Born with a cleft soft pallet, Jock had an operation at six months that went pear-shaped, collapsing both lungs and almost killing him.

Maybe that's part of what makes him tough enough for bull riding, a sport most adults would be terrified of tackling.

Jock is getting ready to take on the premier rodeo event in the US, training to stay on the beasts for eight seconds in front of a TV audience of millions.

The Glen Innes primary school student will compete in the Junior Roughstock World Finals, which are held side-by-side with the NFR world finals from December 4-10.

And he will be one of the younger competitors there, exactly three days older than the minimum age cutoff.

To qualify, he won bullriding events in Inverell, Lightning Ridge, Bingara and Narrabri (where he was equal first), and came second at a Gunnedah event. He had the highest total score after the five events.

Competitors his age tend to ride either horses, poddy calves or mini-bulls, but it's still rodeo and injuries still happen.

Working in the x-ray at Glen Innes Hospital, Jock's mum Camilla has seen more than her fair share of broken bones on other people's kids.

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"I used to be really nervous," she said of watching Jock compete.

Her other son Eddie, 12, has been injured in the sport before. She remembers him being hung up and dragged around an arena.

She had a "mother moment and panicked" but he was fine.

"I asked him, 'Is that scary'. And he said, 'No mum, I loved it. I want to do it again'. That was not the answer I was looking for."

Jock has also taken knocks. He broke a bone while steer riding, only to get back on the horse and place. He barely even complained.

"Jock is just one of those kids where when he gets it in his head and puts his mind to it, he will do it," said Camilla.

"When Jock says he's hurt you've sort of got to take notice because it could be serious."

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The Maxwells are "horse people" who three years ago moved to Glen Innes from Scone, and Jock's precocious interest in the bull sport is bit of a surprise to the family.

However, his father Lachlan has been involved with the Campdraft and Rodeo Association for many years.

And Camilla said he was hooked after his first-ever ride, in Bingara two years ago.

"He didn't want to do it, and his brother and I talked him into it," she said.

"He locked himself in a caravan and was scared. But he did it because his big brother did - they look after each other.

"He rode time and I think he got a place, so he went home with a ribbon and prize money."

Sine then, Camilla said her boy had displayed "no fear" competing.

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