He didn’t even think to pack his signature cowboy hat.

When freestyle motocross superstar Kenny Bartram set out for Cullman, his only intention was to spend the holidays with his fiancée’s family.

The man known simply as “Cowboy Kenny” brought his bike with him on the trip, but he never thought he’d use it other than on a couple of jumps he and his stepson built with a shovel out on his fiancée’s parents’ farm.

Seeing as the 11-year-old stepson kept begging to go to a track to ride, it was no wonder Bartram reacted the way he did to spotting an announcement Thursday for an Alabama Arenacross Series event that would be held the following night at the Cullman County Agricultural Center.

“I was like, ‘What the heck, I’ve got my bike. Let’s go race,” he said. “It was spur of the moment.”

Bartram, one of the most dominant athletes to ever grace his sport, is a world-famous freestyle motocrosser and rally car racer, but you’d never know it by the entrance he made at Friday night’s event.

“When he came in, he didn’t tell anybody who he was,” said Scott Aaron, who promotes the statewide series with his wife, Paige. “He never asked for any special treatment. He just acted like anybody else who comes up to race.

“Every kid who came to him today, he spent a lot of time with them — signing autographs, giving pictures. He’s one of the nicest guys I ever met to be honest with you. He’s a good ambassador for the sport without a doubt.”

The 33-year-old jumpstarted his career when he was only 7, so he’s seen his fair share of tracks while competing all over the world. Keeping that in mind, it was quite the compliment for him to have said he enjoyed the setup at Cullman’s Ag Center.

“The track was really fun,” Bartram said. “A lot of the local riders were complaining about the whoops (series of small jumps) being too big, but I thought they were the best part.”

The winningest rider in the history of his sport didn’t instantly gain fame overnight. He earned it — by practicing, competing and ascending the ranks until he earned the respect of his peers and eventual fanbase.

Because he knows exactly what it takes to succeed, Bartram can quickly point out talent when he sees it. On Friday night, Jonathan Dove, who won the pro class and is training for the AMA National Arenacross Series, caught the superstar’s eye.

“It’s amazing — anywhere I go across the country, there’s always a fast guy or two,” the freestyler said. “I’m impressed.”

Aaron and the Alabama Arenacross Series hosted another set of races Saturday night and will return to the Ag Center the same days next week, giving Cullman motocross fans and riders a heavy dose of their beloved sport in only a little over a week.

The man who might be more comfortable on a bike than his own two legs resides in Stillwater, Okla. — his hometown — so it’d be easy to assume that’s where Bartram earned the “Cowboy Kenny” nickname, considering Oklahoma State University’s revered mascot.

But it’s not that simple.

First, he said his dad and sister showed quarter horses and appaloosas when he was growing up, so he was always around the four-legged livestock.

Second, Bartram has always listened to country music and chose that genre to play during his runs throughout his career.

“Most of the freestylers are from California — rap, hard rock, low-rider trucks and all that,” he said. “Being from Oklahoma, I drive a stock diesel pickup. I just don’t fit the stereotypical mold.”

And then, there’s the hat.

One day, a former manager of Bartram’s suggested the freestyle king don the one true clothing item that proves a man’s country roots at one of his upcoming events.

“I put on a cowboy hat and it was a pretty natural fit,” he said. “That’s when I became ‘Cowboy Kenny.’”

Even though his fiancée, Kimberly Williams, is a die-hard Auburn fan — “War Eagle,” Bartram said. “I’ve got to throw that in there or I’ll be in trouble.” — the lifelong freestyler has always rooted for his hometown Cowboys. As everyone in Alabama knows, that’s the team the Tide barely edged out to set up a rematch for the BCS title, so it wasn’t much of a surprise for the Stillwater native to have an opinion on the Orange and Black having to settle for a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.

“I’m definitely bummed my hometown team didn’t get a chance to play for the national championship,” Bartram said. “But at the same time, we blew it. We choked to an unranked team. I would have loved to see us go, but it is what it is.”

The sports-world celebrity has been in Cullman for nearly two weeks now. Over that time, he’s gone unnoticed at most of the locations he’s frequented.

Not everywhere, though.

“If I have the cowboy hat on, a lot of people recognize me,” Bartram said. “I could walk into a motorcycle shop and people recognize me. I walk into a Walmart, though, and nobody knows who I am.

It’s a very niche thing. I’m recognizable at a motocross event, but I’m not like Tom Cruise or anything.”

For those frequenting Cullman’s most popular retailer in the near future, think twice about overlooking men wearing cowboy hats. Any one of them just might be “Cowboy Kenny.”

Rob Ketcham can be reached at 256-734-2131, ext. 257 or at robk@cullmantimes.com.