Fall Colors & Bull Snot

With the PBR World Finals just under two weeks away, and beautiful fall colors all around me, I must confess that sitting at my computer concentrating on my blog is quite difficult right now.  The days are getting shorter and colder.  The bulls hides are thickening, and I'm trying to figure out how to get all my stuff in my suitcase!

My thoughts this morning, however, turn to the retirement of Cool Spot.  After six years of bucking, his owners have decided that Grand Rapids, Michigan was his last out.  I've been a fan of Cool Spot for several years...such a great bucking bull, with even great snotitude!  K-C Bucking Bulls have hauled Cool Spot and taken tremendous care of him, along with owners Keith Strickland and Dale Folds.  Spot had a brush with death last year, and came back strong due to the love, care and concern from his owners.  I am truly sorry that Cool Spot was not invited to the PBR Finals in Las Vegas one last time.  He and his owners certainly deserve the big party!

Wishing COOL SPOT a happy, healthy and long retirement on the ranch in Louisiana!

Just to put my mind-set in perspective, I have four pages of notes from the Grand Rapids event, and I don't have much to say...hmmmm.....
The bulls were terrific, and several were underscored.  The arena dirt was bad and many bulls fell, even though Shorty Gorham commented that the dirt was good.  There were some really bad wrecks with injured cowboys. There were 13 rides in Round 1, 13 rides in Round 2, 4 rides in the 15/15 Bucking Battle and 4 rides in the Championship Round.  I guess that is a good amount of rides over the course of the weekend...if you like to see rides!
Me? Well, I like buck-offs, and I know I'm in the minority on that one!

The great SMACKDOWN led off the 15/15 Bucking Battle by bucking off Jordan Hupp and being awarded the weekend's high bull score of 45.75 points!

The handsome KING LOPEZ was the top ranked Championship Round bull on Saturday night.  He bucked, kicked, spun and was awarded all of 43.25 points.  I was so disgusted that the BS flag came out and was thrown at Judge # 1 who could only muster a 21 point score.  This bull bucked better than most of the bulls in that round.  Again, I ask, what does the bull have to do to get the score he deserves???

This weekend past, the bulls stampeded in to Fayetteville, NC and seeing that this event was basically in Jeff Robinson's backyard, the bull pen was predominately Jeff's.  I was surprised at how empty the arena looked on TV.  I thought the North Carolina fans would turn out to see their prided cowboy, JB Mauney and prided stock contractor.  Jeff's bulls did great and JB won the event...it was a good weekend for NC!

This was also the last weekend to impress the PBR's Director of Livestock, Cody Lambert.  There were several bulls "on the bubble".  Some didn't make the Vegas list.  I find it interesting that only Cody Lambert makes the decisions of who goes to the Finals.  Why don't stats come in to play?  Why can't riders and bull fighters give their opinions?   Why do I feel it's not right that only one person can so much affect the livelihoods of the stock contractors?  Maybe it's just me, but I don't think it's fair.
Example: DELCO from Jeff Robinson was a "bubble bull".  Delco has been a Championship Round bull ALL year, 9 straight buck-offs!  Yet, his out in Springfield was not a good one because he was soaked in the chute, and even Robinson wondered why the rider was not DQ'd for taking so long???  Judges....hello???  Delco could have been scratched from the Finals because of something the cowboy was guilty of and thus the bull not impressing Lambert.  Thankfully, Delco was in great form in Fayetteville, scoring a 45.25 points and will be on the truck to Vegas.  Is this not a stupid way to qualify bulls to Vegas?  Ok, ok.....I'm off the soapbox!

RANGO received High Marked Bull honors with his 47 point score in the Championship Round.  He was magnificent!

The Championship Round was a Who's Who of Robinson's rank pen, including Great White, Big Tex Rocks, Rango, Git-R-Done, Delco, and I'm a Gangster Too.  Great White had an off night, and may have cost himself a trip to Vegas.  Again, this bull has had an incredible year...unridden! but because of one bad out, he gets cut?  I'm a Gangster Too was incredibly rank and in two seconds had Valdiron on the dirt.  Gangster was also awarded 47 points.  Shepherd Hills Tested was in this championship round as well, and he continued to be dominant!  I believe Shepherd Hills Tested is right up there with Asteroid and Bushwacker in the race for Bucking Bull of the Year!

So, enough on that subject!  Let me share with you all my first experience at witnessing bulls having their horns tipped.  I am happy to report I did NOT faint and I did NOT vomit!  I was however weak in the knees and needing to walk away a few times.  This stock contracting stuff is something I need to take baby steps on!  Thank God my partner in this business, JW Gowan, is a seasoned bull man with great love and compassion for his bulls!

JW, along with Cowboys/Ranch-hands Ray, Nate and Matt, secures a rope around Hemi's head.  Not having the luxury of a squeeze chute, it get's done the old fashioned way.

ABBI registered HEMI gets his EID tag put on his ear.

After his horns were tipped and he got his shots, HEMI enjoyed a brushing and some back scratches.  HEMI stood like a champ in there!

The 2 year old BLUE DIPPIN' was much more restless in the chute.  And as a smaller bull, he could wiggle around much easier than the bigger bulls.  The guys had to get three ropes around his horns to tie him up and he still fussed!

After BLUE DIPPIN's horn was cut, the edges were shaved down and the horn quarterized.  As hard as this was to watch, I understand it is for his own good, the good of his pen mates and ultimately, the good of the riders.

BLUE DIPPIN' rocking his new look in the arena after all the work was done.  I'm excited to see this young bull grow and develope in to a bucking bull.  But for now, he's settling in to his new home and might even be enjoying all the attention...both human and bovine.

Funniest thing was the nosy gang in the arena!  THE SPOOK, JUNIOR, and PAPARAZZI spent a good amount of time at the gate watching the goings on.  SPOOK was the nosiest of the three.  Maybe he just wanted to have a good idea of the procedure for when it's his turn.....and I'd better be out of state for that one!




So for now, everyone is happy and healthy.  I visited the bulls yesterday and they all looked great.  The bulls I co-own spent the afternoon grazing in the pasture, with the occasional visit to the pens of the new bulls, to show off their big, bad, bully selves.  Sometimes I think I am blessed beyond belief to co-own these bulls and have the opportunity to learn from these magnificent creatures!