Bull Notes - New Orleans Bud Light Cup
New Orleans Open

April 14, 2001

With the PBR in its 8th season, there are now a significant number of bull riders who never knew life without it. And frankly, who would want to go back? Gilbert Carrillo pocketed over $57,000 at this one event. If you are a bull rider of any level of ability, you have to appreciate the PBR for creating the opportunity for a guy to win that kind of money.

Before the PBR, bull riding was a much tougher living for everybody. There were few guys who could make decent money at it. The PRCA was the place to be, but even there a guy could ride 85% of what he drew and still be dependent on what he won at the NFR (after it moved to Vegas) to come out with money in his pocket. Guys of average ability could go broke fast trying to run with the wolves. You could go to a $500 added rodeo, be 78-79 and not place... and leave there with 40 bucks day money because they strapped it on everything that stuck his head out of the box. So to make any money, you had to get on a lot, and make the whistle on the majority of them. It was easy to burn out.

It was also not fair to the best of the best bull riders. Rodeo was more of a drawing contest, and they had no more chance of drawing what they needed to win than the next guy. They felt they were being denied a chance to achieve what they were capable of. Given that chance—an even pen of top quality bulls at every rodeo—those guys would have won a lot more. In the late 80's you'd see these guys show up at bull ridings, particularly in Texas, that featured better herds than a lot of PRCA contractors had at the time.

So from a contestants viewpoint, what Tuff & Co. have accomplished is no small thing. Even if you don't go to the PBR events, you benefit from its existence, since it draws the top guys and opens up bull riding at all levels for more guys to make money at it. They've done at least for bull riding what Rodeo has not yet been willing to do for itself; they've created a Major League, and built a fan and sponsor base that will hopefully ensure its continued success.

Bulls:

If I have any of these wrong, you can let me know. After watching 45 in a row... bam bam bam... plus instant replays... it's hard to remember all the details.

Generally speaking, if a bull is even AT a BLC, he's usually a good one. Sometimes one might have a bad trip or something, but they don't allow bulls of unknown quality to get on the truck. So most of the bulls that were out here usually buck well enough to place on at a rodeo.

Scotty sold +2 Smokin' Joe to Terry Williams, and Gilbert was 94 on him to win this deal. Scotty's other 6 bulls held their own in this pen of good ones.

• Classic Pro Rodeo Bulls (Scotty Lovelace) Classic

J2 Tate — Jesse Schellhamer
Little red horned bull had some kick and turned back to the right. Had more buck than spin.

H1 Hi Rush — Chris Shivers
A brindle horned bull that really bucked. Turned back to the left and had Chris over in the well, finally threw him off and headbutted him for good measure. Scotty says this is a just a young bull... looks like he has no respect for bull riding superstars. A minor concussion for Chris, but he's ok.

130 Lickety Split — Jed Ward.
Bull went digging it the left, kept his shoulders low and was not a big kicker.

581 Diamond Cut — Mike White
581 had an off day for him, but he was still plenty good. Jumped out of it but stayed close—didn't cover much ground and had plenty of kick. Mike was 85.5 on him.

99 Hubcap — Ross Coleman
I can't for the life of me remember what this bull did, except he threw Ross off...

008 Boot Scoot — Chris McLure
Another buck-off / can't remember deal

• Nelson Bulls — Guidry / Nelson

60 Vicademas — Cody Custer
Paint looking horned bull that went a few and licked it to the right. Good little bull.

105 Super Star — Owen Dunn
Went to the right—right in the latch, but had a little move forward and fade like he might want you over in there. Stayed close to the ground.

99 Nine-O — Dustin Hall
Skeeted down the front of the chutes like a armadillo with Tabasco sauce on his butt. Could've been a case of the Mad Cow Disease. Extra Yuck-O.

J3 El Nino — Dusty LaBeth
Healthy black muley that went to the left and made some rounds. Not much kick, but plenty of speed.

66 Blood Sport — Justin McBride
Went to the left, went to the right, didn't spend much time in the air—none of it got Justin on the ground. 80.5 pts.

780 Diamonds Ghost — Scott Mendes
Electric little bull had a good day and threw Scott off.

B25 Too Much — Ty Murray
Too Much was not enough to shake Ty. A good spinner - Ty was 85.5

76 Blue Jeans — Brent Vincent
Big honker circled around to the left and had some leap and drop. Really bucked.

61 Lyon's King — Cody Whitney
Red bull - Really bucked, but REALLY did not kick.

CL Clayton's Pet — Yancy James (Short Go)
BUCKED - but... you already knew that.

10 Freckles — Mike White (Short Go)
Moved forward and did his thing to the left. Got Mike pretty quick. Took a few tries to get out on him.

• Harper Bulls — Harper / Auger

A23 Nitro — Mark Ward
Had an off day - got to moving forward and kicking at his belly. This bull is much better when he keeps backing up under you. Mark was 85.5

08 Candy Man — Spud Whitman
Didn't turn back, but had some action. Bad break for Spud - bull usually spins and you'd have to think he'd be one to have here... and then he has a nasty little trip.

420 Gusto — Jason Bennett
Had his usual trip—right there to the left and reversed it. Doesn't cover much ground... good bull. Jason was 87.

236 Sling Shot — Ednei Caminhas
Bull that's been around the block a time or two. Just nice here, turned back and jumped out of it—no tricks. Ednei was 81.5

F6 Hard Copy — Royd Doyal
Turned back and jumped out of it and got downright nasty. Back and forth and heavy looking. Royd made a good ride and was 87.

99 Downtown Brown — Leslie Doyle
Good sucker. A fat red bull that turned back both ways—to the left first out of a left delivery. Leslie was 86.5 Might be the best bull in Harpers herd.

H2 Flashback — J.W. Hart
H2 looked pretty bucky. One two and around to the left, and darted J.W. pretty hard.

40 Exodus — Brian Herman
Black bull, usually around to the left, did the same here but jumped out of it towards the whistle. Pee Wee was 87 points on him, and then bucked off in the short round, but walked out with almost $2700. Try winning that much on this bull at a rodeo....

G1 Gas Hog — Flint Mask
G1 did everything a bull could do to throw somebody off, except he didn't get 6 inches off the ground. Yuck-O

176 Snake Eyes — Greg Potter
Greg was 80 on this bull in the long go at Montgomery, but the bull sure didn't buck here - wallered Greg off. Sorriest bull at the whole deal, but was good in Montgomery

Slade Long
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