A New Look for the New Year!

As 2012 comes to a close, I look back at the many bulls and their people I met over this past year.  One such bull was Bad Blake, now named Joe's Boot Shop Bad Blake, and his handler Reece Arnold of Wolf Creek Cattle Company.  Earlier this month, I wrote a blog about Wolf Creek Cattle.  I've followed them on Facebook and Twitter, and I received a tweet before Christmas about a story Reece wanted to tell me about Bad Blake. So here goes...

Part way thru the 2012 season Bad Blake was seeming to have issues with one of his feet.  He was taken to Bull doctor extraordinaire, Dr. Gary Warner, in Elgin, Texas.  Dr. Warner checked out his foot and said there was no problem with the foot.  But Reece had noticed something else and asked Dr. Warner to look at the other issue too.  Reese had noticed that Bad Blake was fussing in the chutes, shaking his head around and hitting it on the gate.  Thought it could be a horn infection...and sure enough, it was.

Reece explained to me that when a bull gets a horn infection he will shake his head, have increased drainage from his nose and that the horn actually smells due to the infection.  The horn leads in to the sinus cavities and brain, so it is really serious and these infections must be treated properly.

Dr. Warner kept Bad Blake and worked on the horn, but after the Clovis, NM Touring Pro event in November, Bad Blake was going to back to Dr. Warner for a full removal of the infected horn.  Surgery went well, and Bad Blake is healed up.  Reece picked him up yesterday and believes Bad Blake will be ready to go up to New York next week for the start of the PBR 2013 season.

Joe's Boot Shop Bad Blake. Photo courtesy of Reece Arnold.

 I asked Reece about Bad Blake's bucking style now that his one horn is gone.  He didn't seem to think it will affect the bull at all.  He told me that Bad Blake's horns were not real big to begin with, so the loss of the horn should not impact his bucking.  But Reece and Wolf Creek's driver/bull handler Rex Meier will be keeping a close eye on Bad Blake to make sure this prized bull doesn't show any signs of discomfort or pain.

So like us humans, who like to start out the new year with a change, Bad Blake will introduce his new look in New York.  He's handsome as ever...just stylin' in a new way!

I know I, for one, am super excited that the PBR kicks off it's 20th season next weekend in New York City.  I'm ready to pack my bag and get down to the city as soon as possible!  I can NOT wait to see Bad Blake and the other big, beautiful bovines who will make the trek to New York!  Say what you want about the riders, it's the bulls who are the real stars of the show!

Happy New Year everyone.  May it be filled with peace and happiness and LOTS of bull riding for all!

Thank you Reece Arnold for this update on Joe's Boot Shop Bad Blake!