What's in a Name?

A few weeks ago, while watching the PBR event from Des Moines, Iowa, I became fascinated by bull names.  I don’t know why, but 3 bulls in particular got my attention.  First was David’s Dream aka Black Widow.  This bull was renamed in honor of the late David Weisner from Lufkin Ranch and Rodeo.  The other two bulls were Snortin’ Loco and Loco’s Big Guns.  I just thought Snortin’ Loco was a great name for a bull!  Come to find out that these bulls are out of Locomotive Breath, thus the tribute “loco”.

So it got me to thinking, how fun would it be to search out reasons for bull names!  This is what I’ve found, so far.  Let’s start out with Buckey.

W1 Buckey

A while back I wrote a blog piece on Buckey, but never asked owner Craig Wentz what was behind the name.  This is what he shared with me recently.  “When Buckey was a yearling calf, we took a set of calves to Arlington, Oregon for a Junior event.  On the way, a friend called and wanted names for the calves.  My son was 9 and a huge baseball fan, and he wanted to call his calf “Ichiro”.  At that time, the first baseman for the Seattle Mariners was Bucky Jacobson, and my daughter was 7 and she wanted to name the red calf “Buckey”.   I’m pretty sure we had either been to a Mariner’s game or were planning on going to one.  As soon as she said the name, it made sense.  We knew at that time, he really wanted to buck!”

Keith Strickland, who is partners with Dale Folds, K-C Bucking Bulls and Sparklin' Acres, shared his strategy.  “I have a folder on my phone titled “Bull Names” so when I hear something, or see signs on the road, I like to put it down.  When I need a name, I refer to it.  I usually don’t change the name of a bull I purchase, but on ones I raise I try to name it something that is easy.  If it advances to the PBR level, the name will be recognizable, easy and quick for the announcers to say.  Our group [partners listed above] have a couple of 3 year olds that have the names of Trampas.  This came from the TV show “Big Valley”, Doug McClure's character, and it fits them.  We have a Cool Spot son that I named Tupelo Spot.  I’m a big Elvis fan and [Tupelo] was [Elvis’] birthplace.  I also try to use a bull’s lineage to make up a name.”

Keith’s partner, Kenny McElroy of K-C Bucking Bulls told me these naming stories.  “Rusty Nail was just Rusty when we got him.  We had to keep him alone at first, and when we finally turned him out, he went to the fence post and started digging in the dirt.” Kenny made it a point to tell me that he is a stickler for making sure nails and things are NOT left behind when repairing fence!  “Rusty  is digging and finds a nail and it gets stuck in his horn.  I had to pull it out, thus the name change”.

King Lopez

“King Lopez was originally Senor Lopez.  He was crazy and wild as a youngster.  He still never stands still, never stops [moving].”  Kenny explained to me that he has a big dirt pile in the yard for the bulls to play in.  “Lopez climbed to the top of the dirt pile and would stand there.  He would paw the ground whenever another bull came around.  My wife Cristy looked out the window and said he’s standing there like king of the mountain!”  Thus, the change to King Lopez.  (I personally thinks that fits him much better!)

Two other bulls K-C owns are Uppercut and Smoke Stack.  Uppercut was named that because of his gigantic horns and the fact that he would uppercut a cowboy (like a boxer’s punch) when he went after him.  Smoke Stack was originally Spade, but Kenny changed the bull’s name because, he too, has big beautiful horns that look like the smoke stacks on an 18-wheel semi truck.

“Pop Gun’” from the Ruthless Pistol Ranch:
When PBR bull rider Pistol Robinson was doing youth rodeos and started going by the name “Pistol” (instead of his God-given name Caleb), another bull rider named Matt Austin started calling him “Cap Gun” instead of “Pistol”.  Fast-forward to 2009 and the Million Dollar Bucking Bull draft that Exclusive Genetics held at the World Finals, in Las Vegas.  Pistol was busy competing and doing his duties (autograph signings, appearances, etc) so Darrell (Pistol’s Dad) had to represent Pistol at the draft.  Darrell actually picked the bull.  Darrell swore up and down that he was going to name him “Skid Mark” since he had been the one to show up and represent the ranch.  He told everyone who would listen that the bull’s name was Skid Mark while he was there.  However a couple weeks after the draft, Billy Janyes (from Exclusive Genetics) called him up and asked if they were really naming the bull Skid Mark?  (Billy was doing paperwork from the draft.)  Darrell said no, but had to think quickly when Billy asked for the bulls real name.  Darrell remembered how Matt used to call Pistol “Cap Gun”, so he thought about naming it that.  Then Darrell thought “well, since I picked him out, and I’m Pistol’s Pop, just put down “Pop Gun” for the record.”  And there you have it.

Lance Bloyd of Bloyd Bucking Bulls explained their strategy of naming bulls.  “We name our bulls Bloyd 101, Bloyd 102, etc. and when they do something worthy of a name, we will change [it then].  Winchester’s Image is the only bull we’ve had make it to the PBR.  He was named after his sire, A22 Spittin’ Image and his momma, 22 Winchester Girl.
In the past we’ve sold our bulls off young.  Our 2011 calf crop will be the first set we keep around.  (The bulls you see on our [web]site were all purchased and named by Don and Janelle Kish.  Our 2011 bulls will all be named after their Daddy, Cash Prize, in one form or another.”

“Chicken off the Chain” owned by Southern Legend Cattle Company’s David-Hollywood Flores, was named for his famous father, “Chicken on a Chain”.  But as David explained, “off the chain means getting out of jail, and [it seemed to fit the young bull] since he broke out of the pen one day.”  From what I understand, he also gets that trait from his father!

Charlie Bullware

Charlie Bullware’s co-owner, Jan Chadwick, shared this great story about how the golden bull got his name.  “When Charlie Bullware was born, my cousin and I were in the midst of doing genealogy research. He's named after my grandpa's cousin Charlie Boulware.  I always heard stories about Charlie Boulware when my dad was a little boy, and how he would come and help out my grandpa, but then he would never leave.  It used to make my grandma mad.  She would tell my grandpa, "if you don't send Charlie packin', I won't provide you any 'favors' anymore!"  And off Charlie would go until next time!  Charlie Boulware had a heart of gold but was an obstinate man that would hang around wherever he could work and be fed.  So I thought that would be a good name for our bull calf.  I changed the spelling to reflect an animal, hence, Charlie Bullware :)
Julio used to tease me about that name but now he says I need to name our new bull calf something "good" like Charlie Bullware because they all remember that name.” 

Charlie Boulware (Photo courtesy of Jan Chadwick)

Last, but certainly not least, Ty Rinaldo owner of TZ Bucking Bulls told me that he has a a bull #10 Diez.  Diez, in Spanish, is ten.  Ty also explains, “As a firefighter, I try to use some fire names.   Tower 59, Biohazard, Flashover (PBRF) and Haz Mat.  I named one “Sister Kisser”, [because] to get on him was as much fun as kissing your ugly sister!”

What a fun experience it has been to collect these stories, and see how individual’s family history, a bull’s lineage, a famous person or a street sign can become the inspiration for the name of a bucking bull.  I hope to keep digging and find some more great stories to share about strategies for naming these wonderful animals!!

I would like to thank Craig Wentz, Keith Strickland, Kenny McElroy, Darrell Robinson & Carley Tucker, Lance Bloyd, David-Hollywood Flores, Jan Chadwick and Ty Rinaldo for each sharing their time and stories with me. 





Photographs by Susan Hanrahan, unless noted.