Monday, October 12, 2009

Bull riding in Texas!


This weekend my Texas cultural education continued with a visit to a local Bullfest! Oh my… Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a very large bull and attempting to stay mounted for at least 8 seconds while the animal attempts to buck off the rider. The rider tightly fastens one hand to the bull with a long braided rope. It is a risky sport and has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports. Only 4 lasted past the required 8 seconds, the rest went flying and cartwheeling off into the distance. Every single one of them had to hop when hitting the dirt as a half ton of livid bull was inches away trying to pulverize their butt into dust. So needless to say, that moment got more reaction from the few hundred strong crowd.

One humorous moment was provided when half a ton of bull refused to go back into the pen and stormed everything that moved sending rodeo clown jumping fences like crazy! I am sitting on the third row from the bottom halfway down the arena and watch the bull with interest, remembering when last in Spain I visited a bullfight and one very cheesed of bull broke through the outer fence and send picadors, photographers and other Spaniards climbing walls to get out of his way when suddenly I realized that the current bull was heading straight for me! There is only one gaggle of older ladies between me and the bull when it smacked into the fence two meters in front of me. The lady in front of me got covered in lovely mixture of bull snot and mucus. I am talking drenched. That bull’s sinuses were cleared which I am sure he would enjoy after his headache dissipated.

It made my day!

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