck with him,” but others have come and gone from the fold.

“I sat in the locker room and I thought either I’m going to be by myself or I’m going to be with these two goons,” said Elliott, of his early exposure to the BFTS.

“He’s a decent travel agent,” joked Lostroh, “really, that’s what it comes down to.”

At the end of the day, it comes down to the trio knowing one another enough to keep from “crossing each other’s boundaries.”

For as much time as they spend together over the course of a season, Elliott said it’s important for them to distance themselves, even on the road.

Each has a role he plays from week to week. Elliott handles the purchase of airline tickets, while Lostroh tends to be the one who reserves their hotel accommodations. In the week leading up to the event in Reno, Elliott was busy working cattle, so it was Koschel who arranged for their flights out of Denver.

They even have a system when it comes to bunking up for the night.

The highest scoring ride gets his own bed and the other two are then left to share. For the record, if Koschel is one of the two left sharing a bed, he prefers the right side.  Both Lostroh and Elliott have been known to give him a hard time about it.

“We talked about this long before,” said Koschel, who according to Elliott got “all bent out of shape” when he was left with the opposite side.

“I thought it was great,” said Lostroh.

While any one of the three can get “pretty fired up” about being bucked off, they have never gotten “fightin’ mad.” However, Lostroh did recall a time when he and Koschel got the best of Elliott.

“It took both of them, but they finally got the remote from me,” said Elliott, who from time to time will annoy his travel partners by watching the Weather Channel.

“He’s watching weather updates for the other side of the country when he’s not even going to go there,” said Koschel.

Added Elliott, who also likes SportsCenter, “It’s because I’m mature and I want to be educated.”

“I like something that’s intense or funny,” Lostroh said. “I really like Funniest Home Videos. I watch the crap out of that when I’m at home. Well, we like pretty much anything that stimulates the brain other than sports and weather.

“We had been watching SportsCenter for like 80 hours so we attacked him. Shortly after he was crying and we had the remote.”

“It took two of ‘em,” Elliott pointed out.

“Actually, it only took me to whip him,” Koschel said, “and Kody to grab the remote.”

The exchange between the three brings laughter. For these friends it always has a way of working out, but it’s a system that is easily thrown off-balance with added travel partners, including wives.

“It’s dang sure easier to keep focused when you don’t have to deal with a million people,” Lostroh explained. “I’m on the record saying this, but I told my wife this too, that I prefer it a lot of the times when she doesn’t come because that’s one more thing that I’m trying to keep up (with) and make sure she’s got what she needs.

“It’s easier when we have more time at the Finals, it’s no big deal, (but) these events where we’re in and we’re out, she’s not enjoying it and I have one more thing to worry about.”

Instead, when left on their own, the trio can focus on one bull, one round, and one event at a time.

Though they have varying riding styles – as an example Lostroh leads with his shoulder, while Elliott does with his chest – all three of them tend to prefer the same types of bulls, which makes it all that much easier for them share their past experiences with one another.

In fact, at one time or another all three used to keep detailed scouting reports.

Elliott laughed at the fact that he took the time to type his out in alphabetical order on his computer, while Koschel recalled that when he was first getting started, he even went so far as to keep detailed notes regarding the practice bulls he rode.

Lostroh said their friendship is built on encouragement, and Elliott concurred, saying that he, for one, gets pumped up when one of the other two ride well, and that the success of his two closest friends works as motivation.

“It’s the atmosphere of being with guys that are doing good,” Lostroh said. “It seems like you raise your, at least for me, I raise my game, too.”

“I think it’s like the Bible says, ‘Iron sharpens iron,’” said Koschel, the quieter of the three, “and I think that’s exactly what we’re doing by hanging around each other, because it makes you even better than what you are.”

News and Notes

Road to Vegas: All roads are leading to Las Vegas! The Built Ford Tough Series is in Springfield this weekend, but at this time of the season the PBR is all about the World Finals, which is Oct. 30 through Nov. 8. Call 866-PBR-SHOW for ticket information or log onto www.unlvtickets.com to order your tickets for what will be one of the tightest finishes for the world title.

Worldwide leader in sports: After reading all the content – Web features, blogs and Podcasts – at www.pbrnow.com, fans can get even more coverage from ESPN by logging onto www.espnbullriding.com.

Tweet, tweet: Be sure to follow the PBR on Twitter at www.twitter.com/teampbr.

—by Keith Ryan Cartwright