Bull riding

We thought we’d left cowboy land - how mistaken. We went to a local bull riding event. Everyone was wearing cowboy hats and country music was blasting out of speakers. We sat and watched people getting thrown off from jumping bulls. People tied a rope around the lower belly of the bull. The rope annoys the bull and makes it buck as a result (hence the name - bucking rope). The older bulls in the more experienced category just know their job. They violently buck when they feel the rider on their back and just stop the second the guy is on the floor. Riders need to stay a minimum of 8 seconds on the bull to qualify. (You never knew 8 seconds could be so long). A jury then grades those who made the 8 seconds. Riders are graded on how violent the bull was and how well they stood on. Rider can only hold on with one hand to a rope that is tied around the front part of the bull’s trunk. The other hand must stay in the air and never touch anything. Several riders were disqualified for touching the bull or even their hat with the second hand. 

The best part of the event was the ‘calf riders’ with kids are young as 6 years old trying to stay on bucking calves. As weird as this sound, this was very cute. Next to us a couple was having a fight because their son said he wanted to sign up for the calf riding. The mum was horrified but the dad was pretty supportive of his son. Then we realised the mum wasn’t upset about the concept of her kid doing bull riding but because the boy was just about5 years old and the minimum required to ride is actually 6 years old.