Rodeo pits man against beast in thrilling test of wills
Bulls stand lazily inside a makeshift, metal fence. Their eyes don’t reveal the nervousness or excitement found in that of the cowboys, who stretch on the other side of the metal bars. They adjust their Stetsons, fasten their chaps and secure the glove on their riding hand.
Thursday night’s rodeo at the Fayette County Fair marked the second local appearance for the Broken B Rodeo Company. In an event sanctioned by the International Bull Riders, the “Boys and Bulls Rodeo” showcased professional bull riders as well as some of the country’s top bulls from Professional Bull Riders Inc. (PBR).
“Everybody gets on one bull,” said Tracy English, owner of the Broken B Rodeo Company. “The top six scorers come back for what we call the short round.”
In order to score, the riders must stay on at least eight seconds. The rider obtains two scores, one for his performance and the other for how the bull bucks. These two scores combine to create the final score.
Among some of the professional bull riders stood a few familiar faces from the area. Matthew Shrader and Kevin Wilson will enter their junior years at Albert Gallatin Area High School in a few short weeks.
Until then, they have a few more bulls to ride.
These 16-year-olds have spent the summer riding in various rodeos and attending two rodeo schools to hone their skills. Thursday marked their first professional rodeo.
Shrader is ranked fifth in the Western Pennsylvania Youth Rodeo Association Finals. He rode a bull named Blueberry Blizzard in the first round Thursday night.
Wilson obtained a spot in Thursday’s short round, where he rode a bull, Fear Dot Com, that he’d watched on television.
“We both rode PBR bulls tonight, something we’ve never done before,” said Wilson. “It’s the most ranked bulls and most ranked cowboys.”
This duo has had an interest in bull riding from watching the sport on television. They started training together to ride in their first rodeo in April.
“Bull riding is all about a mental game,” said Shrader. “You have to want it more than anything in the world. You pretty much dedicate yourself to the sport.”
As these Smithfield friends leave their farms to travel from one rodeo to the next, they hope to make a name for themselves and eventually earn a spot on PBR.
These summer months have shown them that making a career out of bull riding requires support from family and friends. Shrader credited his parents and grandparents not only for their sponsorship but for encouraging him to pursue his dreams.
Life as a professional bull rider can have drastic ups and downs, depending on how well a rider does in each competition. As long as they consistently make their eight-second mark and score well, they will win the cash prizes and be able to continue paying for entry fees in other rodeos. However, if they fall into a slump, they might not have the financial means to continue with the sport.
Professional bull rider Cody Nash from Victoria, Texas, said he feels fortunate to have the opportunity to move from rodeo to rodeo and ride bulls. As the 26-year-old tries to make a name for himself riding bulls, he works with his father in an educational program entitled “Bullying Hurts.”
While he works up in the rankings, Nash has had to travel all over the United States, sometimes driving through the night for his dedication to the sport.
“I’ve been able to see the most beautiful parts of America through my windshield,” he said. “Last year, I crossed the United States six times.”
This type of lifestyle places a burden on him as well as his family and close friends, he said, and he needs their support to help him continue living out his dream. Often, he calls them in the middle of the night to help him stay awake while driving, he said.
“It’s a very unique lifestyle,” said Nash. “You trade in the comforts of a normal life for complete freedom.”
Nash has spent most of his childhood around the sport because his father worked as a rodeo clown.
“For people who are raised in the sport, it’s very much a family-oriented sport,” he said. “It’s difficult to raise a family in this sport because you’re gone all the time, but it can show a kid the world.”
His father put him on his first calf at age 4. Nash said he rode it to the fence before falling off. When his father asked him if he wanted to do it again, he could only nod and offer a pitiful, “Yeah.”
His parents forced him to take a few years off from riding bulls because they wanted him to experience other activities in high school. He played football and became the state national officer in the FFA.
During his college years at Texas Tech University, Nash returned to bull riding. Because he had taken a few years off, he felt out of practice compared to the other riders, so he spent his weekends getting on 10 to 15 bulls.
Most of the bulls he practiced on were too old or young for rodeo use. However, Nash said they created an ideal atmosphere for practicing his free hand and body positioning because they moved slower than bulls he would meet at competitions. With them, he learned how to react instinctively to the bulls’ bucks.
“From the stands, it looks like it’s happening real fast,” said Nash. “When you’re riding good, it all seems to happen in slow motion.”
Before each rodeo, Nash ritually checks his equipment and stretches, in an effort to put his mind at ease. In fact, he wears the same high-kneed socks under his jeans each time. (He made a point of mentioning that he does wash the socks after each rodeo.)
The adrenaline pumps through his veins as the gate opens, and although too much of it can tighten muscles, he said the right amount helps.
“Adrenaline is like a faucet,” said Nash. “You don’t want it to leak out. When the gate opens, you want it to burst out.”
Even though he has spent most of his life around rodeos and learning to ride bulls, Nash said he still has a few butterflies. “I think if you’re not just a little bit nervous, it’s dangerous,” said Nash. “You’ve got to have respect for the animal’s size and strength.”
Bull riders of every caliber recognize the danger involved in this sport. Both Shrader and Wilson agreed with Nash in saying that it’s not a matter of when a rider gets hurt, but how badly.
Nash said he has had broken ribs and two knee surgeries. Once, a bull ran him over from behind and knocked out his front teeth. Despite this, he rode again the next evening.
“A person knows in their heart that it’s what they want to do,” he said. “If it’s not in you’re heart, you’d do best to watch because of the danger involved.”