# Rodeo/Bull Riding



## maple lake duck slayer (Sep 25, 2003)

I have always liked rodeo and bull riding, but in the last year, I have taken a new kind of liking to it. I would really like to get into bull riding...take some lessons, get the mechanics of it down, and eventually compete in small events around close states. The only problem is, I have no idea where to start. I emailed the Minnesota Rodeo Association and haven't heard back from them yet. I suppose I need to find a place to take some lessons. I just don't know where to look for something like this. If anybody knows where to look for lessons or any info about this, it would be appreciated. I need to get my foot in the door somewhere. I know ND has a lot of rodeo events and rodeo participants, so if somebody could help me out, it would be great. Thanks.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

Well I was born a cowboy and we rode bulls to learn how to ride bulls. Your biggest setback is insurance and liability. You get yourself insured and get some disclaimers made up then it's probably a good idea to try to ride a horse first. Get good at falling off horses then you are ready for the ejection seat. Then you just pay your entry fee at a local rodeo and ride cowboy ride. Best way to hang on is to grab your scrotum and tie it and your hand to the bull, great incentive to hang on real tight.


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

maple lake duck slayer

You were hanging out around the mechanical bull at We Fest this last weekend weren't ya? :beer: 
Your just wanting to chase the Bobbie Jo's & Betty Lou's and have them put a big Texas smile on your face !!!


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## north14 (Oct 1, 2004)

Ya got to be nuts to want to do that kid.


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## tbercier (Mar 4, 2005)

hey there its great to see someone want to get involved in rodeo. no offense buckseye but i think thats the worst thing you can do. by that i mean entering up and hanging on. after all this is your life your talking about. i rode broncs for a lot of years and none of it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for proper teaching and conditioning. if i was you i would contact a rodeo school and see if you can't attend one. i think the best one out there today is put on by lyle sankey you can go to the website at www.sankeyrodeo.com they offer schools all over the country and their might be one near you. if you don't want to go that route, go to a rodeo and go and talk to one of the guys riding, i'm sure they would be more than happy to point you in the right direction, i knw when i was riding there was always guys wanting to know how to get into it and i always helped as best i could. you could also call a few stock contractors, they might know of some schools or ways you could break into the sport. do a search on google of stock contractors in your state and start calling around. remember though, its a tough sport and dangerous every time you lower yourself in the chutes, so you have to be physically and mentally tough. however you won't find a better group of friends than those in the rodeo arena. good luck and let 'er buck rubber duck.


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## englishpointer (May 16, 2005)

OK OK ,

Anyone of you know how a bullrider is made??
First you take a hand full of marbles(a mouth full)
after you Ride a Bull you spit one out

Then when you loose all your marbles you are a bullrider.

this coming from a Bareback rider. :beer:


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## yote (Jan 3, 2005)

Brad Gjermundson rough stock school is in northern SD and is a really reasonable school


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## englishpointer (May 16, 2005)

PS Brad is a great role model to have in the Rodeo life!!


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## maple lake duck slayer (Sep 25, 2003)

MossyMo-
Didn't make it to the mechanical bull at WE Fest. :lol: I'm not gonna lie-I got asked by a ton of women up at WE Fest if I was a bullrider. I was decked out in the cowboy shirts, hats, boots, and pants all weekend. Women were asking us left and right to take pictures with them. Bullriders must get more a$$ than a porta potty at WE Fest. :lol:

Thanks for all the responses so far. Not sure how much money I would want to invest to go to a rodeo school, since I am already a full time college student. I was looking more for lessons throughout the year and then being able to travel during the Summer to ride at small town rodeos.

Just a dream that I would like to do someday I guess.


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## minkerel (Jul 29, 2005)

If you're serious about riding bulls I would try to find a way to go to a school or at least find another bullrider that might help ya along. Another option is instructional video tapes. They will show you the fundamentals, buy your gear, enter a few small competitions and learn as you go. When I started riding bulls I had some buddies that were already riding so that helped but, a couple of the stock contractors would have maybe one day a week where we could all go out to their place and ride practice bulls, pay them whatever (usually like 10 bucks a ride or something), they and the other more experienced riders would tell ya what the bull should do and let ya know what you done right and what to work on. If you want to ride just get on em, when ya get down get back up and do it again.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> If you want to ride just get on em, when ya get down get back up and do it again


.

Exactly what I was going to say about the contractors too minkerel. Ya got get on and ride something to learn the instictive reactions needed to stay on top, sort of like practiceing a martial art. If your young and heal fast do it.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

I lost a friend right out of high school to the rodeo. If you've seen the movie "8 Seconds" it was a similar scene. He reached for his mother in the stands and dropped.....horrible.

I would advise taking it slow and know what you're doing before you get in.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

This is a new angle on here... but how about anybody who hasn't done it don't give advice....


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

> If you've seen the movie "8 Seconds"


If you noticed since lane Frosts death (8 Seconds) a lot of riders are wearing helmets and padded leather vests now. Seems like it kind of takes something away from the picture of a death defying youth on a bull now. Remember Tuff Hedderman in the movie that was Frosts best friend.............. several years back he was riding a bull named Bodacious that broke every bone in his face and that was before he hit the ground. On the other have I have a cousin that rode bulls many years ago then went into raising bulls for rodeos and many a times I've heard him say you never see a old bull rider. Seems it is a sport for the young only. I climbed on the back of a few yearlings in my younger days but it didn't take long for me to see it wasn't in my future.


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