COWBOY UP-- BULL RIDING

This has to be a top contender for the most extreme sport.
The most dangerous sport in the world, some say.
Bull riding takes a lot of skill, physical fitness, and just plain guts.
A bull rider must draw the animals name out of a hat, that is how the bull, is chosen for him to ride, for this performance.
Bulls are born to buck and be a rodeo showman themselves and are judged by their performance just as the rider will be.
The bull’s weight is around 1000 to 2500 pounds of twisting, turning, bucking bundle of pure muscle.
The rider eases himself down onto the back of the bull in the bucking chutes. Taking a leather strap he wraps his hand around the bucking strap that goes all the way around the bull’s stomach. In essence he is tying himself onto the bull.
The rider better be ready to say lets go, or the bull will be bucking in the tiny chute they are in.
The bull has a number of techniques to buck the rider off like belly rolls, spins from side to side, twists and hops.
The rider is trying to hang on with one hand on the rope the other hand in the air, his two feet spurring from shoulder to flank.
Not only is the rider attempting to stay on this beast for 8 seconds, without touching the bull with his free hand or falling off, he is spurring, shoulder to flank with both of his feet.
If the rider completes the ride, he will be judged by his performance, just as the bull will, on a scale of 0-50 each. This gives the rider the score for this ride. Scoring in the 80’s is very good, up near 90 is exceptional.
Every December the National Finals Rodeo is held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The performances are held over 10 days. All of the scores from the months leading up to the final score, for a year end total.
The bull riders work all year for a chance to ride in the 10 day competition. Once it is over, they start it all over again in January for the next year’s season.
Would any of them think of giving it up for a less hazardous profession? No way.
Riding hurt is just part of the “cowboyin up.” Separated shoulder, broken hand or foot, bruised, battered still they ride.
It is a wonder to see. I have been to many rodeos and love the bull riding event the most. It seems like a very hard way to earn any money.
If the bull rider can stay on this bucking, twisting, bundle of horns and hooves, for 8 seconds, do all the spurring and riding like he has to, for the judges, he can get a good enough score to win this kind of money.
8th place bull rider $146,406.00
2nd place bull rider $197,646.00
How about the top first place winner $ 320,766.00.
Could you ride a bull for this kind of money in one year?
A better question may be would you have the guts to cowboy up?