Bull riding in the 21st century

The controversial, bone-rattling sport of pitting bull riders against bovine athletes will bring together the world’s best at the professional level in 2009. Event titles are big money on both sides of the bull rope. Cowboys and bulls win millions of dollars in prize money from the event and there will be millions for the jockey who captures this year’s world title. Professional events are held throughout the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Canada and Australia. The Professional Bull Rider’s Tour is the most well-known example of what professional bull riding is these days, so we’ll use that as an example.

The science of genetics has resulted in the strongest group of bulls of all time. Livestock contractors will transport bulls from the Oscar, Little Yellow Jacket, Mossy Oak Mudslinger and original Plummmer bloodlines across the country. All the advanced methods of reproductive technology are being employed in the bull business, making this an exciting aspect of ranching for science buffs. Bull farming involves much more than putting a bull and a cow together in a pasture these days.

In each confrontation the rider tries to ride his bull for 8 seconds. While the bull rider holds on to a rope wrapped around the bull with one hand, his free hand cannot touch the bull anywhere during the ride. If the rider exits before the 8 seconds are up, the rider gets no points for the ride. Events typically feature several “long rounds” where each rider invited to the event gets a chance to ride a bull in each round. Then comes a championship round called the “short round” where the 15 riders with the best total scores from the long rounds try to ride one more bull. The highest total score earns the jockey the event’s championship title, belt buckle, and a hefty paycheck. .

Proceeds from the year’s tour are kept in the account and the bull rider with the most dollars at the end of the Finals becomes the World Champion of the year. Bull riders vote for the Bull of the Year, which is also awarded at the Las Vegas Finals and awards a grand prize to the owner of the winning bull. It also virtually guarantees the winning bull a comfortable future as a breeding stallion. Called the most extreme of extreme sports, this sport is not for the faint of heart.