Mini Bulls = Major Snotitude!

What's 39 inches tall, weighs approx. 500 pounds and is built like a brick wall?

It's FULL THROTTLE (left, who used to be known as Serious Speckles), a miniature bucking bull who spins like crazy and will take on any bull fighter or a bull three times his size!

This past Sunday evening, I had the pleasure of speaking with Cirildo Leal, owner of FULL THROTTLE and a hundred other miniature bucking bulls.  He, and his wife Lillie own and operate the MBR, Miniature Bull Riding Association.  Over the past 3 years, with the help and guidance of 2x PBR World Champion Chris Shivers, the Leal's have grown their business from a hobby/love of animals to a Bull Riding event that will be featured at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas in 3 weeks, the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) in December, also in Las Vegas and the PBR's Iron Cowboy event, at Cowboys Stadium, in March 2014. WOW!  That's big time for such little bulls!  But after hearing stories about these little bulls, I learned that "little" only refers to their height!

Miniature bucking bulls range in height from 35 to 45 inches, and weigh 300 to 750 pounds.  Mr. Leal explained that those are the perfect averages for these little bulls, but he does have one bull who is 47 inches tall, who is a good bucker.  The Leal's hand feed grain and hay to their bulls, to keep them settled down, which in turn, keeps the bulls from going after the young riders.  The mini bulls think they are big bulls, and they are not afraid of anything.  Mr. Leal told me that if I put a mini in with a full sized bull, the mini would go after the big bull and probably beat him up!  Yet, with proper training, the mini's don't go after the kids, and the kids safety is most important.

This is JOKER'S WILD.  This little bull charged me in Las Vegas last year when I went over by his pen.  I thought he was just the cutest thing....and then learned, never call these bulls cute! ;)

This is HEMI.  He stole my heart!  Just look at that face!  I was ready to grab him and put him in my suitcase to get him home!  He is one of the Leal's top buckers.  He's only be covered once, and that was because he was loaded on the wrong side of the chutes!

RARE BREED is a mini Hereford.  But just because he's cute and cuddly, doesn't mean he's not a rank bull!  Mr. Leal told me that Rare Breed is a bit overweight right now, and that he's on a special diet.  But he'll be ready to buck in Las Vegas.

DURAMAX is the other mini bull I wanted to take home.  He is a beauty, with those long horns, and another of the Leal's star buckers!

The following four photographs are pictures I took in Las Vegas last October, at the one mini bull riding event I was able to attend.  I plan on being at more of the events this year.  I was enthralled watching the young cowboys approach these mini bulls as if they were full-sized.  Mr. Leal explained that the MBR has two divisions, Junior ages 8-11 and Senior ages 12-14.  There will be 22 young cowboys competing in Las Vegas this October, and the MBR is constantly looking for more kids, in the above listed age groups, who are wanting to ride mini bulls.

2x PBR World Champion Chris Shivers has been a tremendous asset to the Leal's.  Chris is great with the kids and he believes that the kids need to learn how to ride these bulls in order to progress to the next level.  Chris's son, Brand, is one of the riders competing, and Chris has told Mr. Leal that whichever bull Brand draws, he has to ride.  No favoritism.  Another former PBR cowboy involved with the mini bulls is Paolo Crimber.  His 8 year old son is coming from Brazil to ride in Las Vegas.

Mr. Leal would love to bring as many as 60 mini bulls to Las Vegas, but is unsure he will have enough room for that many.  He also mentioned to me that he's love to have some room at bull housing so fans could see the mini's up close.  When hauling these bulls, they know the drill: eat, drink, sleep on the truck.  Of course, they have all they need and padded stalls to boot.  Once they get to the event, they know their job is to get loaded in the chute, buck off the cowboy then get fed.  It's that simple!

The Leal's take very good care of their bulls, and have two vets on call.  With 2 vets, at least one vet will always be available 24/7.  Mr. Leal is also hoping to start a registry of bloodlines for these mini bulls, because he believes these mighty mini's are the future of bull riding.

The MBR will be at the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) for 9 days in December.  They will be part of the Cowboy Christmas at the Convention Center, by the Las Vegas Hotel.  The MBR is hoping to take 48 kids to Vegas for this event.  The MBR is also in the planning stages for an event in January, and then, expect to see a whole new crop of mini bulls in Arlington, Texas next March.  These up and comers are 36-37 inches tall and are built like brick walls.  Mr. Leal doesn't think they are old enough for Vegas in a few weeks time, but by March they will be ready to go.

It was such a privilege for me to speak with Mr. Leal for over an hour...and believe me, I could have stayed on the phone for much longer, listening to the stories about these wonderful mini bulls and The Leal's passion for raising and bucking them.  The other thread of their passion is for the kids that want to learn to ride bulls, and their families.  I am blessed to have been able to learn about these animals and the wonderful people who raise them, and I truly look forward to meeting them in person in Las Vegas, in just about three weeks.  I can't wait to attend the Mini Bull Riding events while there, and hopefully "meeting" Hemi and the bulls again.  Many thanks to Cirildo & Lillie Leal!!




All photographs property of and by Susan Hanrahan