Friday, July 15, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
13 Year Old Girl Raising Bucking Bulls
Some 13-year-old girls like wearing frilly dresses and have a cat or dog as a pet.
Cheyenne Martin, 13, prefers wearing jeans and western shirts and keeps bulls as pets.
These are mean bulls that weigh almost a ton and will toss cowboys who try to ride them off their backs and then try to gore or trample the would-be rider.
The Tharptown School eighth-grader from Mt. Hope began raising rodeo bulls three years ago. She now owns six that compete in rodeos around the Tennessee Valley as well as dozens of cows and calves.
So far this year, cowboys have managed to ride only two of her bulls for the eight seconds required to earn a score from rodeo judges.
“Everybody who tries to ride them talks about how good my bulls are,” she said. “They tell me my bulls are tough to ride.”
The teen begins preparing her bulls for rodeos when they are 1 year old by placing an 18-pound dummy on their back and allowing them to buck it off. She then uses a 25-pound dummy and eventually a real cowboy.
“The first couple of times somebody tries to ride them, the bulls usually don't know what to do,” Martin said. “But once they realize that if they buck, jump and twist around enough, they can throw that cowboy off their back. They become tough to ride.”
The more a bull bucks, jumps and twists during a rodeo, the more points earned by a cowboy who is able to stay on for 8 seconds. Bull riders prefer the bulls to be active and downright ornery.
Martin said she never turns her back on her bulls when she is working around them.
“Sometimes when they are out in the pasture, they will run at you,” she said. “Sometimes when you have them in a stable or a holding pen, they will snort when you walk by. They make me nervous sometimes, but I always keep my eyes on them.”
Her father, Jim Martin, said the teen has been around cattle and rodeos all her life and knows how to avoid being injured by bulls.
“She knows what she is doing,” he said. “She knows a bull can hurt you, and she respects them. She knows the danger and knows how to take care of herself around the bulls.”
In addition to raising bucking bulls, the teen also raises and trains ponies.
She competes in barrel-racing competitions at rodeos and for a time thought about riding bulls.
“When she was younger, she wanted to ride a bull,” Jim Martin said. “I was able to talk her out of it. I tried riding a bull one time and that was enough for me. There's no animal at the rodeo any tougher to ride than a bull.”
Her bucking bull business could pay her way to college. Bucking bulls sell for about $700 for an unproven calf to more than $30,000 for a rodeo star.
“She likes to reinvest the money she earns from her bulls and ponies back into her business,” Jim Martin said. “She already has a pretty good bank account from the money she has earned.”
The teen spends time with her cattle and ponies every day and makes sure they are in top notch condition at all times, Jim Martin said.
“She makes sure her animals never want for anything,” he said. “She's a good
rancher.”
Having grown up on a farm and being a member of 4-H, Cheyenne said farming and taking care of animals
comes naturally.
She plans to continue her bucking bull business as an adult and hopes that some of her bulls will be selected for professional level rodeos such as those sponsored by the Professional Bull Riders
organization.
“She's off to a good start,” Jim Martin said. “She has some good bulls and they keep getting better every year. Several people have told us she has some bulls that have the potential to move up to the pro circuits some day.”
Jim said a rodeo bull's career typically last from the time they are 3 years old until they are 6 or 7. The good ones will be put out to pasture after their rodeo career in hopes of getting calves that are just as good. Bulls that fail to live up to expectations in rodeos are typically slaughtered to become ground beef.
“Most people don't realize it, but when they eat a hamburger, they might be eating and old rodeo bull,” Jim Martin said.
Cheyenne Martin, 13, prefers wearing jeans and western shirts and keeps bulls as pets.
These are mean bulls that weigh almost a ton and will toss cowboys who try to ride them off their backs and then try to gore or trample the would-be rider.
The Tharptown School eighth-grader from Mt. Hope began raising rodeo bulls three years ago. She now owns six that compete in rodeos around the Tennessee Valley as well as dozens of cows and calves.
So far this year, cowboys have managed to ride only two of her bulls for the eight seconds required to earn a score from rodeo judges.
“Everybody who tries to ride them talks about how good my bulls are,” she said. “They tell me my bulls are tough to ride.”
The teen begins preparing her bulls for rodeos when they are 1 year old by placing an 18-pound dummy on their back and allowing them to buck it off. She then uses a 25-pound dummy and eventually a real cowboy.
“The first couple of times somebody tries to ride them, the bulls usually don't know what to do,” Martin said. “But once they realize that if they buck, jump and twist around enough, they can throw that cowboy off their back. They become tough to ride.”
The more a bull bucks, jumps and twists during a rodeo, the more points earned by a cowboy who is able to stay on for 8 seconds. Bull riders prefer the bulls to be active and downright ornery.
Martin said she never turns her back on her bulls when she is working around them.
“Sometimes when they are out in the pasture, they will run at you,” she said. “Sometimes when you have them in a stable or a holding pen, they will snort when you walk by. They make me nervous sometimes, but I always keep my eyes on them.”
Her father, Jim Martin, said the teen has been around cattle and rodeos all her life and knows how to avoid being injured by bulls.
“She knows what she is doing,” he said. “She knows a bull can hurt you, and she respects them. She knows the danger and knows how to take care of herself around the bulls.”
In addition to raising bucking bulls, the teen also raises and trains ponies.
She competes in barrel-racing competitions at rodeos and for a time thought about riding bulls.
“When she was younger, she wanted to ride a bull,” Jim Martin said. “I was able to talk her out of it. I tried riding a bull one time and that was enough for me. There's no animal at the rodeo any tougher to ride than a bull.”
Her bucking bull business could pay her way to college. Bucking bulls sell for about $700 for an unproven calf to more than $30,000 for a rodeo star.
“She likes to reinvest the money she earns from her bulls and ponies back into her business,” Jim Martin said. “She already has a pretty good bank account from the money she has earned.”
The teen spends time with her cattle and ponies every day and makes sure they are in top notch condition at all times, Jim Martin said.
“She makes sure her animals never want for anything,” he said. “She's a good
rancher.”
Having grown up on a farm and being a member of 4-H, Cheyenne said farming and taking care of animals
comes naturally.
She plans to continue her bucking bull business as an adult and hopes that some of her bulls will be selected for professional level rodeos such as those sponsored by the Professional Bull Riders
organization.
“She's off to a good start,” Jim Martin said. “She has some good bulls and they keep getting better every year. Several people have told us she has some bulls that have the potential to move up to the pro circuits some day.”
Jim said a rodeo bull's career typically last from the time they are 3 years old until they are 6 or 7. The good ones will be put out to pasture after their rodeo career in hopes of getting calves that are just as good. Bulls that fail to live up to expectations in rodeos are typically slaughtered to become ground beef.
“Most people don't realize it, but when they eat a hamburger, they might be eating and old rodeo bull,” Jim Martin said.
Been happening for years !
Bulls, not riders, under steroids cloud in bull riding
By Josh Peter, Yahoo! Sports
October 2, 2007
The steroids scandals have claimed the latest and perhaps most unlikely suspect yet.
The sport of bull riding may start drug testing some of its athletes – not the riders, the bulls.
As if the four-legged beasts that weigh up to 2,200 pounds don't have enough testosterone, some bull owners allegedly are injecting the animals with anabolic steroids.
"Oh, I think damn near everybody's doing it," said Jerry Nelson, one of the sport's top bull owners. "It ain't going to slow down. It's just like baseball, football, whatever. It's not going to slow down until you legislate (against) it."
Gary Warner, a prominent veterinarian in the world of bull riding, said he recently received calls from two bull owners asking him to look into the possibility of drug testing what some in the industry refer to as "the bovine athletes." Warner intends to bring the matter up for discussion at this month's World Finals in Las Vegas.
The PBR board of directors met Sept. 20 to discuss the implementation of an anti-steroids policy, tour CEO Randy Bernard said. The board will meet with Warner and PBR's attorney before fine-tuning the language, according to Bernard, who said the policy likely will call for the testing of the top-performing bulls at each event.
Gilbert Carrillo, a former rider who now raises bulls, said he would welcome drug testing considering what he's seen on the circuit.
"When you got a 2-year-old bull or a 3-year-old bull looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger, there is some form of steroid there," he said.
The practice dates back at least to the late 1990s, when Nelson said steroid use was so rampant he decided to give it a try. He said his bulls became more aggressive and muscular but also developed side effects. For some, hair color changed. Others grew sterile, jeopardizing their value as potential breeders.
Nelson said he promptly swore off steroids, but how many other trainers followed suit is a matter of debate.
Warner, who works with some of the sport's leading trainers, said inquiries from bull owners about steroid use has dropped substantially in the past 10 years to the point where few in the industry even have discussed it since he got the recent calls about the possibility of drug testing. Though there is no anti-doping policy for livestock in the Professional Bull Riders tour – the major leagues of bull riding – or the rest of the rodeo world, the use of anabolic steroids in bulls is unapproved and illegal.
Despite what steroids might do for major-league sluggers and NFL linebackers, Warner said he sees no competitive advantage by pumping bulls full of steroids. Yes, he said, steroids promote muscle gain, but only if you work out.
"The case in point is, gee, we're not sticking a bull underneath the weight rack and doing 700-pound squats," Warner said.
But suspicions of drug use heightened in 2004 when someone found empty syringes outside the pen that housed the bulls during the Professional Bull Riders World Finals in Las Vegas. The syringes could have been used to inject vitamin B-12 shots, which are approved for bulls. But Don Kish, president of American Bucking Bull Inc., took renewed concerns to the board of directors.
"We brought it up, passed some rules and then found out we passed some rules we didn't have the ability to enforce," he said.
Apparently the group couldn't settle on a definition of an illegal drug, considering some of the medications allegedly abused are narcotics approved for therapeutic use in bulls. But Warner said the industry could set permissible thresholds for approved medications and employ the same technology that is used to test racehorses to test bulls.
The root of alleged cheating in bull riding is – what else? – money. This year ABBI will pay out more than $1.6 million in competitions for bulls between ages 2 and 4.
Carrillo, who retired from riding last year to focus on raising bulls, said owners find themselves asking the same question.
"How can I make my bull perform better than it's already performing?" Carrillo said. "The first thing that comes to mind is steroids. They think steroids will make a bull jump over the moon.
"It does make a bull gain weight quicker, get more muscle mass quicker and make their performance a little better, but not as much as people think it would."
He paused momentarily as he considered bigger, faster and meaner bulls tossing cowboys into the air.
"I think they need to give the riders some steroids to help them hang on," he said.
By Josh Peter, Yahoo! Sports
October 2, 2007
The steroids scandals have claimed the latest and perhaps most unlikely suspect yet.
The sport of bull riding may start drug testing some of its athletes – not the riders, the bulls.
As if the four-legged beasts that weigh up to 2,200 pounds don't have enough testosterone, some bull owners allegedly are injecting the animals with anabolic steroids.
"Oh, I think damn near everybody's doing it," said Jerry Nelson, one of the sport's top bull owners. "It ain't going to slow down. It's just like baseball, football, whatever. It's not going to slow down until you legislate (against) it."
Gary Warner, a prominent veterinarian in the world of bull riding, said he recently received calls from two bull owners asking him to look into the possibility of drug testing what some in the industry refer to as "the bovine athletes." Warner intends to bring the matter up for discussion at this month's World Finals in Las Vegas.
The PBR board of directors met Sept. 20 to discuss the implementation of an anti-steroids policy, tour CEO Randy Bernard said. The board will meet with Warner and PBR's attorney before fine-tuning the language, according to Bernard, who said the policy likely will call for the testing of the top-performing bulls at each event.
Gilbert Carrillo, a former rider who now raises bulls, said he would welcome drug testing considering what he's seen on the circuit.
"When you got a 2-year-old bull or a 3-year-old bull looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger, there is some form of steroid there," he said.
The practice dates back at least to the late 1990s, when Nelson said steroid use was so rampant he decided to give it a try. He said his bulls became more aggressive and muscular but also developed side effects. For some, hair color changed. Others grew sterile, jeopardizing their value as potential breeders.
Nelson said he promptly swore off steroids, but how many other trainers followed suit is a matter of debate.
Warner, who works with some of the sport's leading trainers, said inquiries from bull owners about steroid use has dropped substantially in the past 10 years to the point where few in the industry even have discussed it since he got the recent calls about the possibility of drug testing. Though there is no anti-doping policy for livestock in the Professional Bull Riders tour – the major leagues of bull riding – or the rest of the rodeo world, the use of anabolic steroids in bulls is unapproved and illegal.
Despite what steroids might do for major-league sluggers and NFL linebackers, Warner said he sees no competitive advantage by pumping bulls full of steroids. Yes, he said, steroids promote muscle gain, but only if you work out.
"The case in point is, gee, we're not sticking a bull underneath the weight rack and doing 700-pound squats," Warner said.
But suspicions of drug use heightened in 2004 when someone found empty syringes outside the pen that housed the bulls during the Professional Bull Riders World Finals in Las Vegas. The syringes could have been used to inject vitamin B-12 shots, which are approved for bulls. But Don Kish, president of American Bucking Bull Inc., took renewed concerns to the board of directors.
"We brought it up, passed some rules and then found out we passed some rules we didn't have the ability to enforce," he said.
Apparently the group couldn't settle on a definition of an illegal drug, considering some of the medications allegedly abused are narcotics approved for therapeutic use in bulls. But Warner said the industry could set permissible thresholds for approved medications and employ the same technology that is used to test racehorses to test bulls.
The root of alleged cheating in bull riding is – what else? – money. This year ABBI will pay out more than $1.6 million in competitions for bulls between ages 2 and 4.
Carrillo, who retired from riding last year to focus on raising bulls, said owners find themselves asking the same question.
"How can I make my bull perform better than it's already performing?" Carrillo said. "The first thing that comes to mind is steroids. They think steroids will make a bull jump over the moon.
"It does make a bull gain weight quicker, get more muscle mass quicker and make their performance a little better, but not as much as people think it would."
He paused momentarily as he considered bigger, faster and meaner bulls tossing cowboys into the air.
"I think they need to give the riders some steroids to help them hang on," he said.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Breeding Season
Starting in late January is when most Bucking stock contractors like to start their breeding season if they are playing the Futurity events, this insures that they all are at the same age and not months apart. I we like our calves to be in the early spring so we do not have to worry about loosing any to the harsh winters that have been of lately. We have also noticed that the calves respond and have a lot more energy and start grazing and eating feed a lot earlier, which in my opinion the grazing before going on feed is helping in growth and health more than having a calf in the winter months. I understand also that winter last a bit longer in the western states that in our area also,with that being said the events could start at later dates and end with later dates and the same money potential still being the same.
We raise our stock not for the big money in the high paying events but because we like raising bucking stock.We like the money do not get me wrong but we also don't want calves and their mothers stressed out by the cold weather because, they need alot of energy in the cold. Hay make a big difference in feeding winter months and we don't see calves start on hay as quick as we see the start to graze on pasture that one of the reason we like our early to late spring calves besides being healthier. There is no kind of growth hormones or steroids used on our place what so-ever, it is just not needed and it has been uncovered that some of the big stock contractors of today in the big shows has been caught using them which is illegal to start with (Steroids) I mean. If you can not raise a bucking bull with out cheating at it that shows that you are all about the money and yourself. That being said most of the big stock contractors do not raise their bulls they have big time money backers that make sure that they can just about buy any bull out there. I would like to be able to sit back and say that is actually a bull that I raised and not bought from someone else and shot it up on steroids and cheated my way into the short go.
Some of you may have no clue on anything that I'm talking about in raising rodeo stock or the work that goes into breeding, training or other work that is involved. May this your first time reading about it and have no idea about bull riding just follow along and read previous post and I will start having more informed blogs about the business.
We raise our stock not for the big money in the high paying events but because we like raising bucking stock.We like the money do not get me wrong but we also don't want calves and their mothers stressed out by the cold weather because, they need alot of energy in the cold. Hay make a big difference in feeding winter months and we don't see calves start on hay as quick as we see the start to graze on pasture that one of the reason we like our early to late spring calves besides being healthier. There is no kind of growth hormones or steroids used on our place what so-ever, it is just not needed and it has been uncovered that some of the big stock contractors of today in the big shows has been caught using them which is illegal to start with (Steroids) I mean. If you can not raise a bucking bull with out cheating at it that shows that you are all about the money and yourself. That being said most of the big stock contractors do not raise their bulls they have big time money backers that make sure that they can just about buy any bull out there. I would like to be able to sit back and say that is actually a bull that I raised and not bought from someone else and shot it up on steroids and cheated my way into the short go.
Some of you may have no clue on anything that I'm talking about in raising rodeo stock or the work that goes into breeding, training or other work that is involved. May this your first time reading about it and have no idea about bull riding just follow along and read previous post and I will start having more informed blogs about the business.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
So How Much is Your Bucking Bull Worth?
One of the hardest things for many breeders is determining the value of an animal. When you are determining the value of a bull, a good starting point is the animals purchase price.
In case of an animal from your own breeding program, people often start with three-times the stud fee (or what what it would be if you charged someone else to use that sire). If the stud fee was $4000.00 when the animal was born you might want to insure him for $12,000. Then you add to that amount as his career progresses. His increased value is based on any money spent training him, money spent hauling him down the road, competitions he may have won, the type of scores he's getting, and what type or organization or events he's competing at- is it high school rodeo, ABBI Futurity or Built Ford Tough Series? The value gets determined from there.
As an animals career develops from there, you can increase the value of the policy. If a bull does well at Futurities or Classics you may want to increase it before he goes on to the next stage of his career. If he starts to produce offspring that really buck, you may want to increase it again. Nothing will hurt more than loosing a bull in his Prime. Having the proper insurance will at least lessen your Financial Loss.
In case of an animal from your own breeding program, people often start with three-times the stud fee (or what what it would be if you charged someone else to use that sire). If the stud fee was $4000.00 when the animal was born you might want to insure him for $12,000. Then you add to that amount as his career progresses. His increased value is based on any money spent training him, money spent hauling him down the road, competitions he may have won, the type of scores he's getting, and what type or organization or events he's competing at- is it high school rodeo, ABBI Futurity or Built Ford Tough Series? The value gets determined from there.
As an animals career develops from there, you can increase the value of the policy. If a bull does well at Futurities or Classics you may want to increase it before he goes on to the next stage of his career. If he starts to produce offspring that really buck, you may want to increase it again. Nothing will hurt more than loosing a bull in his Prime. Having the proper insurance will at least lessen your Financial Loss.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
He has no quit in him !
My best friend in the world has a son that just started riding bulls around nine months ago ans since, he as won 2 first, a couple of 2nd place and 1 3rd. He rode last-night in Mayfield,Kentucky and did not do as well and really got down on his-self but I don't think he understands that riding in the pro competitions versus the junior level is a big step up. There was one person that I herd say that, that boy has no quit in him ! That is true but I do not believe he sees that other people that has no clue who he is sees it also. We will be going to Henderson,TN tonight for another bull-riding and hopefully the out come will be better for him. Long Live The Cowboy!!!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Story of Bad Wine
THE STORY OF BAD WINE
The bull that is leading the ABBI futurity standings named Bad Wine was consigned last week in our sale ring. A bull of this caliber is very hard to find, and when he is found, very rarely is he offered for sale. After negotiations with Gene Baker & Jim Mattocks, an agreement was reached to put Bad Wine in the sale ring. Because Gene and Jim are both aware of how hard it is to get a great bull in this business, the agreement called for them to retain 50% competition interest in Bad Wine through the end of 2011.
Phone calls poured into the EG office, and we heard everything from "What in the world are those guys thinking?" to "I should sell my house and buy that bull!" It was a fun week discussing Bad Wine. When the dust settled the final bid was in at $56,000.
Bob Schaaf of Chetek, WI was the person to place that last bid and became 100% owner in Bad Wine. Bob was excited to be the new owner but also nervous that he spent that much money on a wild animal!
But that was only half of the story.....Fortunately Gene Baker nominated Bad Wine in March of 2010 for The 2011 American Heritage Futurity. This is the largest ABBI futurity each year and is known as the futurity that "pays over $100,000". Bob spent $56,000 to purchase Bad Wine and immediately secured insurance costing $3,000. After spending more than most people make in a year at their day job, Bob flew into Ardmore, OK to watch his bull compete at The American Heritage Futurity.
This year The American Heritage had so many entries it was divided into two sections of approximately 100 bulls each. The first section was Friday morning and the final section being Saturday morning. Bob sat through 147 bulls before Bad Wine finally got to show his stuff. He watched "Fire Show" from D&H Cattle score 22 points and set the benchmark high. Later he saw "Here We Go Again" owned by Stoney Hariman equal that mark of 22 points. He knew it was going to take a flawless trip by Bad Wine to beat either of those bulls.
Bob tossed and turned as he tried to sleep Friday night in excitement but also in suspense - wondering if his $60,000 investment was going to pay off. Daylight could not come soon enough for him!
Finally, after a morning that seemed like eternity, Bob Schaaf got to see his bull buck in person for the first time. Bad Wine did his part up until about 1 second before the buzzer when something terrible happened. He slipped and almost went down to his knees in the front end. Bob cringed as he saw Bad Wine slip. What happened next is why Bad Wine is a true champion. He recovered from the slip and seems to say "that's not gonna stop me. Let me show you what I got!" With about a 1/2 second left before the buzzer sounds, Bad Wine takes one huge leap, kicks straight into the air and goes right back into the spin that has impressed everyone all year!
After a couple short minutes, which seemed like hours to Bob, the inhouse announcer begins a sentence with "and we have a new leader....." The whole section around Bob yells as the score is annouced. Bad Wine scored 22.25 points out of possible 25 to win The American Heritage Futurity.
Bad Wine, just 4 days after he sold for $56k, won $119,577. Because of them retaining the 50% competition interest, Gene and Jim left Ardmore, OK with just under $60,000. Bob Schaaf left Ardmore, OK with a nice shiney buckle and big smile on his face! Oh yeah, he had $60,000 in his pocket, too!
The bull that is leading the ABBI futurity standings named Bad Wine was consigned last week in our sale ring. A bull of this caliber is very hard to find, and when he is found, very rarely is he offered for sale. After negotiations with Gene Baker & Jim Mattocks, an agreement was reached to put Bad Wine in the sale ring. Because Gene and Jim are both aware of how hard it is to get a great bull in this business, the agreement called for them to retain 50% competition interest in Bad Wine through the end of 2011.
Phone calls poured into the EG office, and we heard everything from "What in the world are those guys thinking?" to "I should sell my house and buy that bull!" It was a fun week discussing Bad Wine. When the dust settled the final bid was in at $56,000.
Bob Schaaf of Chetek, WI was the person to place that last bid and became 100% owner in Bad Wine. Bob was excited to be the new owner but also nervous that he spent that much money on a wild animal!
But that was only half of the story.....Fortunately Gene Baker nominated Bad Wine in March of 2010 for The 2011 American Heritage Futurity. This is the largest ABBI futurity each year and is known as the futurity that "pays over $100,000". Bob spent $56,000 to purchase Bad Wine and immediately secured insurance costing $3,000. After spending more than most people make in a year at their day job, Bob flew into Ardmore, OK to watch his bull compete at The American Heritage Futurity.
This year The American Heritage had so many entries it was divided into two sections of approximately 100 bulls each. The first section was Friday morning and the final section being Saturday morning. Bob sat through 147 bulls before Bad Wine finally got to show his stuff. He watched "Fire Show" from D&H Cattle score 22 points and set the benchmark high. Later he saw "Here We Go Again" owned by Stoney Hariman equal that mark of 22 points. He knew it was going to take a flawless trip by Bad Wine to beat either of those bulls.
Bob tossed and turned as he tried to sleep Friday night in excitement but also in suspense - wondering if his $60,000 investment was going to pay off. Daylight could not come soon enough for him!
Finally, after a morning that seemed like eternity, Bob Schaaf got to see his bull buck in person for the first time. Bad Wine did his part up until about 1 second before the buzzer when something terrible happened. He slipped and almost went down to his knees in the front end. Bob cringed as he saw Bad Wine slip. What happened next is why Bad Wine is a true champion. He recovered from the slip and seems to say "that's not gonna stop me. Let me show you what I got!" With about a 1/2 second left before the buzzer sounds, Bad Wine takes one huge leap, kicks straight into the air and goes right back into the spin that has impressed everyone all year!
After a couple short minutes, which seemed like hours to Bob, the inhouse announcer begins a sentence with "and we have a new leader....." The whole section around Bob yells as the score is annouced. Bad Wine scored 22.25 points out of possible 25 to win The American Heritage Futurity.
Bad Wine, just 4 days after he sold for $56k, won $119,577. Because of them retaining the 50% competition interest, Gene and Jim left Ardmore, OK with just under $60,000. Bob Schaaf left Ardmore, OK with a nice shiney buckle and big smile on his face! Oh yeah, he had $60,000 in his pocket, too!
BAD WINE !!!
THE STORY OF BAD WINE
The bull that is leading the ABBI futurity standings named Bad Wine was consigned last week in our sale ring. A bull of this caliber is very hard to find, and when he is found, very rarely is he offered for sale. After negotiations with Gene Baker & Jim Mattocks, an agreement was reached to put Bad Wine in the sale ring. Because Gene and Jim are both aware of how hard it is to get a great bull in this business, the agreement called for them to retain 50% competition interest in Bad Wine through the end of 2011.
Phone calls poured into the EG office, and we heard everything from "What in the world are those guys thinking?" to "I should sell my house and buy that bull!" It was a fun week discussing Bad Wine. When the dust settled the final bid was in at $56,000.
Bob Schaaf of Chetek, WI was the person to place that last bid and became 100% owner in Bad Wine. Bob was excited to be the new owner but also nervous that he spent that much money on a wild animal!
But that was only half of the story.....Fortunately Gene Baker nominated Bad Wine in March of 2010 for The 2011 American Heritage Futurity. This is the largest ABBI futurity each year and is known as the futurity that "pays over $100,000". Bob spent $56,000 to purchase Bad Wine and immediately secured insurance costing $3,000. After spending more than most people make in a year at their day job, Bob flew into Ardmore, OK to watch his bull compete at The American Heritage Futurity.
This year The American Heritage had so many entries it was divided into two sections of approximately 100 bulls each. The first section was Friday morning and the final section being Saturday morning. Bob sat through 147 bulls before Bad Wine finally got to show his stuff. He watched "Fire Show" from D&H Cattle score 22 points and set the benchmark high. Later he saw "Here We Go Again" owned by Stoney Hariman equal that mark of 22 points. He knew it was going to take a flawless trip by Bad Wine to beat either of those bulls.
Bob tossed and turned as he tried to sleep Friday night in excitement but also in suspense - wondering if his $60,000 investment was going to pay off. Daylight could not come soon enough for him!
Finally, after a morning that seemed like eternity, Bob Schaaf got to see his bull buck in person for the first time. Bad Wine did his part up until about 1 second before the buzzer when something terrible happened. He slipped and almost went down to his knees in the front end. Bob cringed as he saw Bad Wine slip. What happened next is why Bad Wine is a true champion. He recovered from the slip and seems to say "that's not gonna stop me. Let me show you what I got!" With about a 1/2 second left before the buzzer sounds, Bad Wine takes one huge leap, kicks straight into the air and goes right back into the spin that has impressed everyone all year!
After a couple short minutes, which seemed like hours to Bob, the inhouse announcer begins a sentence with "and we have a new leader....." The whole section around Bob yells as the score is annouced. Bad Wine scored 22.25 points out of possible 25 to win The American Heritage Futurity.
Bad Wine, just 4 days after he sold for $56k, won $119,577. Because of them retaining the 50% competition interest, Gene and Jim left Ardmore, OK with just under $60,000. Bob Schaaf left Ardmore, OK with a nice shiney buckle and big smile on his face! Oh yeah, he had $60,000 in his pocket, too!
The bull that is leading the ABBI futurity standings named Bad Wine was consigned last week in our sale ring. A bull of this caliber is very hard to find, and when he is found, very rarely is he offered for sale. After negotiations with Gene Baker & Jim Mattocks, an agreement was reached to put Bad Wine in the sale ring. Because Gene and Jim are both aware of how hard it is to get a great bull in this business, the agreement called for them to retain 50% competition interest in Bad Wine through the end of 2011.
Phone calls poured into the EG office, and we heard everything from "What in the world are those guys thinking?" to "I should sell my house and buy that bull!" It was a fun week discussing Bad Wine. When the dust settled the final bid was in at $56,000.
Bob Schaaf of Chetek, WI was the person to place that last bid and became 100% owner in Bad Wine. Bob was excited to be the new owner but also nervous that he spent that much money on a wild animal!
But that was only half of the story.....Fortunately Gene Baker nominated Bad Wine in March of 2010 for The 2011 American Heritage Futurity. This is the largest ABBI futurity each year and is known as the futurity that "pays over $100,000". Bob spent $56,000 to purchase Bad Wine and immediately secured insurance costing $3,000. After spending more than most people make in a year at their day job, Bob flew into Ardmore, OK to watch his bull compete at The American Heritage Futurity.
This year The American Heritage had so many entries it was divided into two sections of approximately 100 bulls each. The first section was Friday morning and the final section being Saturday morning. Bob sat through 147 bulls before Bad Wine finally got to show his stuff. He watched "Fire Show" from D&H Cattle score 22 points and set the benchmark high. Later he saw "Here We Go Again" owned by Stoney Hariman equal that mark of 22 points. He knew it was going to take a flawless trip by Bad Wine to beat either of those bulls.
Bob tossed and turned as he tried to sleep Friday night in excitement but also in suspense - wondering if his $60,000 investment was going to pay off. Daylight could not come soon enough for him!
Finally, after a morning that seemed like eternity, Bob Schaaf got to see his bull buck in person for the first time. Bad Wine did his part up until about 1 second before the buzzer when something terrible happened. He slipped and almost went down to his knees in the front end. Bob cringed as he saw Bad Wine slip. What happened next is why Bad Wine is a true champion. He recovered from the slip and seems to say "that's not gonna stop me. Let me show you what I got!" With about a 1/2 second left before the buzzer sounds, Bad Wine takes one huge leap, kicks straight into the air and goes right back into the spin that has impressed everyone all year!
After a couple short minutes, which seemed like hours to Bob, the inhouse announcer begins a sentence with "and we have a new leader....." The whole section around Bob yells as the score is annouced. Bad Wine scored 22.25 points out of possible 25 to win The American Heritage Futurity.
Bad Wine, just 4 days after he sold for $56k, won $119,577. Because of them retaining the 50% competition interest, Gene and Jim left Ardmore, OK with just under $60,000. Bob Schaaf left Ardmore, OK with a nice shiney buckle and big smile on his face! Oh yeah, he had $60,000 in his pocket, too!
Just my opinion !
It is in my opinion that the recent dealings with the ABBI and PBR that there are many stock contractors that are shareholders or on the board. How is it when there is violations and some were from on the board and some major stock contractors that noting is done about the situation?
No fines or repercussion of any kind. !!!! Looks like if you are an elite you have no bounds to abide by. I'm a small time breeder that will never have a chance to have a bull bucking in the PBR because I will never have the money backing like the contractors do. People raise their bull and these contractors with all this backing go in and say if I can't buy him he will never buck on the PBR. Your name is gone from the animal and you get no reconition for the genetics or hard work that you put into it, there are some real good breeders out there that should have the ability for thir stock to remain theirs. CODY LAMBERT you need to step it up and bring in new stock instead of letting the big boys make all the money that have all the million dollar backers.
No fines or repercussion of any kind. !!!! Looks like if you are an elite you have no bounds to abide by. I'm a small time breeder that will never have a chance to have a bull bucking in the PBR because I will never have the money backing like the contractors do. People raise their bull and these contractors with all this backing go in and say if I can't buy him he will never buck on the PBR. Your name is gone from the animal and you get no reconition for the genetics or hard work that you put into it, there are some real good breeders out there that should have the ability for thir stock to remain theirs. CODY LAMBERT you need to step it up and bring in new stock instead of letting the big boys make all the money that have all the million dollar backers.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Winter training for bucking bulls and riders
SELAH, Wash. -- It's a Wednesday night like any other, except for the freezing December rain outside that's turning highways into ice rinks.
Just up the hill from Rod Chumley's ranch, North Wenas Road is virtually devoid of traffic, except for the steady line of pickup trucks turning onto Chumley's property.
In those trucks are tough young men here for one thing only: to climb onto bucking bulls, for nothing more than a few bucks in gas money, an adrenaline charge unlike any other and a few hard-earned seconds of training experience in their chosen sport.
"They get a practice out of it, and at the same time, I'm training bulls," says Chumley, who has been hosting bull-riding nights like this off and on, for some winter stretches on a weekly basis, for about five years. "They get to work on some skills, and I get some bulls bucked."
The arena itself was originally built for Chumley to train horses, but now it's ground central for his burgeoning business of training bulls to be good enough for the Professional Bull Riders circuits and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
"Now instead of getting bucked off in there," Chumley says with a grin, "I'm watching other people getting bucked off."
On any night the riders may range from seasoned pros to wide-eyed kids still finding their way. It's just a word-of-mouth thing, but every bull rider within a six-hour drive is fully aware of what's going on in Chumley's arena.
"It keeps you tuned up," says Allen Helmuth, a 26-year-old from Ellensburg who's been riding bulls for six years, and won the 2009 PRCA Columbia River Circuit finals.
"Today we'll be getting on calves, 21/2-year-olds that are still figuring out what they're doin'. It's good for practice and good for confidence building -- number one, you should stay on, plus it helps you with your moves. It's like dancing: You've got to have a counter-move for every move the bull does."
Some of the riders at Chumley's Wednesday bucking series have plenty of moves. PBR stars Cody Ford and Cody Campbell have been regulars, and Campbell is here again tonight -- even though this arena hasn't always been kind to him.
In early October, just a couple of weeks before he took off to ride in the Professional Bull Riders finals in Las Vegas, Campbell was riding in one of Chumley's Wednesday night buckings when a bull's horn smashed into his face, knocking out a couple of teeth and costing him 40-some stitches.
After tonight's bucking is done, Campbell plans to spend a little time looking for those teeth. They're still somewhere out in that arena dirt.
The surroundings feel like home to Levi Yonaka, a local rider who rode his first bull -- or tried to -- at Chumley's arena a few years ago and later went on to reach the college national finals rodeo twice while representing Perry Technical Institute. He doesn't mind a bit that tonight's bulls aren't proven buckers.
"A lot of times they're more fun," Yonaka says of the young bulls, "because you don't know what they'll do."
What they do more often than not on this night is act up.
Most of the bulls in the back pen tonight have been ridden only by "dummy riders." These are metal contraptions strapped onto the young bull, which instinctively tries to get it off. When the bull does what Chumley and his business partner, Gary Long, want it to learn to do -- buck and spin -- they press a button that releases the contraption and it falls off.
Some bulls figure out pretty quickly: Hey, that bucking and spinning sure gets rid of that irritating thing on my back. After Chumley and Long put each young bull through a couple of test rides with the dummy, they put a real rider on it in Wednesday night events just like this one.
If the bull tries the same violent bucking, kicking and spinning to dislodge the rider, it might be on the road to a career in the PBR or pro rodeo. If it doesn't, it may soon be on the road to a slaughterhouse in Toppenish and a future atop a hamburger bun.
And the bull rider might be on the way to the hospital, if he spends too much time on the back of an inexperienced bull while it's still in the chute. The bull is scared and angry, pouting about having this rope strapped around its torso and a stranger climbing on its back.
"Young bulls, they got no patience -- not them babies," says Long. "You're sitting on a time bomb."
That bomb explodes upon a young rider named Andy Elliott, when his bull -- after five minutes of thrashing around in the chute -- never quite leaves it when the gate is opened. Instead, the bull begins bucking and bashing into and against the gate and the chute, slamming Elliott into the gate before he was pulled to safety by two other riders standing above the chute.
"That'll knock the flu off," grimaces Elliott, who has been sick all week.
Elliott is Yonaka's housemate these days, having moved to Selah from Arlington, Wash., primarily for access to Chumley's training arena and the opportunity to get on a lot of bulls.
"There's nothing like this where I was living," Elliott says. "I'd have had to drive an hour and a half for something like this."
Some of the others riding on this night came farther than that. Several riders drove down from North Central Washington, others up from Oregon, still others from Boise, Idaho. Campbell, who's from a little town near La Grande, Ore., came hoping to get on a spirited young bull Chumley and Long years ago took to calling "Vegas" because even as a young calf, they could tell he was special.
The bull demonstrates that with a rousing, twisting, bucking ride with Campbell aboard, but the PBR star stays on for at least a full eight-second ride, though there's no official time buzzer to announce it. Chumley, who grades each bull's effort -- using the old grading scale from school -- gives "Vegas" an A for the ride. There are a lot of A's given out on this night, plus a couple of D's.
Getting one D doesn't necessarily mean the bull won't make it. A second low grade, though, would be the bull's last.
"They get two chances," Long says. "We want an 1,800-pound bull with kick and spin. We want an athlete. These (bull-riding) kids are too good now."
After a particularly desultory effort by one bull, Long shakes his head. "He'll get one more try because he had a B the first time. After another D comes a T -- he's going to Toppenish."
"Vegas" isn't the most impressive bull of the night by a long shot. Another young bucker, son of an award-winning bull, tosses his rider in three powerful, spinning leaps, sending the two bullfighters racing in to distract the bull and keep it from injuring the dazed rider.
Colby Reilly, a young rider from the wheat lands of northern Grant County, turns to a couple of journalists watching the goings-on.
"Y'all want to know what a good bucking bull looks like? That," Reilly says and points at the bull, still snorting and bounding around the arena. "That right
Just up the hill from Rod Chumley's ranch, North Wenas Road is virtually devoid of traffic, except for the steady line of pickup trucks turning onto Chumley's property.
In those trucks are tough young men here for one thing only: to climb onto bucking bulls, for nothing more than a few bucks in gas money, an adrenaline charge unlike any other and a few hard-earned seconds of training experience in their chosen sport.
"They get a practice out of it, and at the same time, I'm training bulls," says Chumley, who has been hosting bull-riding nights like this off and on, for some winter stretches on a weekly basis, for about five years. "They get to work on some skills, and I get some bulls bucked."
The arena itself was originally built for Chumley to train horses, but now it's ground central for his burgeoning business of training bulls to be good enough for the Professional Bull Riders circuits and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
"Now instead of getting bucked off in there," Chumley says with a grin, "I'm watching other people getting bucked off."
On any night the riders may range from seasoned pros to wide-eyed kids still finding their way. It's just a word-of-mouth thing, but every bull rider within a six-hour drive is fully aware of what's going on in Chumley's arena.
"It keeps you tuned up," says Allen Helmuth, a 26-year-old from Ellensburg who's been riding bulls for six years, and won the 2009 PRCA Columbia River Circuit finals.
"Today we'll be getting on calves, 21/2-year-olds that are still figuring out what they're doin'. It's good for practice and good for confidence building -- number one, you should stay on, plus it helps you with your moves. It's like dancing: You've got to have a counter-move for every move the bull does."
Some of the riders at Chumley's Wednesday bucking series have plenty of moves. PBR stars Cody Ford and Cody Campbell have been regulars, and Campbell is here again tonight -- even though this arena hasn't always been kind to him.
In early October, just a couple of weeks before he took off to ride in the Professional Bull Riders finals in Las Vegas, Campbell was riding in one of Chumley's Wednesday night buckings when a bull's horn smashed into his face, knocking out a couple of teeth and costing him 40-some stitches.
After tonight's bucking is done, Campbell plans to spend a little time looking for those teeth. They're still somewhere out in that arena dirt.
The surroundings feel like home to Levi Yonaka, a local rider who rode his first bull -- or tried to -- at Chumley's arena a few years ago and later went on to reach the college national finals rodeo twice while representing Perry Technical Institute. He doesn't mind a bit that tonight's bulls aren't proven buckers.
"A lot of times they're more fun," Yonaka says of the young bulls, "because you don't know what they'll do."
What they do more often than not on this night is act up.
Most of the bulls in the back pen tonight have been ridden only by "dummy riders." These are metal contraptions strapped onto the young bull, which instinctively tries to get it off. When the bull does what Chumley and his business partner, Gary Long, want it to learn to do -- buck and spin -- they press a button that releases the contraption and it falls off.
Some bulls figure out pretty quickly: Hey, that bucking and spinning sure gets rid of that irritating thing on my back. After Chumley and Long put each young bull through a couple of test rides with the dummy, they put a real rider on it in Wednesday night events just like this one.
If the bull tries the same violent bucking, kicking and spinning to dislodge the rider, it might be on the road to a career in the PBR or pro rodeo. If it doesn't, it may soon be on the road to a slaughterhouse in Toppenish and a future atop a hamburger bun.
And the bull rider might be on the way to the hospital, if he spends too much time on the back of an inexperienced bull while it's still in the chute. The bull is scared and angry, pouting about having this rope strapped around its torso and a stranger climbing on its back.
"Young bulls, they got no patience -- not them babies," says Long. "You're sitting on a time bomb."
That bomb explodes upon a young rider named Andy Elliott, when his bull -- after five minutes of thrashing around in the chute -- never quite leaves it when the gate is opened. Instead, the bull begins bucking and bashing into and against the gate and the chute, slamming Elliott into the gate before he was pulled to safety by two other riders standing above the chute.
"That'll knock the flu off," grimaces Elliott, who has been sick all week.
Elliott is Yonaka's housemate these days, having moved to Selah from Arlington, Wash., primarily for access to Chumley's training arena and the opportunity to get on a lot of bulls.
"There's nothing like this where I was living," Elliott says. "I'd have had to drive an hour and a half for something like this."
Some of the others riding on this night came farther than that. Several riders drove down from North Central Washington, others up from Oregon, still others from Boise, Idaho. Campbell, who's from a little town near La Grande, Ore., came hoping to get on a spirited young bull Chumley and Long years ago took to calling "Vegas" because even as a young calf, they could tell he was special.
The bull demonstrates that with a rousing, twisting, bucking ride with Campbell aboard, but the PBR star stays on for at least a full eight-second ride, though there's no official time buzzer to announce it. Chumley, who grades each bull's effort -- using the old grading scale from school -- gives "Vegas" an A for the ride. There are a lot of A's given out on this night, plus a couple of D's.
Getting one D doesn't necessarily mean the bull won't make it. A second low grade, though, would be the bull's last.
"They get two chances," Long says. "We want an 1,800-pound bull with kick and spin. We want an athlete. These (bull-riding) kids are too good now."
After a particularly desultory effort by one bull, Long shakes his head. "He'll get one more try because he had a B the first time. After another D comes a T -- he's going to Toppenish."
"Vegas" isn't the most impressive bull of the night by a long shot. Another young bucker, son of an award-winning bull, tosses his rider in three powerful, spinning leaps, sending the two bullfighters racing in to distract the bull and keep it from injuring the dazed rider.
Colby Reilly, a young rider from the wheat lands of northern Grant County, turns to a couple of journalists watching the goings-on.
"Y'all want to know what a good bucking bull looks like? That," Reilly says and points at the bull, still snorting and bounding around the arena. "That right
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