Unlike
the other roughstock
contestants, bull riders are not
required to spur. No wonder.
It's usually impressive enough
just to remain seated for eight
seconds on an animal that may
weigh more than a ton and is as
quick as he is big.
Upper body control and strong
legs are essential to riding
bulls. The rider tries to remain
forward, or "over his hand," at
all times. Leaning back could
cause him to be whipped forward
when the bull bucks.
Judges watch for good body
position and other factors,
including use of the free arm
and spurring action. Although
not required, spurring will add
points to a rider's score.
As in all the riding events,
half of the score in bull riding
is determined by the
contestant's performance and the
other half is based on the
animal's efforts.
A bull rider will be
disqualified for touching the
animal, himself or his equipment
with his free hand.
Bull riding was the subject of
the feature film "Eight
Seconds." The movie chronicled
the life of 1987 world champion
Lane Frost, who died as the
result of a bull riding accident
at the 1989 Cheyenne (Wyo.)
Frontier Days Rodeo.
Unlike
the other roughstock
contestants, bull riders are not
required to spur. No wonder.
It's usually impressive enough
just to remain seated for eight
seconds on an animal that may
weigh more than a ton and is as
quick as he is big.