It ain’t easy breaking into the bull-riding business. That’s why even the big dogs start small — you cut your teeth in the pig wrestling game, then move your way up the chain until you’ve reached the esteemed position of having your balls stepped on by a 1,500-pound beast. You can see why the rodeo is dying!
But if you’ve got a kid who’s interested in becoming a bull-rider, you might want to take them down to Houston, and have them take a crack at riding one of these bad boys.
“Mutton Bustin,” as its known, is when children ride sheep for as long as they can. This isn’t an improvised thing, either — there are rules to be followed, protective equipment to be worn and weigh-ins to be performed. And I thought Texas believed in having a free country!
“The event is open to boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 7 who weigh no more than 55 pounds. The weigh-in is formal but not televised,” explains Eric Besson for the Beaumont Enterprise. “Full-caged helmets and protective vests are mandatory, spurs are banned and chaps are optional.”
Children apparently aim for just six seconds of ride time, two seconds short of the professional bull rider goal of eight seconds. But if a certain Steroid Olympics goes off as planned, I think it’s safe to say we can crank those numbers up. Get juiced and get on the sheep, kid!
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