Any truth to the rumor they tie a rope around the bulls nuts to get them to buck?

No. If you watch the bull buck you can see the balls swing free. the flank rope is way in front of the balls.

We have about 4 rodeos per year in NW Montana. I enjoy all of the events. The bull riders are generally last and a typical score at the conclusion of the bull riding is: Bulls 10 - Riders 0.

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
Any truth to the rumor they tie a rope around the bulls nuts to get them to buck?

Good Lord, no! Where did you ever hear a stupid thing like that?!?

This past July at CFD, I got to know Chad Berger of Chad Berger Bucking Bulls, Minot, ND. The PBR Finals recently concluded and Chad was awarded his 8th Stock Contractor of the Year award. No one else comes close. I was working with a film crew from Nashville doing a documentary on Cheyenne Frontier Days and arranged for them to film and interview Chad. Nobody could love a dog more than Berger loves those bulls. Things like “a rope around the bull’s balls” just makes me angry—so much ignorance, so much of it willful to take advantage of those just uneducated about rodeo.

I’ve also got to know Dusty Tuckness and Cody Webster a bit the last couple years. They’re two of the top bullfighters in rodeo and what guys like that do to try and keep riders safe is absolutely incredible.

I don't see bull riding so much as sport as a dare or a stunt. When you break down the components of fitness and athleticism, you have something like:

Cardiovascular Endurance
Stamina
Strength
Flexibility
Power
Speed
Coordination
Agility
Balance
Accuracy

Compared to other athletes, the only element IMO that bull riders rate significantly higher than average is Balance. Emphasis on "other athletes" - I'm not considering the general population. I've never seen a bull rider and thought, 'What an elite athlete. He probably could have been a great [insert other sport] if wanted too.'

Mostly they're just guys who are brave/foolish enough to get on a bucking bull.

Two interesting things I've read about pro bull riders:

1. They can wear each others' clothes. There is apparently only one height/weight/configuration of man that is capable of staying on a bull (a statistically significant amount of the time) for eight seconds. They are all the same size.

2. Some scientists were puzzled awhile back about fossil evidence of early Neanderthals and Home Sapiens, because of the strange and extensive fractures they suffered - like nothing they had ever seen. Some doctors from the Southwest reported they were consistent with bull riders they had treated. Getting up close and personal on a regular basis with very large, mean animals is like nothing else.

quote:

Originally posted by UTsig:
The property next our sub division is part of the Diamond G Ranch, they raise bulls for competition. My wife walks by the back of it and came across this guy, turns out he's famous. I believe he's even been cloned!!

That is a HUGE beast.