Toughen Up

I've been getting 10-20 calls or E Mails a day from guys wanting to know about bulls.  That’s cool, I like talking to guys. I like helping people. Used to be that guys would only call if they were doubled up -- had to choose where to go, or if they were broke and couldn’t afford the air fare unless it was a good one.   But now, guys who ride good, who are out there living the glamorous NFR Desperado existence call wanting to know about bulls.   They aren’t doubled up anywhere, they’ve got money -- they’re just lazy, or spoiled, or weenies... or hanging out in bars runnin’ the ladies.   That’s just B.S.   That’s no better than being a bar room jick who brags (lies) that he rides bulls.  It’s worse because they are wasting a tremendous opportunity.        

Either get serious about it or go back to your home circuit and run the ladies and be a star.   Some of you have World Championship talent but no drive. No matter what smoke PBR blows up your butt, the PRCA World Championship is still the biggest thing in bull riding. Your name goes right in there beside the greatest bull riders of all time. This isn’t frickin chess, it isn’t a thinking man’s board game -- it’s bull riding.  Quit blaming your lack of results on sorry bulls, drawing bad, not getting traded... "some guys are riding with knots"…. "I’m hurt"…. "the judges screwed me"…. Ranch Headquarters…. GOD…. whatever. Circuit guys who work hard at jobs and permit holders just want to get IN get on bulls all the time that the NFR rabbits RUN away from. So who are the professionals?

Want to talk about riding hurt?  One year in the 10^th round at the NFR they carried Shorty Garten from the locker room and lifted him onto his bull.  Steiner’s S7  Savage Seven.   And he rode him. While several guys laid down at the NFR a few years ago, Johnny Chavez who was leaking fluids out of nearly every body opening kept getting on and trying.   And his riding style puts him at great risk EVERY time he gets on.

Cody Hancock is a great champion.  He reminds me of Donnie Gay (although a lot nicer to be around).   He understands the game and he just goes about handling business.  He didn’t win the Gold buckle ducking the buckers.    He’ll ante. If you want to win the Gold buckle then EARN it. Deserve it. If you don’t want to win THE gold buckle then what’s the point of rodeoing full time?   Heck ….if you can ride and don’t want to be the champ--get on the PBR train.    More money and a lot nicer ride.  Lay around 5 days and ride 2. Rodeoing on the other hand is a JOB…  it is WORK.   Lousy conditions, lousy pay. But it used to be even worse.

Donnie Gay won 8 (would’ve won 9 if we hadn’t gone sudden death at the NFR one year) titles and he did it by rodeoing hard.    If he entered he went… and we didn’t have the 125 rodeo rule then.   He didn’t wuss around ducking anything that bucked hard--trying to make the NFR by riding spinners. And when he got there, since he’d been on all types of bulls, he didn’t whine about the Eliminator Pen (which were about 5 times badder than they are now).   He also didn’t embarrass himself.  He got on a couple of hundred bulls a year and he tried his ass off on every one of them.   Rank bulls, runners, duckers, crap, spinners--didn’t matter. 100% effort EVERY TIME.   He never quit trying. None of that if they get you just a little off your rope you check out B.S. He could be on the flank one jump, out over the horns the next, take a couple of horn shots to the gourd, didn’t matter--at the end if he was still attached he was going to give them some chops.  No vest, no helmet. And when he got to rodeos he didn’t ask 1,000 questions about what a bull did. He rode them jump for jump. Guys are asking more questions than you hear on a week of Jeopardy and if a bull doesn’t do exactly what he’s supposed to it’s an excuse to fall off.   Don Gay made them BUCK HIM OFF.   It is competition.    A winner and a loser every time.  You nod your head you better want to stay on for 8 seconds no matter what the bull does.  STAY ON. 

DON GAY IS THE GREATEST BULL RIDER EVER because he wanted to be.   He wanted to win that bad.    If you don’t want it that bad… then do something less dangerous and make room for the kids who DO.  PRCA bull riding is only second class if you guys make it that. You have enough talent to challenge the best bulls.  Quit being intimidated because you’re not as good as Donnie or Denny was or Jim, or Tuff was, or Lane was or Troy, or Terry Don, or Adriano. Those guys were all time greats. You’re good enough if you’ll go to work, challenge yourselves, and TRY.    You can way surpass your God given talent with effort and good work habits.

This time of year you don’t have to fly… all you have to do is get in a car and go to work. In this game there are NO ACCEPTABLE excuses.  You either get the job done or you don’t.

Bryan McDonald
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