Country boys and girls know not to mess with a mean old man.
But there are times when they are going to test their mettle and ride that bull anyway. While some may just jump on a bull the first time hoping for the best, that’s a safe dive into the ground. And that might come with an extra kick or two from an angry, angry bull.
That’s why it’s smart to find a real, honest bull riding school to learn from someone who has ridden the toughest, baddest bulls out there. Let a real Wyoming cowboy show you the backcountry rules you need to know before you hop on the back of a real cowboy.
There was recently such a school in Worland, with champion professional bull rider Mike Lee of Texas.
It was something impromptu and unique, put together by Jessica Butterfield, who told Cowboy State Daily that she has many cowboys and young girls calling to her ranch looking for bull riding practice at Brahma Mama’s Bucking Bulls Ranch.
Butterfield supplies bulls to several smaller rodeos throughout Wyoming each summer, and she has even tried riding a bull herself once or twice.
“It wasn’t that hot,” he admitted. “But I’m still a big fan of PBR and I love watching it.”
One thing Butterfield learned during his recent bull riding school is that he wasn’t doing anything right when it came to riding a bull.
And that was the goal of having the school, which he hopes to do again at some point if it can be fixed. While he has no ambition to ride a bucker today, she would have loved something like this when he was about 17, trying to ride one of the Brahmas he brought to the Cowboy State.
“I loved Brahmas and was sad that there weren’t any here,” he said.
The 8 most dangerous seconds
Bull Riding has been considered the most dangerous 8 seconds of any sport.
A rider climbs atop an unhappy bull that weighs almost as much as a car, then holds on with one hand to a rope tied behind the bull’s front legs.
That other hand?
He clings to a handful of sky. Despite all instincts to the contrary, it cannot be used to hold on to the rope. Heck, he can’t even touch the bull or the rider is disqualified.
This while a 1,500-pound-plus animal swings its body weight like an erratic acrobat: twisting, spinning, leaping, sinking, every ounce determined to throw its rider to the ground.
Brahma bulls are typically Brahmas, selected for having the worst temperament and tenacity possible.
Raging bulls also often go by colorful, outlaw names, and that’s true of Butterfield bulls.
There’s Beer Money, for example, which is unwieldy enough that the cowboys know they’ll at least get “beer money” if they can stick around.
Then there are bulls like Too Sober, whose name is related to pedigree. His DNA goes back to a famous wrestler, Stone Sober, known for being pretty bad even on the slides, let alone in the sand.
“Over time, they all get names,” Butterfield told Cowboy State Daily. “Like my bull Wine and Dine. “He’s always crying about food or eating, so I thought that was the perfect name for him.”
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Rural route rules for bulls
Bull riding schools use an organized and safe process to teach aspiring riders what to do and how to behave around a bull before getting on it.
“They started out as a mechanical barrel,” photographer David Huber told Cowboy State Daily. “They had to practice that first and Lee gave them tips and tricks on how to hold on, how to lock your legs and everything else.”
After that, they try the techniques on broncs, which are closer to what a bull does.
Only after demonstrating good skills were they allowed to try bulls, and only bulls that matched their level of experience.
In fact, Lee did not let any of the approximately 16 students advance beyond the mechanical barrel until he was satisfied he had mastered all the techniques, said Domanic Hartley, one of the students.
“He was tough on us,” Hartley said. “If a kid made a mistake and wasn’t doing it right, he would keep them in that barrel. He kept making me try until I figured it out.”
But that was just what Hartley was looking for, because he knows that when he steps into the ring to ride a bull, that bull will give him no quarter. They will abandon him if he makes any mistakes, and the cost of that can be quite high.
That creates a mentality that the cowboy has to fight to ride the bull well, and that mentality is also covered in school.
“You’ll be a little scared, a little nervous,” Hartley said. “You just have to put that in the back of your head and say OK, no matter who I think I am, I’m not tougher than this bull. But I’ll sit here and think I’m tougher than this bull. And I’m going to come down and show you who’s boss.”
Those 8 seconds may go by quickly for the spectators in the stands, but Hartley said they can seem like an eternity for the cowboy riding the bull. The mental game has to remain strong at all times.
Fix errors
Hartley also learned what he had been doing wrong during some of his rodeo rides that didn’t go well.
His free hand was too far forward.
“Your arm will determine your chest and the direction of your shoulders,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “And wherever your shoulders go, that’s where you’ll end up going. So if you can keep those shoulders straight on that bull, you’ll have a better chance of riding him, rather than putting your arm across your face and rolling your shoulders.”
Once Lee was satisfied with Hartley’s form, the 23-year-old was able to try a bull named Christmas Nuts for a solid mount. He then had to try a much tougher bull named Hondo.
“He gave me a good yank and hit me on the head,” Hartley said. “He put me on the ground pretty quickly, so my form still needs to improve. But you know, with every bull you climb, you’re getting better and better. “Just keep trying and working at it.”
Hartley plans to continue practicing everything he learned during school as he prepares for another summer bull hunting season.
“I feel like he taught me everything he could teach me,” Hartley said. “And now it’s my turn to put it into practice. “He really helped me and showed me some things that will help me ride and get to the next level.”
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
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