The bull always wins the ride. It’s quite difficult to stay atop the bucking mammal, so in the sport of bull riding, all the judges ask is for participants to remain on the animal for at least eight seconds. Even eight seconds, however, is often too steep a task, and riders are typically thrown onto the dirt floor of the arena before the required time expires. Even after the rider has been jettisoned from the bull, the rodeo doesn’t end. The rider still has to scamper to a safe location, whether inside the arena or out of it, while the rodeo clowns try to divert the bull’s attention and attempt to calm the raging bull.
Bull riding is perhaps one of the most dangerous sports ever invented. The idea that a man can ride a behemoth 10 times his weight does not seem to be an idea that resonates closely with safety. Even the safety equipment that is given to the riders seems largely inconsequential. Helmets are frequently ripped off heads (if riders even choose to wear them), riders get their hand stuck inside their bull ropes while the bulls continue their thrashing and the rodeo clowns seem to be unable to help the disoriented and hurt riders.
Bull riding seems to thrive not in spite of but because of its innate danger. In the best rides, bulls jump and spin violently and riders must be daring enough to endure these manic animals. This desire to see violence is reflected in the scoring, half of the points a rider can earn are subscribed to the performance of the beast. Bull riding is inherently a sport about danger, so there will be incidents of bulls stomping on riders or bulls attempting to maul clowns, but those are seen as quirks of the game rather than an accident, as a bystander might assume.
During the rider’s time on the bull, they are spinning and being launched into the air. Only one hand is allowed to touch the bull or the bull rope as they desperately try to hang on. Injuries are incredibly common, yet for most riders, there is almost a need to ride dangerously. Depending on the rider, a more wild and thus dangerous bull is desirable over a slightly “calmer” bull. Besides the higher point total for riding a difficult bull well, there is still the challenge that ultimately resides at the foundation of this sport: Can you ride a wild animal?
At the end of the day, bull riding is a sport filled with history and pride. Its dangers are still the same as those of the cowboys of old. By putting themselves on the back of a bull, the riders know the danger — but danger is the point of the sport.
