Bull Rider Leads PBR World Finals and Has a Montana Connection
It takes a little extra bit of crazy to willingly jump on a bull just for fun. It's apparent that I was born without that thrill-seeking gene. I had the opportunity to sit inside a cage once at a PBR bull riding event. It was down on the arena floor and right in the middle of all the action. It was quite an experience to be right next to the bulls and see how big and muscular they really are.
Man vs. bull = bull is going to win
To each their own when it comes to bull riding, but I'm good not learning the meaning behind the phrase "mess with the bull and get the horns." Part of me thinks it can't be all that bad since all the riders are wearing helmets with face masks for protection these days. But then I see stuff like the following video where people are getting tossed from the bull, stepped on, and kicked. Oh, and I'm pretty sure your foot isn't supposed to point that direction like it is with the first guy in the video! **Warning: it's not for the squeamish.**
A former MSU rider leads the way in Vegas
The Professional Bull Riders World Finals are happening through the weekend in Las Vegas and there's a Montana connection at the top of the standings. Chase Dougherty rode bulls at Montana State and through the first two nights of competition he sits in a tie for first place. Chase now lives in Texas, but since he has family ties to Billings we'll root for him to keep piling up the points over the final three days of competition.
Maybe bull riding could become an acquired taste
Actually, Dougherty's performance might have me rethinking my stance on jumping on a bull. He earned $6,000 for Wednesday night's work and pocketed another $8,500 for Thursday. I'll have to pull up my bank statement to verify but I'm pretty confident in saying I don't think I bring home $15k for two days of work. Ha!
Bring it home!
It's always fun to root for someone with Montana ties so we'll be cheering Chase Dougherty on through the rest of the action in Vegas. And it's not just where he'll finish for the weekend that's on the line, he's also in contention for the PBR Rookie of the Year award. Good luck, Chase!