This, That and Bull Snot!

Did you ever feel like you've been run over by a bull?  Since being on vacation and coming home to many chores, I'm a bit behind on my blog! and I have that "run over" feeling after being kicked and spun back in to reality!

So, let me take a step back...stomp...paw the ground...and snort a little.

Sometimes I watch PBR events on TV and just sit in admiration of the great bucking bulls at each and every event.  The Billings, Montana event was no different!  It hosted the two bulls, whom  TV announcer Craig Hummer declared participants in "the next great bull rivalry",  Shepherd Hills Tested and Mick E Mouse.  Outstanding bulls such as High Steaks, Great White, King of Hearts, Yellow Jacket Jr and Buck Off graced the Championship Round line-up.  The 15/15 Bucking Battle included Bucking Bull of the Year candidates Lightmaker's Rango and Smackdown. Other notable stars in the 15/15 were Buck Wild, Chocolate Thunder, Buckey, Western Hauler, Meat Hook and Hot Iron.

LIGHTMAKER'S RANGO was a star in his buck off of Mike Lee.  Rango was awarded 45 points.

High marked bull of the event was SMACKDOWN, with a score of 46 points.  Smackdown continues to be great and could easily win a Bucking Bull of the Year Championship...except he's #3 behind Bushwacker and Asteroid.

Some random thoughts from Billings:
- The basic scoring criteria for a bull: (1) degree of difficulty, (2) drop in the front end, (3) kick in back and (4) spin and direction changes.  This all seems simple enough to me....why then do the judges seem to have so much discrepancy when scoring?  Favoritism???
- Director of Livestock, Cody Lambert, scores each bull on his own and makes notes about each bulls performance.  I suspect, depending on what Cody writes down about the bull, determines the bull's fate in bucking in future events.
- BIG TEX "ROCKS" is a newer bull to Jeff Robinson's herd.  He is from Canada and is a BIG bull.  He has huge jumps with powerful kick, and he remains unridden so far on the BFTS.
- HIGH STEAKS has a 19 straight buck-off streak going.  Great bull!

During the week, between PBR events, I ventured out to visit my bulls twice.  My husband assured me that I needed to return home from vacation because my bulls missed me...so I had to visit them...naturally!  After checking in on them, the only missing was done on my part!

For some strange reason, since I've been home, SNOT ZOMBIE has been quite friendly and constantly in my face!  Such a handsome boy, if I do say so myself!  We bucked the bulls this past Saturday and Zombie left his rider with a bloody face.

VLAD, the IMPALER (l) and THE SPOOK enjoying a snack after bucking Saturday afternoon.  The really exciting thing was that I learned how to flank!  I need lots more practice, but it was a good start.  By the end of the afternoon I was able to tie the ropes tight enough so the bulls bucked their best.,

The big boy, SNOT JAMMER, bucked crazy the week before and had a sore leg.  He was resting Saturday, but already is showing improvement.  This bull bucks and spins and with his size, will be giving cowboys fits all summer at Let R Buck Bull Riding School!

This past weekend the PBR visited Louisville, Kentucky, home of Churchill Downs and the new NCAA Men's Basketball Champions!  In a really cool Public Relations event, 2007 World Champion Bucking Bull, Chicken on a Chain, became the very first bovine to grace the field at Churchill Downs.  One of the multi-millon dollar winning thoroughbred horses, Mr Candyman Can, was brought out to meet Chicken.  The horse seemed curious about Chicken...Chicken had his hay and could not be bothered!  Don't you just love the attitude bulls display!?!

The big match-up was Sunday, in the Championship Round, when Bushwacker and Asteroid would face off for the third time this year.  I was so excited to see their second meeting in Albuquerque a few weeks before, so the anticipation for them going out again was great!

But before we get to that, here are a few more random thoughts...
- The KFC Yum Center looked fairly empty on Sunday.  The PBR won't come back to the northeast this year because of attendance...heck, we fill arenas better than that!
- The great COOL SPOT bucked on Sunday and easily dumped Chase Outlaw.  COOL SPOT was awarded 43.25 points.  The awesome thing was Josie McElroy flanked Spot.  Josie is the daughter of Spot's co-owner Kenny McElroy from K-C Bucking Bulls.  This was the first time Josie flanked at a BFTS event.  Josie, you go girl!!
- During the introduction to the TV broadcast they showed Asteroid and Bushwacker entering the arena, heading to the pens.  I was laughing because Asteroid trots in, checking out the camera, and Bushwacker strolls in,  all full of his bad self!  Their personality differences just add to the rivalry!
- BULL ARROW from Gene Owen Bucking Bulls had a crazy out on Sunday, with a whip kick while twisting in the air! 41.75 points were all the judges could muster, but this bull bucked crazy good.
- I was surprised to see RFD-HD in the long round.  He's always a Championship round bucker.  Guess that goes to show how many great bulls were at this event!  RFD-HD easily dispensed Shane Proctor in 2.98 seconds and received a 44 point score.
- TEFLON TOM was recently sold to Jeff Robinson and has been renamed to I'M A GANGSTER TOO.  He's working on a buck off streak of 9 straight.  He has whip, speed and kick which is a deadly combination for the cowboys to try to ride. 45.25 points tied him with King Lopez for the second highest bull score of the Championship round.

BUSHWACKER was simply stunning Sunday.  I just don't know how to describe the moves he made on his way to a 48.25 point score.  Each out, this year, seems to be better than the one before.  It's like he's getting better with age.  I am in awe of this animal!

My bull crush, KING LOPEZ, went up against my favorite cowboy, Kody Lostroh, on Sunday.  It always gives me fits because I just don't know who to root for!  I want Kody to ride and I want Lopez to buck him off...it's a terrible predicament!  Well, King Lopez reigned supreme and did manage to get Kody off in just over 6 seconds.  Lopez was awarded 45.25 points and he earned every bit of it!  He bucked great!  Had Kody ridden him, I'm sure the score would have been huge!

ASTEROID did his thing and took a few victory laps in celebration.  I love to see bulls do that!  It looked to me that Asteroid hit the gate with his hip, but still bucked hard.  I thought his score of 44.75 points was a little low for the way he bucked.  I adore this bull, and I just want to see him scored fairly, as I do ALL the bulls!

So, at the end of the day, Bushwacker scored his 41st straight buck off, and showed why he is the class of the bucking bull field in 2013.  I guess it's ok for him to display all the attitude he wants!

I think I'm caught up now...hopefully no more snorting and stomping!  After all, it's the bulls world and we're all allowed to live in it!



Photographs by Susan Hanrahan