Professional Bull Rider

Do bull riders ever have trouble having kids due to testicular damage? Do you wear a cup, athletic supporter, or any other kind of "jewel protection" when riding?

Asked by yowza almost 12 years ago

No and no. It would hurt more to wear them than not... And make it more difficult to grasp the animal.

whats the best way to start bull riding when your 16, its always been a dream to ride, just dont have the opertunity to ride. im a country boy stuck in the city. how could i start out?

Asked by Tyler over 11 years ago

Best way is to find a weekend clinic, attend and start. Search by your state or province, there's bound to be one on the outskirts, or within a fair distance.

I want to be a bull rider. I'm 21 years old. My problem is that I'm 6'2" tall and weigh 150 soaking wet. How much of an issue will that be for me as a rider? Please note I have no hope in gaining weight.

Asked by Nomatophobicane over 11 years ago

Muscle and reaction time are key... you're a little taller than the average Bull Rider, but your weight is in the right range of those experiencing considerable success.

Find a school/weekend clinic, hop on and see if it's for you!  

Bulls don't discriminate.  They don't care if you're tall or short, skinny or fat, or if you are wearing a World Championship Buckle... they're still going to try and end your career or at least your championship dreams every chance they can get.

how long is a perfect ride when riding a bull?

Asked by jerry almost 12 years ago

Perfect is based on performance, it is a requirement to ride for 8-seconds from the time the bull's shoulder leaves the chute or front feet hit the ground outside of the chute, depending on the rulebook, to 8-seconds. The rider may not may contact with their freehand with themselves or the bull, and at 8-seconds their hand must remain in the rope without their feet hitting the ground. The perfection is based on the scoring system. Half of the score is attributed to the bull's performance: how high they kick, how hard they spin, drop to the buck, power on the rider's arm, moves like belly-rolls (twisting in the air), direction changes; ultimately the overall degree of difficulty to the ride. The other half is based on the rider's performance: how controlled their body position is, how well they position their feet, reaction to the moves of the bulls, positioning and re-positioning of their feet; ultimately the overall style of the ride. A perfect score is 100. There is only one perfect score on record in Professional Rodeo or Bull Riding.

I ride and everyone says i am to tall and lanky, i am 6'2 and around 180lbs! what do you think?

Asked by Dakota over 11 years ago

As long as you're in shape, you should be alright. There've been some tall riders... Terry Don West (5' 9"), Tuff Hedemen (5' 11")... But they're few and far between as it's about the centre of gravity... 

But as Sankey says, "Opinions vary but the reality is that champions come in all heights. Besides, you can’t change your height so learn to ride with the techniques and skills that allow you to maximize the things you can do well and to stay away from the things that are your weakness."

Hello, I'm a writer doing research for a novel that involves a bull rider. At the chute, how many people are working it and what do they do? And when you nod, is there someone who physically releases the gate to let the bull out?

Asked by Trish over 11 years ago

Often times there will be:

• The Bull Rider
• Another Bull Rider to pull the rider's rope
• the Flank man who sets the flank strap before the rider nods and then may hold the bull's tail so he doesn't "hip himself", ie. spin is back hip into the chute
• the latch guy who cracks the latch when the rider nods and holds the gate open a hair until the bull moves... then runs out of the way
• the rope guy who waits for the gate to crack and the latch guy to swing the gate towards him... he opens the gate all the way

when can i do it i want to ride

Asked by kailab over 11 years ago

Where do you live?  The best thing to do is find a rodeo school in your area. These are usually 2-day events and you learn a lot of ground work, and then get on some easier animals, and work your way up.