Ride 'em Cowboy!

What could be more entertaining in Grand Forks, North Dakota than a good old-fashioned bull-ride? Nothing, I say. It's affectionately called a bull-o-rama by us die-hards who would rather see cowboys get their guts jiggled, their heads banged, and their spleens stomped on by 2 ton bad-ass bulls than go to something with fairies and poofy skirts and pointy slippers like ballet. We're not all hicks from the sticks, but I do enjoy a good NPRA show when I get the chance. Mom came and we went together so that Justin wouldn't have to suffer and could watch football all evening (he's a die-hard of a different sort).
All the experiences of a bull-ride are so enjoyable for me. Even the not so enjoyable parts combine into a fun time to make it a show that I often enjoy. When entering the event center, one is promptly greeted with the distinct, pungent smell of cow poop. Once your nose adjusts, you smell popcorn, beer, hotdogs, and the other fun concessions that they sell for outrageous amounts of money. My favorites are the "dippin' dots," the "ice cream of the future." I'm sure you've all seen them. I love them. My favorite kind to get is half strawberry, and half strawberry cheesecake. yummy.
After you find your seats, it's fun to look around at the people there. If you're fortunate, you don't have a big old ten gallon cowboy hat in front of you so that you have a clear view of the bucking chutes and clowns. All kinds of people can be seen, but the vast majority are tight Wrangler wearers, too-large cowboy hat sporters, and too tight shirt wanna-be cowgirls. Or just normal girls looking to pick up a cowboy. There are often cute cowboys to be seen at these events, however, the "cute" category usually requires a hat and a bull or horse. Without either, most lose their good looks, thereby losing their appeal. And then there's always the beer drinkers. These people start out pretty normal at the beginning, but by the end they're hootin' and hollerin' right along with the cowboys themselves. Tonight we had two girls who had about 4 mixed drinks. (a piece) Needless to say they were a bit giggly by intermission. Beer drinkers always make me a bit nervous because you're never quite sure when they're going to stumble right in front of you or behind you. Could get sticky.
But man, the action is fun. The required time to qualify for a score is 8 seconds. This gets to be a long time when you have a snotting, drooling beast underneath you who has nothing more on his mind than to toss you like a rag-doll and then trample you to pieces. Most riders don't make the 8 seconds, and most don't get hurt. But there are those that do, and though it's unfortunate, it adds to the thrill. In all the bull rides I've been to though, I've only seen one or two men have to be carried out on a stretcher. That's a really low percent.
Oh and I forgot to mention the country music. It's my favorite, and to be in an atmosphere listening to country music, surrounded by cowboys and cowgirls and beer and bulls and clowns and horses and poop and everything just puts me in a happy place. So I'm happy tonight.
I'm not sure why I felt that anybody would want to read about my hobby of bull ride watching, but I had fun, so I thought it'd be fun to write about.

And for those of you who are wondering, I am not one of the tight Wrangler wearers. I don't even have a hat and/or boots. But they are on my list. (not the Wrangler's: the hat and boots)