Gravity doesn't hold him down

if you saw Erik Wolford in a mall, you'd never guess he is a cowboy.

He doesn't fit the profile: He's 5-4, 135 pounds and most likely grows a scraggly beard just to look older. But Wolford is a cowboy, a tough cowboy.

He's part of the six-city World's Toughest Rodeo tour, which kicks off its 2009 season Saturday in Raleigh to crown the Toughest Cowboy. The action will be chronicled on a reality show produced by Mark Burnett, creator of "Survivor" and "The Apprentice."

Riders compete in three events: bareback riding, saddle-bronc riding and bull riding. Highest aggregate score wins until the final weeks, when a tournament format takes effect.

Wolford, 23, grew up in Michigan, around family and friends who liked to rodeo; yes, it's a verb in this case. His weekday job puts him on the back of more docile animals; he lives in Kentucky horse country and trains thoroughbreds.

Wolford, reached while on tour in Lexington, Ky., was on a horse for the entire phone interview Tuesday.

"I've been on a horse since 5:30 this morning," he said.

He'll be on stage Saturday with 20 other competitors and musical act Whiskey Falls.

And if he falls? He'll get right back on the bull or bronco. It's the cowboy way.

Q: Why be part of World's Toughest Rodeo?

A: Oh, 'cause I ride all three events. It turned out to be a perfect competition for me, I guess.

Q: In one video clip, you were thrown into a Home Depot sign, yet you said it was "nothing major, just some sore muscles." Are injuries like that normal?

A: Yeah, I guess so. You expect injuries, and you get injuries. I guess an injury to me or another guy in this sport isn't the same as an injury to a doctor or lawyer. They'd make a lot bigger deal out of it.

Q: You're one of the smaller competitors. Do you take pride in that?

A: Yeah, I think it helps me a little bit really, being smaller. Gravity doesn't hold me down.

Q: Have you had many broken bones?

A: Yeah, I can probably tally up a lot of them right now. I've broken feet, arms, broke my eye socket, my jaw, my ribs, collarbone, shoulder. My nose. That covers about every part of the body, I guess.

Q: When that happens, do you ever think, "What am I doing?"

A: No, never. I don't know; I have no idea. I just ride.

Q: How do you travel between venues?

A: We just go on our own, drive or fly. In regular rodeo season in the summer, you'll have two or three traveling partners. You don't go home much when you're going hard in rodeo season; it's one state to another. It's a hard season.

Q: So this is good for winter?

A: This is a really good winter deal. It's only on the weekends. You go there and compete and then go home and do what you have to do.

Q: How will the dynamic of the competition change now that the tour is going to be a reality show?

A: I don't know. I don't like the reality show part of it. I don't really care for any of the TV part of it. I just want to ride. That's what I do. ... I hate the damn video cameras.

Q: A clip from the Web site showed you playing guitar and singing. It seems you'd be a natural for the cameras.

A: I hate the cameras. I really don't like 'em. ... It doesn't change nothing. I'm just going to ride the same as I always do. They don't mess me up in competition.

Q: You're not yet 24. How long would you like to do this?

A: I'd like to be able to go into my 40s in the bronc riding. At least saddle bronc ridin', you can have a long career. I'd like to ride as long as I can.

Q: How would you describe the tour for someone who might attend for the first time?

A: I think it's a good family event, for one. I don't know what they charge, probably overcharge people for it, but it's a good time. Any kind of rodeo is fun. You get to see athletes perform.

Q: What would you do if you won the ranch? (The winner gets the deed to a Wyoming ranch.)

A: Get me a little trailer, an Airstream trailer. I don't think it's got a house on it. I'd get me a little camper trailer and live on it.