By Brett Fisher
What does a one-ton bull have in common with a 200-ton freight train?
A lot, in fact.
Both are large, unimaginably strong, and deceptively fast. And both can do a lot of damage in a very short amount of time.
Mere seconds is all it takes for a professional rodeo bull to wreak havoc in an arena, and cause a split second of imminent danger to the human body.
But staring death in the eye from the confines of a steel chute a little over eight feet long and less than three feet wide is all in a day’s work for the professional rodeo bull rider, about a dozen of whom showed off for an excited crowd at the Fuji Park Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena Saturday night for the annual Carson City Smackdown bull riding event.
Riders from several states competed for prizes in the bull-riding extravaganza, including a few from nearby Reno and Fernley, too.
More than one agitated bull stubbornly refused to exit the arena. One, in particular, charged the gate as soon as it shut on him, and his brute strength forced it open before the gatekeeper could latch it.
Another bull reared up while in the cramped chute, causing the rider’s safety team to pick him up and out of danger swiftly.
Still another slammed into the side of a bull fighter clinging to the gates after the animal had bucked off its rider.
And, a bull charged the barrel in which the head bull fighter — a crowd pleaser named The Sheriff — crouched, knocked him over, and spun him around.
It was a wild night for bull riding, and both the riders and the fighters earned their pay on Saturday.
In addition to the bulls, there were bucking broncs, too. Those animals, while lighter by weight, are just as tough as the mad-as-hell bovines we hear so much about.
Frankly, there isn’t much difference between the damage an angry 2,000-pound bull can cause the human body, and that which a wild-kicking 1,200-pound bronc can do. It all hurts.
Needless to say, wise cowboys steer clear of both as quickly as possible the moment they hit dirt.
Starting off the evening’s entertainment were the youthful mutton busters, pint-sized cowboys and cowgirls who bravely cling to the necks and hides of sprinting sheep running as fast as they can out of the chute.
Most of the little riders could only stay on for a second or two before losing their grips. But a couple of young riders showed true grit, locking their arms around the animals’ necks for dear life.
One small mutton buster even had a hard time letting go once the ride was declared over.
As usual in a rodeo, the animals were the star attractions at the Carson City Smackdown. It’s safe to say they stole the show.
