#12 – Ride that Bull! – May 21, 2011

In the American tradition the rider must stay atop the bucking bull for eight seconds. The rider tightly fastens one hand to the bull with a long braided rope. It is a risky sport and has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." ~ Wikipedia

I really have no history to draw upon as far as riding a mechanical bull. Perhaps it was just that I was basically afraid to do anything as a kid for fear of failing or being humiliated. One of the plusses about aging is that you finally realize that you gain strength from failing…if you allow it. The things I have been most afraid of doing, have been the things I have done the best at. However, bull riding is not one of these things….

Jen called one night and invited us to the Montessori School Fund Raiser. It would be a Hoe Down with ribs, line dancing, silent auction, and, yes, a mechanical bull. She thought of me instantly ~ which still puzzles me. Anyway, we said yes and went to the closet to find flannel, leather vest, boots, and bandanas.

The event was in a riding stable with authentic horse pies to navigate through while wearing my fancy NYC Nine West leather boots. We grabbed a beer, chips, guacamole, and ribs, and tapped our boots to the sound of Garth Brooks. The mechanical bull was impossible not to notice on the far side of the stable but no one was going near it. Since most of us are in our ‘surgical’ years, you have to think two or three times about what looks like fun and what looks like stitches.

After Jen, Bart and Dave finished licking BBQ sauce off their fingers, I knew it was time. Let’s go before there is a line. I spent some time talking to the bull masters from Leominster, since I like to research everything I do, and got few tips for outlasting the bull. They gave me time to mount and figure out my form. There is only room for one hand on the rope so the only place for the other hand is swinging in the air. A bull has a pretty large body and there are not a lot of places for your legs to go. Just wrap and cling the best you can.

The bull began to move back and forth and I thought “This is cool.” I whooped it up as the giant Taurus moved up and down, smiling for the camera. Once the masters started moving it side to side, the game changed dramatically. Bull tips left, I tip right. Bull tips right, I tip left. At this point a crowd had gathered but my 8 seconds were coming to a quick close. There is only one way to get off the bull and that is to fall. To fail. And by not breaking or straining anything at all, it was a win.





Later that night, there was a riding competition. All I needed was someone to egg me on but Dave was getting the car, Jen was in the checkout line and Bart was not convincing. When I watched the bull whip a 25 year old around like Gumby, I decided to take my pictures, my memories, and bragging rights, and go home.

Mechanical Bull Ride: Check ✔