| Bull
riding is a physically and mentally demanding sport. It
is considered to be one of the “most dangerous"
sporting events there is. And, rightfully so. With the
average bull rider weighing in at a mere 145 pounds and
most bucking bulls tipping the scale at somewhere between
1,500 to 2,000 pounds, strength-wise the bulls definitely
have the advantage.
To conquer one of the beasts and to make the required
“8-second” whistle, a rider must make physical
and emotional demands on himself. In order to literally
“save his life,” he must ride with the same
balance and and split-second precision as the most skilled
dancers, figure skaters or gymnasts. He must be able to
maintain complete focus on the task at hand despite any
“outside” distractions. And, he must draw
from within himself the courage of a warrior.
To do this takes discipline and lots of it. In order to
reach your goal of becoming a great bull rider, you must
be willing to sacrifice and keep your wants and needs
practical. "You must work out regularly in order
to prepare your body for the ‘licks’ it gets
from riding bulls. Your neck, shoulders, wrist, hips,
knees and ankles - all these body parts take continual
abuse,” says Mike. A rider must also work on his
mental attitude. Confidence is the name of the game. Sometimes
a rider may need some help and encouragement from others
to build his self-esteem.
So, when he’s not challenging one of the raging
bovine beasts, what does the Paradise, Texas, bull rider
like to do - just for fun? “I like boating, tubing
(riding an innertube pulled behind a motorboat), and fishing,”
says Mike. He also enjoys breaking and training young
horses during his bull riding “down time.”
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