Bull-riding takes center stage in Bullskin
BULLSKIN TWP. – Thirteen riders mounted bulls for the bull-riding contest Wednesday at the 74th annual Bullskin Township Community Fair. Only one stayed on for the entire eight seconds.
Jamison Poorbaugh of Bullskin Township took first place in the event, winning a silver belt buckle and $440 in cash. Poorbaugh, who has been riding bulls for about 10 years, said the activity is not for novices.
“Although every now and then you get hurt, it’s still fun,” said Poorbaugh. “If it wasn’t fun, no one would do it. I was probably 21, 22 or 23 when I started.”
Poorbaugh’s wife, Jill, said she doesn’t worry about him, reasoning that he could get killed at an intersection just as easily as on a bucking bull.
“When it’s your time, it’s your time,” she said. “I’m just glad that we have two daughters and not two sons.”
Poorbaugh said the first time his mother saw him ride was in Harrisburg, and she ran outside the arena crying.
Poorbaugh said he has participated in rodeos in Virginia, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
He also had some advice for aspiring bull riders: “Don’t give up. Just keep trying. You don’t learn how to do something like this overnight. It takes a lot of practice, although I have to say that it comes to everyone different. I’ve known guys who were good from the time they started, and I’ve known guys that it took five years before they got good enough to stay up.”
The other 12 riders who scored no time were Jason Kelley, Bob Phillips Jeffery Means, Chad Clark, Michael Bashioum, Aron Barnhart, Don Shoemaker, Mark Kohler, Jim Queer, Keith Shirey Jr., Tom McClarran and Bill Madeya.
No locations or addresses were given on the 12 participants, according to Bill Minick, who has been in charge of the rodeo for the last 40 years.
Minick said that since the fair board had only 13 bull riders entered this year, they ran the bull-riding event first.
“These guys and gals sure look forward to the rodeo,” said Minick. “This year we have 20-head of cattle ready for penning. We always have a really big crowd for this event, because it seems like everybody likes to see the cowboys and cowgirls perform.”
Minick said the fair board generally sees about 2,500 people in the bleachers. Another big draw is demolition derby, which will be held tonight at 7:30.
B.J. Trout of Donegal was the only participant in the bronco-riding event. Trout managed to stay on for the full eight seconds and won $140 and a silver belt buckle for his efforts.
Eight women/girls participated in the first part of the Girls Goat Tie Contest. Although the second half had not participated by press time, Cherrie Caldwell had the best time out of the first eight at 34.43 seconds.
Other participants were Jody Miller, Kate Willis, Daris Ohler, Kacie King, Sarah Snyder, Tammy O’Neal, Laurie Colello, Sandi Boring, Emily Cockowski, Ellen Mares, Tammy Henry, Nikki Richter, Karen Harrer, Jane Duncan and Jodi Forbes.
The object of this contest is to see who can ride a horse, jump off, wrestle a goat to the ground and tie its legs together the fastest. According to Minick, the goat must stay tied for at least five seconds.
Other fair favorites include the tractor-pulling contest, slated for Friday at 7:30 p.m., and a second demolition derby, set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday events include the garden-tractor pull at 9 a.m., the tractor dead-weight pull at 10 a.m. and the kids pedal-tractor pull at 1:30 p.m.