Wine Them Dine Them…….Bull Ride Them?

So let’s take a vote on how many people have been wined and dined by someone in your life? I know everyone has, especially the ladies out there maybe you said yes to the dinner just because you were craving some good beef and not his beef (pause for laughter)………… But either way you slice it, it has in fact been done to you a time or 2. Now I ask you this, how many of you have been wined and dined while a bull riding is taking place? That is exactly what I did last night in London, Ontario. The annual Farm Show was on and as a treat the Western Fair District and Rawhide Rodeo threw together a little treat. This took place in the Agriplex building where many great rodeos have taken place, it was a small bull riding with 20 riders and had $1000.00 added not to shabby for a Thursday night. The people who purchased a dinner ticket had more beef then they could handle and were sat down at tables that were just on the other side of the arena. It was pretty cool to say the least.

As the bull riding was getting ready to rock and roll the crowd was on the edge of their seats has Pro Rodeo Announcer Joe Scully revved up there curiosity and got their blood pumping, Joe calls for the bull riders to enter the arena and the crowd gets even louder followed by the Canadian Anthem and the Cowboys Prayer the bull riders exit the arena and it was time to Let Er Buck. The bull riding was split into sections and the first flight of bull riders did not disappoint the crowd saw Ian Charman matched up against Wayne Chausse’s bull Fully Loaded and with Ian’s undisputed talent it led him to a well deserved 84 points which would go on to win the event.

Ian Charman rides Wayne Chausse’s Fully Loaded for 84 points

As the first flight of bull riders ended it was time for Austin Stewart to dazzle the crowd with some trick and fancy roping, the North Carolina native as been featured on Americas Got Talent and has won the Specialty Act Championship at the IFR. Austin started out with some smaller rookie tricks then put the cherry on the cake with the ever difficult Texas Skip. Always a pleasure watching Austin take care of business. Towards the end of the show Austin had an awesome act where he twirls balls of fire, no lie it was actual fire. The crowd enjoyed him whether he was telling jokes or getting run over in his barrel.

Austin Stewart (face paint)

As the show went on the crowd got more and more into the bull riding action with contests to win a pair of Boulet Boots as well as tickets the Canadian PBR Tour. The night went on and so did the bull rides. We saw Nick Goncalves go 82 points on Joe Gauthier’s Meet Me Halfway to capture second place. Reserved IPRA World Champion Luke McCoag had the best match up of the night going against Wayne Chausse’s Wyatt Earp, I thought for sure he was going to take over the lead but the bull did not have a good trip but Luke did his job and that’s all that matters and he walked away with a 77 point effort and 3rd place. The fourth and final spot was taken by Kalvyn Doan has he hustled for a 68 point marking on Wayne Chausse’s bull Shake Rattle and Roll.

Luke McCoag rides Wayne Chausse’s Wyatt Earp for 77 points

Nick Goncalves rides Joe Gauthier’s Meet Me Halfway for 82 points

Aside from bull riding and endless amounts of beef the crowd was also treated to the world renowned Canadian Cowgirls Drill Team. Also a part of the Rawhide Rodeo shows the cowgirls are developing quite the following touring all over North America they are always a pleasure to watch. At the end of the bull riding the crowd got to go down and meet Austin Stewart and the bull riders for autographs and to get pictures taken.

Canadian Cowgirls Precision Drill Team

At the end of the night when the farmers had all the beef they could handle and were looking forward to the Friday morning hangover it was a good Thursday night. Everyone had fun, Rawhide Rodeo hit a grand slam……again and all the bull riders walked away healthy. I tell ya what if I was a girl that would be the perfect date in my eyes.

For more images from the event please feel free to click the link below:

http://www.londoncommunitynews.com/2012/03/taking-the-bull-by-the-horns/

Let Er Buck

Female Bull Riders

To start this blog off I would like to ask the men a question, a serious question and one that should be answered honestly no matter what the response. What men out there have ever been out shined by a woman? I mean I’m sure its happened a time or two. You know what I mean when all your buddies are watching and that one girl beats you in a foot race or can beat you in a one on one game on the court. Whether we like to admit it or not it does happen, and nowadays its happening more and more and it does not matter what sporting event this happens in. But nowadays its easier to handle because the times have changed then from back then when Amelia Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. I bet when Amelia made history there were those few guys who were slightly upset. I’m not sure why they would be upset, that’s awesome in my books and it shows growth in the world of sports. In my mind if any guy complains about women being in sports then he earns the right to step into the boxing ring with Laila Ali and see how far he gets before she knocks him out. Love it or hate women are going to continue to show us “men” up in the world of sports and do not think for one second that they haven’t figured out how to ride bulls……….Because they have!!!

Yes Sir, you can bet the farm that women have tackled the monsters that make most men cry and go home beat up to their wives and mothers, and let me tell you that they don’t only get on to make a stand they win buckles. I have seen some talented lady bull riders in my day from starting as a Junior Steer Rider all the way up to Bulls, I have had my hard worked entry money find its way into a purse many times.

This dates back to when I was just a young buck entering my first rodeo in good old Milverton, Ontario. To say I was excited would be an understatement boy was I fired up and knowing my luck I had to draw the biggest one in the pen, well it did not work out for as I was thrown into the ground and winded so bad I thought I was dead, but I was fine. Now the big shocker that day was when the announcer started talking up this person who had won the last 5 rodeos and is leading the year end standings by a long shot, so I figured alright lets see a good ride. I was pumped until I heard the announcer say “Rebecca Hatfield” …..you betcha, it was a girl. I was speechless because i grew up watching my Dad and his buddies ride they were all big strong men not 90lbs girls. But eventually I accepted it and I accepted Rebecca taking all my money.

Now Rebecca may have been the first girl for my generation to ride steers in Ontario but this fad stretches way beyond me when riders like Robin Welch and Sherri Cahill would enter rodeos and take all the guys money, and these women did not win by default or because the guys had bad days, no no no they won because they were just simply better than the guys. Winning buckles and money and even being asked to travel with the guys to help pay for gas. Both Robin and Sherri went on to keep making money and eventually went on to other rodeo events.

So Rebecca took my money in Junior Steers I heard great stories about Robin and Sherri so when it came to bull riding was I ever shown up by a woman? You bet your ass I was and her name is Claire Hester. Shown up is putting that mildly, my first few years in bulls were spent watching Claire ride in finals and win rodeos. Hands down the toughest female I have ever met. I am reminded of one Sunday morning at a rodeo near Chatham Ontario and a bunch of us are exchanging stories of the weekends rodeos. A bunch of the guys and Claire had went to a big rodeo the night before and Claire was the victim of a nasty horn to the face, so I asked Claire how she feels and she removed her sunglasses and said “You tell me” it looked like a horror movie, her eye socket was shattered and nothing was holding her eye ball in her head (you cannot make this up). She said she was fine and that she was on extra strength Tylenol, I do not think that she got on that day but the fact that she was still standing and talking says a lot about her strength. Aside from being beat up and showing strength Claire was a dominating opponent in that arena taking down unridden bulls and getting on every bull she drew no matter what the reputation was. She had guys going up to her for advice on certain bulls that Claire had rode. Nowadays you can find Claire judging rodeos. Yes sir women know how to ride bulls ,just a few years ago the Junior Steer Riding event was tamed by 2 girls just over 5 feet named Holly Doner and Shelby Pattison. In the standings they were 1 and 2 and had all the younger boys smitten.

So whether or not you have been shown up my a female and have had your pride takin down a notch you better cowboy up and get over it because it is going to keep happening. I, myself love seeing women in the bull riding, it shows that our sport is growing and more and more people are getting into it. So guys the next time your at a rodeo and you see a pretty face by the bucking chutes you best keep those world class pickup lines for someones else cause that pretty face is entered in the bull riding and she can probably kick your ass.

Let Er Buck

Enjoy pictures of some of the women mentioned:

Claire Hester

Holly Doner

Shelby Pattison

Old School vs New School

This morning I sat down with my coffee and turned on sports center and was watching some old school clips of the NBA, you know the high socks short shorts and high top sneakers. Even though these guys were the corner stone of the NBA some might say that they kinda looked foolish. The ones who are most likely to admit this is what I like to call the new school, you know the ones who are watching the baggy shorts and tattoos all over the place. The old school and the new school with always be different in appearance no matter what sport or lifestyle its just the way the world works. This of course can be applied in rodeo as well.

Considering that topic I am reminded of a night at a bar where me and my bull rider buddies were more or less feeling pretty good thanks to our friend Jose Quervo and we were approached by a rather good looking girl (but that might have been the tequila) figuring our night was fixin to get better she simply asked us “Are you guys trying to be Cowboys” ?. This immediately put our tequila glow in the dirt, my buddy answers with “TRYING? Sweet heart we are cowboys” This put the group of us in a debate with this random girl. “Why do you not think we are cowboys, I asked her. She answers with, “well you don’t look like cowboys with your American Eagle polo’s and funny looking straw hats”. Now if you are wondering what a funny looking straw hat is just Google American Hat Company and you will see some “fashion trending” hats. So this debate goes on and we are no longer concerned about our rather inappropriate intentions for that night, we were all about winning this debate. We respond wondering why just because we wear polo’s that does not make us a cowboy, girl answers with “I guess I am just use to seeing cowboys in denim and on horseback with a six shooter on your waist and wild rags or neckerchiefs on your neck”. To me that is a “real cowboy” one who rides the range. We continued to debate but it ended up in a draw and couple more shots.

This is the purpose for this blog entry, the typical cowboy or vaquero is the one who is up at 4am living off of coffee and cigarettes, who rides the range from dusk till dawn and who’s best friend is his horse. This is the image that everyone has of the cowboy thanks to movies like the old John Wayne’s and Clint Eastwood’s also not to mention my favorite movie Lonesome Dove well 8 Seconds is my favorite but Lonesome Dove is right up there. Back in the day this was the cowboy and what the cowboy was and is suppose to be, but much like everything else in this world it moves on and evolves. To this day there are still cowboys and ranchers living up to the stereotype and I personally love seeing it, also it sparks jealousy because that is a wonderful life.

Now going back to the girl in the bar and the debate. Just because the cowboys and cowgirls you see today do not live up to that code does not mean we are trying to be something we are not. First of all, what you wear does not suggest who you are. Granted we are not on the range with neckerchiefs and living off of coffee and cigarettes but we still maintain the lifestyle and the attitude. If you were to attend a rodeo anywhere you will see guys and gals with smart phones and designer shirts wearing merchandise that you would find in the mall but we are still cowboys and cowgirls. I’m sure Calamity Jane never figured that the cowgirls nowadays would be wearing gem incrusted belts and glitter filled shirts that would make Adam Lambert jealous, but that’s the way the world of rodeo has shifted. The main purpose of rodeo and the cowboy lifestyle is still the same but the image has changed since Lane Frost won his first world title. If you told Julius Erving that someday the NBA players would be drafted at 18 and dunking with the lights off he would most likely call you crazy. The same thing can be said about rodeo.

In closing, just because someone does not live up to the stereotype does not justify they are a phony. It’s all about attitude and the passion in which you have. Cowboys and cowgirls are everywhere, whether on an iPhone tweeting or blogging or shopping at American Eagle instead of on the range sleeping by a fire over looking a herd of cattle. We are still cowboys and cowgirls.

Let Er Buck,

Brandon

 

Cowboy Lifesavers

Just the other night I was flipping through the channels and came across an interview about Warren Sapp , for those of you are unfamiliar with Warren he was a  professional football player who was defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. Well that is putting it mildly if you ask any sports fan. Warren was the best of the best and a feared predator on the football field, Warren set and broke records for sacking quarterbacks. Now if these QB’s had solid protection in front of them I doubt that Warren would have had such an awesome career. When dealing with contact sports or any sports for that matter it is important to have a solid protection plan. For example the NHL Stanley Cup champions the Boston Bruins likely would not have done so well if it were not for their top-notch goalie Tim Thomas, the same could be said about the NBA team the Orlando Magic and their defensive player of the year Dwight Howard, these examples could go on all day but I trust that you get the picture.

These examples can be applied in bull riding as well. I like to think of the bull as Warren Sapp and I am the quarterback. After the play or ride is done I have to worry about the bull getting to me and that is where the bullfighters step in. It is their job to take the hit and make sure that I am able to get away safe and sound. No bull rider in the world will go his entire  career and not have to thank the bull fighters. I, myself have done it a ton of times. Honestly no bull rider is complete without his Cowboy Lifesavers.

Bull fighters put their lives on the line every time that chute gate opens, when things get bad if there is a bad hang up or a bull is fixin to run over a bull rider the bull fighters job is to be the one to take the hit not the bull rider. If the bull fighter gets hit or takes a hookin he has to shake it off and get ready for the next bull rider. Now a bull fighter is not to be confused with the barrel man who tells jokes all day, even though they may look the same. In my mind the bull fighter is the toughest man in the entire rodeo. He has to be brave, strong, and unselfish. I say unselfish because he has to put himself between you and the bull and take what could be a dangerous hit to the body.

If you were to Google the bull fighter some names might pop up, you might see 5 time World Champion Bull fighter Rob Smets . But what you will not see is the Cowboy Lifesavers of Ontario rodeo. The names that should be mentioned when talking about Ontario bull fighters are Donnie Mole, Jeremy Schuitema, Ciaran Hester, Steve Fortin, Billy Linders, Ed Walls and Ryan “Pepper” Smith. These are some of the guys that rule the roost in Ontario, and also guys who have a number of times saved my ass. I have seen all these guys leave the arena bleeding but come back in seconds later to finish out the show, because if they get a little beat up they still gotta deal with upwards to 30 more bulls and ensure that the other bull riders that night are safe. The examples of true grit and perseverance is unparalleled by anything or anyone else in rodeo or in life for that matter.  Being on  the bull is one thing but being on the ground being the guy running towards the bull instead of away is another. My hat is forever tipped to any and all bull fighters out there, I will buy you guys a beer anytime.

So the next time you’re at a rodeo and you see a man go flying in the air while the bull rider walks away safe and sound be sure to go shake his hand and buy him a cold beer, trust me he deserves a few.

Let Er Buck,

Brandon

Check out this video of Ryan “Pepper” Smith enjoying a day at the office.

The Top 25 Bulls in Ontario Rodeo History

Recently I was watching the PBR 15/15 event. If you missed it you missed a lot of great bull rides. The top 15 riders were matched with the top 15 bulls in the world. It was an unreal event. The top bulls were Asteroid, Smackdown, and Buckey. Upon watching the event I got curious as to what bulls in Ontario would be considered the best bulls of all time. By now I am sure you have guessed that’s what led to this blog entry.

In order to get all this info I dug deep into the rich history of the Ontario Rodeo Association. Some of the old cowboys were coming up with some relics that I had honestly forgot all about. I have put them in order from 1-25 in what I believe to be rather accurate. Also I had to dig up the photos of these bulls, now unfortunately I could not find all the pictures as some of these bulls bucked before internet was even invented.  So read on and I hope you enjoy it.

THE TOP 25 BULLS IN ONTARIO RODEO HISTORY:

1) F9 WYATT EARP

Leading the bull charge is Brian Normans Wyatt Earp. Of all the bulls I have seen since I was a kid Wyatt takes the cake. Since the day he came to Ontario he had all the bull riders either wanting to get on him or avoiding him all together. unlike other bulls Wyatt was very small in size but that did not stop him from a buck off percentage close to %80 percent throughout his whole career. Wyatt was very unpredictable in his bucking patterns, it was a guarantee that he was gonna turn back but you never knew when or where or even how long until he switched it up. Wyatt’s  signature move was in the bucking chutes when the bull rider is getting ready, he always knew when it was go time and right before the bull riding would start he buck 3 times in the chutes kicking the hell out of slide behind him. Not sure if it what to intimidate the rider or to remind that you better have your game face on.

2) 8 ZOMBIE ZOO

Brian Normans Zombie Zoo is a bull that will never go unmentioned when discussing great bucking bulls. The banana horned grey bull was given to Brian because the guy who previously owned him could not handle him and the guys were having troubles getting out the chutes on him so he got sent to Ontario. Not that the change in scenery helped much because he still had the same issues as before but Brian stuck with him and figured him out. Eventually Zoo was the bull to have. When he came around and got rank the bull riders had no idea how to ride him along with being fast, strong, and smart Zoo was also mean so once you hit the ground he was in your back pocket. Zoo lead the charge of Brian Norman Bucking Bulls back in the day and went on to the Calgary Stampede to be showcased out there. Unfortunately while bucking out west he stepped on a bull rider and twisted his leg therefore ending his career. Now you can find Zoo enjoying a deserved retirement on the pastures out in western Canada.

3) 11 TRICK OR TREAT

Coming in at number 3 is my favorite bull in Ontario history Brian Normans Trick Or Treat. Now they say you cannot judge a book by its cover and that is exactly how you approach this bull. When you nodded for that gate you never knew what you were in for. Trick or Treat was in my mind the most athletic bull Ontario ever saw. In the chutes he was a dream just stood there and did not bother you at all. When that gate opened he kicked so high that the guys on the back of the chutes had to duck or Trick would kick there heads off. He never had a direct bucking route it was always something different. Kicking up over his head every jump throwing belly rolls at ya, it was close to impossible to ride him. Now being that he was my favorite bull I could not wait to draw him and he made short work of me the first 2 times but one year at The Ontario Finals I drew him and I was looking for advice so I asked a former bull rider and he simply said **Dont Make Any Moves Just Hold On* Trick or Treats biggest advantage was that his belly rolls were so intense that the rider thought he was out of shape so the rider made big moves bucking himself off. So I listened to the advice and finally rode him. Also I can proudly say that I was the last bull rider to ever ride him before he passed away.

4) MONKEY WRENCH

The down horned bull from The Rawhide Rodeo Company is Monkey Wrench. This bull came into Ontario from the states to more or less live out his glory years. Although he was an older bull he was no day off. Much like other great bulls Wrench was fast and strong, also adding to his years he was very smart. You had to sit perfectly straight on him or you were in the dirt. When he was in Ontario he was only rode 4 times throughout 4 years. Wrench was incredibly rank and he proved it every time. Adding to his resume he was buck out in Professional Bull Riders finals were he took World Champion Cody Custer to a go round win.

5) 45 FLATLINER

Adding to the Rawhide Rodeo Company Roster is a big red machine properly named Flatliner. If his name is any indication then nod your head and find out what hes bringing to the table. Along with Monkey Wrench Flatliner came from the states to live out his glory years. But he had everyone on notice when that gate opened. Looking back I honestly do not think he got rode but I could be wrong. The best effort I ever saw on him was when my younger brother got him in 2002. If you ask anyone who was there we would all say that he rode him but the judge did not agree. My brother was fixing to be 90 points.

6) 10 HAMMER HEAD

One of Brian Normans prized possessions is the up horned monster named Hammer Head. In his day Hammer was the most feared bull in Ontario Rodeo. As you can see Hammer was a massive bull who did not show any mercy for any of the bull riders. Due to his massive strength and athleticism he went to a very respectful career. Back in the day the best match up was Hammer Head vs. Chris Adams. I honestly could not tell you the score of that match up but no one was back at the trailers telling stories they were all watching. After his bucking career he went to sire more than a couple champion bucking bulls.

7) 228 BLOODY SUNDAY

Another champion bucker from the Rawhide Rodeo Company is Bloody Sunday. The big red bull was acquired by Bj Prince of Rawhide Rodeo and went on to be the International Professional Rodeo Association World Champion Bucking Bull. Sunday came out of the left hand delivery and turned back in the gate to the left. He was very strong and long bodied. With long bodied bulls they have an extreme amount of whip so if your behind him at all you are going to be drilled into the ground. The few times he was rode the rider was between 85 and 90 points. I only had one opportunity to draw him and it did not last long (above picture) I bucked off suffered a few broke ribs. Thanks Bloody Sunday.

8) 24 WASAQ( no photo)

Along with the other Rawhide Rodeo bulls living out there glory years Wasaq was right beside them. Much like the others Wasaq did not get rode very often. Big, strong, and smart Wasaq was a short round bull that never heard the 8 second whistle very often. I was fortunate to get on him once and a buck off was not the way I wanted to start the Ontario Finals.

9) 314 GET JIGGY

Another prized possession of Brian Norman is Get Jiggy, the bald face high horned bull was electric in his day.  Stood perfect in the chutes but when it was go time you better have your hammer cocked. Kicking high and around to the left Jiggy got stronger with every jump and faster. If you thought you had him rode at 7 seconds he would pull a knife on ya and go back the other way. Get Jiggy attracted the attention of the Canadian PBR tour in Western Canada where he was invited to the National PBR Canada Finals.

10) 3 SUPERSTAR

The bull getting crazy amounts of air in the above picture is Rawhide Rodeo`s Superstar. This bull is my second favorite bull in Ontario history. Bj Prince named this bull just right. We watched this bull grow up from a calf to the monster you see now. When Superstar was a calf he was in the category of best bulls in Ontario. Much like other young bulls he was mean. I, myself got run over by him more than a few times. Another bull with no direct route but really enjoyed jumping to the heavens adding that with amazing strength Superstar was a beast. The funniest thing about this bull is that in the back pens he was a big baby and loved being scratched.

11) DIRTY HARRY ( no photo)

This bull was way beyond my time in rodeo, I do have a fond memory of him at a night rodeo when a retired bull rider by the name of Ray Smith was dared by fellow cowboys to enter the bull riding. After falling to peer pressure Ray said he would take on the dare. He drew Dirty Harry and put together one of the nicest 90 point bull rides I have ever seen.

12) 6 SLEDGE HAMMER

If you sit down with any fan who watched rodeo in the early to mid 90`s you would have talked about the same bull. Big L Rodeos Sledge Hammer! This blonde rock star of the 90`s was a dominating force. I remember as a kid watching rodeos and Sledge would always be the last bull to go out, the announcer would warn everybody to back away from the fence. Sledge was amazingly strong and athletic. With strong jumps and unreal kick Sledge made short work out of the majority of his passengers. After bucking off the bull rider Sledge would do a victory lap for the fans.

13) 36p WINGMAN

A sure enough way to win a rodeo in bull riding was to draw and ride Brian Normans Wingman. The trouble with this bull started in the chutes, he was very rough in the box. He would rare up and buck and just make your life a nightmare. But if you wanted to win you gutted through it and nodded your head. Wingman would turn back to the left so fast that he would hit his head on the chutes. Nine times out of ten if you rode him you won the rodeo. The best match up with Wingman was whenever Luke MCcoag drew him, destined to be 85 plus points.

14) 54 EYE OF THE STORM

When you hear a bull rider say I drew the `sweetheart`of the pen he is talking about bulls like Brian Normans Eye Of The Storm. This bull was a bull riders dream. Eye was not rank by any means or even mean he would rather step over you then on you. Big in size and long bodied he had a lot of whip behind him but if you stayed in the middle and just floated over him you were going to win the rodeo. He was also spur bait as you can see in the above picture. My fondest memory of this bull was in the 2003 Ontario Finals Rodeo. He was rode in all 3 rounds and the guys aboard him (including me) went on to win the rounds. Truly a sweetheart of a bull.

15) 502 OPTIMUS PRIME

An addition to the 2010 Brian Norman roster was Optimus Prime. Now you will see this bull being hauled around by Joe Shaw. Prime is a very big bull as you can see. He is out of the gate goes left or right. Kicking up over his head with every jump and gets faster and stronger. The one and only time I ever got on him he bucked so hard that he blew my hand out of my rope and threw me out the back. My hand popped out so hard that it broke a few bones in my hand.

16) 019 VADER

019 Vader from Brian Norman bucked like a chicken on ex-lax. Vader pulled everything on you but a pocket time. As you can see in the above picture he had a lot of action, and much like the other bulls he had no distinct bucking route. Whether he was turning back in the gate or twisting and belly rolling down the pen, you better be ready for him.

17) 11 SPIKE

Back in the days of Sledge Hammer Big L Rodeos black bandit named Spike was notorious throughout the late 80`s and early 90`s. The name Spike came from his set of horns and his ability to put cowboys on the end of them. Turning back in the gate and looking for anyone to run over.Spike was not the bull you wanted to draw, he was extremely mean. I am reminded of a story I heard form a bareback bronc rider who once said he watched Spike drop a guy on his horns and punctured his horn through the bull riders chest, also the hole was so big that the doctor could put his arm through it. So needless to say Spike lived up to his name. The injured rider went on to have a very successful career as a stock contractor and was the owner of the majority of the bulls if this Top 25 list.   Spike`s reputation got so bad that some bull riders would not show up to the rodeo if they knew they drew him.

18) BACKDRAFT (no photo)

Another  part of  Rawhide Rodeos bulls that were living out there glory years is Backdraft. The big black bull was unreal to watch, having a very successful American Pro Rodeo career much like the others Backdraft became one the ranker bulls in Ontario. Being so big he enjoyed dropping cowboys on his head.

19) 5 UNTOUCHABLE

The final part of the Rawhide Rodeo legendary buckers is a grey bull named Untouchable. If the name does not say enough then maybe you should have got on him. Much like the others Untouchable was very strong. It was deceiving because this bull honestly was not that big in size but he was pound for pound the strongest bull i have ever been on.

20) MK6 WIRED

I wanna start off by apologizing to my friend Alex for using this picture but it best describes this bull. Brian Normans black monster is Wired. This bull started off in the Jr.bull riding until everyone realized he was too much to handle for the youngsters, he was quickly moved up to the big boys. But the big boys could not handle him either. Wired is what you call an eliminator. Nothing about him was nice. He was massive and brutally strong, he jerked your arm out the socket and was not a nice bull to get on. When he did get rode is was a miracle and the rider had nothing nice to say about it. Wired will forever be one of the more notorious bulls of Ontario.

21) 159 CREEP

Another sweetheart like Eye Of The Storm is Brian Normans Creep. Fresh off the trailer from Western Canada Creep was an instant favorite. Good in size and just a dream to ride, out the gate and around to the left as long as you were in the middle you were guaranteed first place. My favorite match was always when Dusty McMullen drew this bull, always a treat to watch.

22) GRAVY TRAIN

Every stock contractor has had a “bounty” bull once in there career and for Big L Rodeo it was Gravy Train. The light grey bull proved to be a tricky one to get by, the cowboys (including me) could not get this bull to the 8 second whistle no matter how hard they tried. So to add a little bit of drama to this scenario Big L Rodeo decided to put up a 500 dollar bounty on him. The cash would go to the first man to get 8 seconds on Gravy Train. The bounty held up until the finals rolled around in 2000. Ciarin Hester was matched up against him in the 3rd and final round and threw together a 85 point bull ride and claimed the bounty as well as bragging rights.

23) MOHAMMED ALI (no photo)

Mohammed Ali from Big L Rodeo is so old I doubt cameras were even invented yet. But before Sledge Hammers era Ali ruled the roost and was the pioneer of Ontario bucking bulls.

24) F35 IN PIECES

The most feared bull in Ontario rodeo history is Brian Normans In Pieces. No bull was frowned on more than Pieces. Putting a number of cowboys in hospital absolutely no bull rider wanted him. He hardly ever got rode. Much like Wired he was an eliminator. He would flip over in the chutes until he got to big. Towards the end of his career he was less and less feared but when in his prime Pieces was the devil. His biggest cowboy ending move was when he rare up and set guys back off their ropes and then drop them on his head. Once in that position you better start praying.

25) 2  HEADS OR TAILS

Every pen of bulls has an eliminator and for Big L Rodeo it is a grey whale called Heads or Tails. Another feared bull, Heads never turned back instead he would jump across the chutes with massive lunges hoping to drop you on his head. Although he lunged he never got rode because the cowboys could not keep up with him.

So when it is all said and done these bulls were the top bulls of the history of the Ontario Rodeo Association unfortunately you will only see about 2 of them bucking right now in rodeo but the memorable rides and injuries will last a lifetime. So now when you are at a rodeo and you studied this blog entry feel free to ask any bull rider or cowboy about one of these bulls…I guarantee, you will hear some great stories.

Let Er Buck

Brandon

Aren’t You Scared?

I remember lying there in some random hospital unaware of how the hell I got there, and I remember the doctor asking “Brandon, Why do you ride bulls knowing you are gonna get hurt”? I thought of my answer and responded with “I don’t know how not to ride bulls because I have done it for so long”, Doctor replies again with “Are you ever scared”?……….No, I replied.

That brief story happened to me about 10 years ago, from what my Dad told me, I was knocked out by the bull I was on, that whole ride is a blur but I took a 2nd place cheque for my efforts. Of all that I forgot that weekend due to the blow to the head there are 2 things that I remember: 1) Waking up to see my Dad passed out in a chair where he had spent the night 2) was that question the doctor asked me about being scared and why I still ride.

I remember that question because it is a familiar one that I have had to answer since the day I started rodeo. It’s a simple answer and one I love to give. As god as my witness there has never been a day where I was scared of riding bulls. It honestly never happened. How could I be afraid of something that I love so much. The thing that I fear the most is putting my friends and family through torment when I do get hurt, I also fear my buddies getting hurt, I rather myself getting hurt over them. But with rodeo comes the punishment that you endure and every year there is an injury or accident that brings you to one knee and pray to god that the contestant hurt isn’t in to rough of shape.  It is a sad truth but a truth nonetheless.

Being scared of riding bulls just does not factor into my game plan and mental preparation. Bull riding is %90 mental and %10 physical. You have to have that bull rode before they open the gate. The second you let that bull into your mental preparation is the second that you have lost that fight, you might as well not even get on. When you start going to the bigger bull riding events you cannot have any margin for error, and being scared is a huge error and also very dangerous to you as the rider. I say this because if your head is not in the right spot that is one step closer to getting yourself hurt.

Being scared is a no-no for me and always has been, I’m not sure why I am not afraid I like to think it is because of the pure passion I have for the sport and all that rodeo has given myself and my family. Now you can’t jump to conclusions and think that I can take on anything like jumping into holes and pulling out Anaconda’s like they do in Africa, or wrestling an Alligator. You guys  might think that bull riding is nuts but that stuff is just plain retarded. But what do I know, I am just some crazy bull rider………….But one who isn’t scared

Until Next Time,

Brandon

World Champion or not World Champion

I woke up this morning with something on my mind that has been going unanswered for sometime now, so I thought I would blog about it and maybe my loyal readers could answer it for me.

The question that is bothering me is about the title of World Champion. What exactly does it mean? Now you are probably reading this and thinking it is clearly a champ of the world, come on folks I have had a few concussions but I am not that dumb. My question is more based towards the rodeo aspect of being a World Champion. Now everyone knows that the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and The Professional Bull Riders World Finals take place in Las Vegas every year. This pits the best of the best against each other for the crown of World Champion. The World Finals have always been in Las Vegas, that is to the best of my knowledge. Every cowboy and cowgirl who rodeo professionally strives to ride in Vegas at the end of the year.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association or PRCA and the Professional Bull Riders or PBR tours travel all over North America year round hitting every state as well as Western Canada. I brought that piece of information up in order to ramp into this next bit of information. Even though the PRCA and PBR travel throughout North America they are not the only ones who do so. In North America we have so many rodeo tours who travel the same distance, now the money added might not be as high as the PRCA and PBR but the miles on the truck are still the same.

For instance,  the International Professional Rodeo Association or IPRA is a good example of the miles on the truck. Stretching to Michigan, Oklahoma, Missouri, Virginia, Georgia, etc and finally here in Ontario Canada. Every year the top 15 in each event are gathered in Oklahoma City for the International Finals Rodeo or IFR, they are all riding for the title of IPRA World Champion…….But they are not in Vegas they are in Oklahoma?

Now this is where my question comes out that I mentioned in the first paragraph. Do you have to be in Vegas in order to be dubbed a World Champion cowboy or cowgirl? Does your buckle have to say PRCA or PBR World Champion in order to give yourself that title? I have honestly asked this question year after year and I honestly get mixed answers. Some say you HAVE TO RIDE IN VEGAS, and that the IPRA is amateur. I remember growing up and one of my buddies saying that if he ever won a IPRA World Championship he would not wear the buckle because it did not say PRCA or PBR World Champion…….Are you retarded, I asked him.

Now when I consider this question I have to consider a few aspects. Number one, if you travel the same path and hit the same states as the PRCA and the PBR you have earned the right to declare yourself a World Champ. The talent that competes at the IPRA shows can challenge the talent of the PRCA and PBR. Number 2, being blinded by the fact that you have to ride in Vegas to be a World Champ is rather pre-school in my mind. The IPRA champs travel the same amount as the other so-called World Champs.  In fact, some of the current and past rodeo champs were at one time an IPRA champ: Austin Meier(PBR)  won the title at the age of 17, Terry Don West(PBR,PRCA) was also a IPRA champion and the list goes on.

Personally I would feel privileged to have a buckle that said World Champion no matter what association it was from. Whether it was won in Vegas, Oklahoma, Canada or Africa I would still be very proud of myself. That buckle is the symbol of True Grit (great movie) dedication and hard work. Therefore, no one should ever try to undercut you from that or make you feel less because you did not win it in Vegas. After all the people who are negative towards your world championship buckle likely will never be world champions.

Until Next Time,

Brandon

And So It Begins

Well rodeo season has begun here in Ontario Canada with the Rawhide Rodeo Company Canadian Tour and I could not be happier about it. Lately I have had trouble finding work in my desired field (landscaping) so I called up the boss of Rawhide Rodeo Canadian Tour and took a job with the company. This job entails setting up the rodeo hauling steel until it looks perfect, not exactly a dream job but a job nonetheless. The first rodeo was in Lindsay Ontario I was there on Tuesday night in order to set up everything. This location was rather convenient because the boss lived just 20minutes away from the grounds so we went there every night and had some of his wife’s home cooking.  When Friday rolled around we played host to about 200 screaming kids who came over to the rodeo grounds for a rodeo demonstration. The demonstration included horse and rider education, trick roping, a buggy that was pulled by a miniature pony and finally a bull riding demonstration. Earlier that day my co-worker Clint Smith and myself along with stock contractor from Ontario Joe Shaw went and got 2 bulls for this demo. Now being that I was one of the guys who was getting on for the demo I wanted to make sure that nothing to rank went on the trailer, in hopes of not looking like an idiot in front of the kids. This plan went well until a bull called Optimus Prime went on the trailer.

I had told my fellow co-worker that I wanted a bull named Banana Split, but when I went to show the kids my equipment my co-worker pulled a quick one on me and threw his rope on Split. I kinda figured that was gonna happen because truth be told I think he was a little scared of Optimus Prime…….but that’s between us.

My co-worker did well on his bull and I wish I could say the same, I got blown out so bad and landed on my back on hard ground. Clearly I was not ready for a bull who went unridden against the best bull riders in Eastern Canada. All the kids were screaming and cheering so at least they had a good time but after all it was for the kids.

 

Once rodeo time rolled around in Lindsay I was more than excited, the pen of bulls were bulls we have never seen before from a good guy by the name of Wayne Chausse . With Wayne’s reputation for breeding buckers we were ready to rock and roll. In the rodeo we had 45 bull riders entered which was an unreal number. The Saturday night perf had 15 entered than another 15 in the slack right after the show. Being that I was on the rodeo crew I was in slack. My bull is loaded up and I am patiently waiting while watching bull rider after bull rider being augured into the ground before the 8 second whistle. Finally it is my time to shine, I climb down on my calve (a bull that is 2-4yrs old) and I get my buddy to pull me down, I take my wrap with my new Brazilian Bull Rope slide up and nod my head. The ride was going great until I got a bit behind and bucked off I tried running from the bull but stumbled on my way up and hit the ground and before I knew it I was hit in the lower back and was being rolled end over end by the bull. Finally I get to my feet and onto the fence where an older lady said and I quote “The Bravest Man She Had Ever Seen”. Nothing was to hurt I was just a little tender.

One bull got rode that night and then 2 more the next day, nice pay-day I’d say. So after we tore down the rodeo in Lindsay it was off to the Extreme Event (bulls, broncs, barrels) in Paris Ontario. Walking a little tender I was looking for redemption, but that was thwarted when I saw the size of my bull. If you have read all my blogs I ask you to refer back to the blog entitled “Does Size Matter”. I have seen dogs bigger than the bull I drew that day, the jr.steers that day were bigger. I was not impressed, but I had to cover him and be a bull hand. With some high scores already on the board I knew I had to be top-notch to be in the race but those hopes fell short. The little bull got me out of my hand, I made a recovery but had nothing to get a hold of with my spurs and hit the dirt……..again.

Not off to a very good start for the season, but you can’t wonder in self pity you have to find ways to improve. So after I helped tear down the rodeo I went home and found a practice buckout roughly 3 hours from house so I loaded up my car and hit the road. Who do you know would drive 3 hours alone just for practice? Cowboys are a different breed. The buckout went well and it raised my confidence a bunch, so it was worth the trip. I look forward to riding next weekend in Chesterville, Ontario and I will have better news for my readers when the next blog comes out.

Until Next Time,

Brandon

Ontario Rodeo…..A Diamond In The Rough?

Much like the Olympics it is headlining news when a local athlete wins gold, or any medal for that fact. Being a Canadian you have to be proud of victories like that even if you do not follow that particular sport. For instance, I cannot stand figure skating let alone sit down and watch it on TV, but I was very happy to hear that our own Patrick Chan was crowned the World Champion this past week. I am proud to be Canadian but moments like that make me even prouder.

Now seeing Canadian athletes prosper in the world is truly amazing, but seeing Ontario athletes is even better in my mind, we have more to offer than Justin Bieber and Drake aka Wheel Chair Jimmy (Degrassi The Next Generation). Being that this is a blog about rodeo and bull riding I wanna highlight the rodeo athletes from Ontario who have found success in rodeo.

Being that I am a bull rider the first cowboy that comes to mind is Reuben Geleynse. When I started rodeo Reuben was the guy who was winning all the rodeos in the Jr.Bull Riding. He made it look so easy, when it was time for Reuben to move up to bulls he realized soon that he would move out west and take on the Canadian pro series where he was crowned the Canadian Bull Riding Champion. His career then took him to the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) for a successful 11 year career with several World Finals appearances. Reuben paved the way for other Ontario bull riders to make their mark on the world rodeo scene and for that we will be forever grateful.

Moving on from bull riding we also have champions in other rodeo events that are worth mentioning. Back in 2006 the Rawhide Rodeo Company began sanctioning rodeos in Ontario with the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) this gave the Ontario competitors a chance at making the International Finals Rodeo (IFR). Among these finalists was a Barrel Racer by the name of Cathy Grant. Now much like any other sport you want the home team to win, and being that the IFR is in Oklahoma City you can imagine that they did not want any Canadians winning their gold. But after the 4th round at the IFR that fear became a reality when Cathy captured the finals championship for the Barrel Racing. This of course opened the eyes of everyone that was in attendance. Cathy sparked what would be an amazing run for Ontario competitors. Further adding to the Grant family name is her son Morgan who captured gold by winning a round at last years Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) in the calf roping event.

Now you might be thinking that Cathy was the first Ontario competitor to make a mark at the IFR but you would be wrong. A bareback bronc rider by the name of Roger Lacasse is well worth mentioning as well. Roger, who is from Quebec won back to back IFR World Championships in 2004 and 2005 then adding another one in 2008. Win the persistence of both athletes it was only fitting that another would prosper in the rodeo world as well. This time it was a Steer Wrestler from Dashwood, Ontario. Matt Mousseau left his mark forever in the history books of rodeo, winning the International Professional Rodeo Association Steer Wrestling World Championship back to back in 2008 and 2009. Winning a world title is hard enough and very rare but he did 2 years in a row. That’s pure cowboy if you ask me.

Being proud of our cowboys and cowgirls is truly amazing, the hills they had to climb in order to succeed is rather inspiring. However, the bragging rights do not stop with them. Our animal athletes also have some victories that need to be addressed. One of the biggest rodeo’s of the year is the Calgary Stampede and in 2000 Ontario was fortunate enough to produce a bucking bull worthy enough to qualify for the stampede. Bucking in one of the long rounds Brian&Becky Normans bull Zombie Zoo made us very proud. We enjoyed drawing him but hated when he dusted us so it was good to see it happen to some of the pros. Another note worthy bull is Bloody Sunday from the Rawhide Rodeo Company. This bull is a 2-time IPRA bucking bull of the year. Both awards were well deserved, one of the best rides I have ever seen was when Brandon Moore rode him at the North American Professional Cowboys finals back in 2009. Truly an amazing bull. Rawhide has also produced numerous champion bucking horses as well, one of the many horses is a Saddle Bronc by the name of Mardi Gras also a IPRA World Champion.

So before you go thinking that all the rodeo hype and championships settle in places like Texas and Oklahoma take a second to remember this blog entry and consider all the attributes that Ontario rodeo has to offer….I promise you that those around you will be shocked. We are like a diamond in the rough…..But a diamond nonetheless.

Until Next Time,

Brandon

My Mom Rode Bulls Once.

To say that bull riding is a family thing would be an understatement. I am the oldest of 5 kids and 4 of us have been on the back of a bull. The interest in bull riding first began with the interest in the horse world. We have been around horses for as long as I can remember, we mostly went to horse shows as kids. No bulls or broncs at these deals just barrels, pole bending,  etc. We as kids we growing up cowboy right before our parents eyes. But turning barrels was not enough for my Dad.

One night at a local bar my Dad ran into some cowboys who ran the Ontario Rodeo Association.  After a few brews they talked him into trying out rodeo. His first event he wanted to try was of course, the bull riding. This later turned into passion that would go on for a good 10years. Dad also took a shine to the Steer Wrestling event where he was crowned the 1993 Ontario Finals Rodeo champion….That was a proud day. Nothing like being a little tyke at the age of 8 and watching your Dad win it all.

My mom also ventured into rodeo to compete in the Barrel Racing event. Along with her came one of my sisters Logan. She was competing in the Junior Barrel Racing event. A family affair to say the least. My Dad’s first ride was one I’ll never forget. He drew the rankest bull in the pen, his name was SledgeHammer. This bull to Ontario is what Little Yellow Jacket is to the PBR. Unfortunately Dad did not last the 8 seconds but that ride not only sparked a fire in him to do it again but my brother Josh and I had to try it.

When Josh and I both turned 8 years old it was time to enter the junior bull riding. Nervous as hell but excited at the same time. My first ride was in Milverton Ontario and much like my Dad’s first ride I just had to draw the biggest jr.bull in the pen. So there I am, helmet on heart beating  100 miles an hour and my Dad giving me pointers. I sit down on the back of that black critter and warm up my rope, I slide my hand in the hand hold of my bull rope I begin to take my wrap, slide on up and drop my legs and get a good hold of my spurs and nod for the gate….He comes out jumping high and all I remember is seeing the sky then hitting the rock hard ground. I get up run back to the chutes and my Dad asks me “Well how was that” me unable to breathe due to having the wind taken out of me, I just looked up and smiled at him….I was HOOKED on it.

Everyone in my family who has tried bull riding has hit the ground hard before the 8 second whistle. That is all except for my mom. I believe I was 9 years old when this happened. We all entered a fun indoor rodeo in the winter time. My brother Josh and I were riding steers, my Dad in bulls and my mom also entered the bull riding based on a dare. Josh and I both rode our steers and now it was on to the bull riding. Mom was up first, everyone was watching this one. Mom slides up and nods for the gate, to everyone’s surprise she is doing very well, that bull took off bucking down the pen and mom did not move. When the 8 second whistle went off Mom yelled “I CAN’T GET OFF”….”HELP ME”…No word of a lie she could not get off that bull…Eventually with the help of the other bull riders she hits the ground and salutes the crowd. The judges gave her a well deserved 68 points. They kept my Dad till the end to close out the show in hopes of a good performance. Now looking back they should have kept Mom till the end because my Dad bucked off in 3 seconds. I laughed.  Mom won the bull riding all to herself.

With everyone riding bulls it wasn’t hard to guess that my younger brother and sister (Joel and Haley) would want to try it too. Joel, who is 15 started last year in the junior bull riding took a shine to it right away. He did juniors for one year than moved up to bulls just last fall. My sister Haley is a barrel racing prodigy. At only 13 she has a ridiculous amount of horse sense. We figured she would stay far away from bull riding as possible, much like my other sister Logan….Well folks, we were dead wrong. Haley had to try it. Being a former bull riding champion, Mom had to say yes. Now, the cherry on the cake is that Haley already competes in 3 other rodeo events. Ladies Barrel Racing, Junior Barrel Racing, and Pole Bending. Talk about a busy day. She tried junior bulls for a few rodeos got the wind knocked out of her almost cried due to the pain but she is a tough cowgirl so she kept the tears back. Cowgirl Up. I was proud of her.

So as you can see bull riding runs in my family, and I personally love it. My younger brothers and sisters look up to me in that respect and it is a warming feeling, I could not be more proud of them. The support that we give each other in rodeo in unreal and is always a good feeling. Some families go camping or play hockey….When it comes to my family and I, it’s all about riding bulls.

Until Next Time,

Brandon