Mechanical bull

Last updated
Gator Conley on a mechanical bull Gator Conley riding a mechanical bull.jpg
Gator Conley on a mechanical bull

A mechanical bull, also known as a bucking machine, is a device that replicates the sensation of riding a bucking animal, such as a rodeo bull or horse, popularized by Sherwood Cryer. It is usually powered by a variable-speed electric motor. Padded flooring is often installed around the equipment in order to reduce the likelihood of injury to those thrown off it.

Contents

A "quick stop" motor allows the operator to safely control the ride and ensure safety for the rider; this feature allows the operator to stop the ride prior to a rider being thrown. The trained operator at the variable speed control box regulates the unit's Buck-and-Spin speed, as well as spin direction. The equipment has the capability of starting rides very slowly and speeds can be advanced according to a rider's ability. It can go slowly and simply spin for beginners and run at greater speed for experts.

Prior to the development of a bucking machine, a simpler device was created by attaching ropes (sometimes a rope-and-pulley system) to the ends of a large barrel, suspending it from four points, often tall posts or the rafters of a barn. A saddle or bucking equipment would be added, and then a rider would straddle the barrel. Two to four other people would move the barrel by pulling on the ropes to emulate the movement of an animal. This "bucking barrel" is still also used as a less-expensive option for practice and entertainment.

Mechanical bulls have existed for decades as a training device for rodeo competitors, as they enable a rider of rough stock (bucking horses and bulls) to enhance rodeo performance and refine skills without the risk and unpredictability of a live animal. Although mechanical bulls are still routinely used for rodeo training, they are also utilized as an amusement ride, both as a mobile rental (i.e., party entertainment) and stationary entertainment found in bars, restaurants, and clubs; these may be surrounded by a blown-air inflated structure similar to a "bounce house" or foam pits for safety. There is a modified, less dangerous style used for children's parties, usually with a one-minute timer. Children remove their shoes to get on. They hold a rope or peg on the shoulder or neck of the machine, and the person who stays on for the whole minute without falling off wins a small prize.

As a form of entertainment, the mechanical bull often includes a saddle (used only in saddle bronc riding, not bareback or bull riding) and often a model head of a bull, complete with horns. One of the earliest uses as a form of entertainment was at Bertrand Island Amusement Park in New Jersey), where a mechanical bucking bronco ride was introduced in the 1930s, under the name of "Ride 'Em Cowboy!". [1]

A woman riding on a mechanical bull Woman riding mechanical bull.jpg
A woman riding on a mechanical bull

The mechanical bull as an entertainment device as well as the commercial use of mechanical bulls gained popular appeal with the release of the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy . In this movie John Travolta and Debra Winger demonstrated the art of riding a mechanical bull to the larger movie-going population. The mechanical bull featured in this movie was the El Toro brand of mechanical bull. This brand of mechanical bull is still in circulation, but does not carry the same safety features that are available on more current models.

"Bucking bronco" or "bronc" is cowboy slang for a horse that throws a person around. [2]

Cultural references

Mechanical bulls can be seen in the films Urban Cowboy , Stir Crazy , Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle , and Sonic the Hedgehog . In the movie Barnyard , in the night barn, a "Mechanical Man" is seen (as the main characters are cows). In the television show Strangers with Candy , Jerri Blank's P.E. class is seen to have mechanical bull riding. Feeder's 2012 music video for their single "Idaho", features actor Daniel Mays riding a mechanical bull. James Spader rode one in Boston Legal "Death Be Not Proud" episode, aired in 2005. The character Petra tried riding one in Jane the Virgin , only to fall off and lose a tooth. A mechanical bull riding competition serves as a plot point in the television show Patriot

Safety

Although injuries from mechanical bulls are relatively rare, there are a variety of ways that a person can be injured while riding a mechanical bull. These injuries can be caused by falling on the ground, striking the bull or getting caught on it, or injuries caused by the bucking motion. [3] In 2003 a 28-year-old man was paralyzed after being thrown from a mechanical bull at a county fair. He sued for $50 million in damages claiming that the ride was deceptive because there was no warning about the steel frame underneath the pad that the man struck when he was thrown from the bull. [4] Because of the risk of injury many venues require varying levels of insurance coverage to keep themselves protected. There are also very few insurance companies that will insure mechanical bulls because of the risk involved. [5]

There are, however, mechanisms in the bulls that keep the risk of injury much lower. Many of the bulls have continuous pressure airbags, rounded padded body designs, and controls that control the speed and bucking motion. Operator training on safety is provided through some of the insurance companies that insure mechanical bulls. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equestrianism</span> Use of horses for sport or work

Equestrianism, commonly known as horse riding or horseback riding, includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the use of horses for practical working purposes, transportation, recreational activities, artistic or cultural exercises, and competitive sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodeo</span> Competitive sport

Rodeo is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western Canada, and northern Mexico. Today, it is a sporting event that involves horses and other livestock, designed to test the skill and speed of the cowboys and cowgirls. American-style professional rodeos generally comprise the following events: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, Steer roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding and barrel racing. The events are divided into two basic categories: the rough stock events and the timed events. Depending on sanctioning organization and region, other events such as breakaway roping, goat tying, and pole bending may also be a part of some rodeos. The "world's first public cowboy contest" was held on July 4, 1883, in Pecos, Texas, between cattle driver Trav Windham and roper Morg Livingston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bull riding</span> Rodeo sport

Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronc riding</span> Rodeo event that involves riding a bucking horse

Bronc riding, either bareback bronc or saddle bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding a bucking horse that attempts to throw or buck off the rider. Originally based on the necessary buck breaking skills of a working cowboy, the event is now a highly stylized competition that utilizes horses that often are specially bred for strength, agility, and bucking ability. It is recognized by the main rodeo organizations such as the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Professional Rodeo Association</span>

The Australian Professional Rodeo Association (APRA) is the national governing body for professional rodeo in Australia. Founded in 1944, APRA has been setting the standards for rodeo in Australia for over 60 years. The Australian Rodeo consists of many events some of which are junior and ladies' (open) barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, bareback bronc riding, rope and tie, steer wrestling, team roping and the steer ride. Men, women and children are involved in the Australian rodeo circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian rodeo</span>

Rodeos have long been a popular competitor and spectator sport in Australia, but were not run on an organised basis until the 1880s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mutton busting</span> Event for children held at rodeos similar to bronc riding

Mutton busting is an event held at rodeos similar to bull riding or bronc riding, in which children ride or race sheep.

The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier rodeo event by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The NFR showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money winners in the season for each event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association</span> American rodeo organization

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). The PRCA is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ProRodeo Hall of Fame</span> Hall of fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy was opened in August 1979 as a museum designed to "preserve the legacy of the cowboy contests, the heritage and culture of those original competitions, and the champions of the past, present and future." It is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and only inducts Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Women's Professional Rodeo Association members. It is the "only museum in the world devoted exclusively to the sport of professional rodeo."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ty Murray</span> American rodeo cowboy

Ty Monroe Murray, is an American nine-time World Champion professional rodeo cowboy. He was one of the top rodeo contestants in the world from the late 1980s to early 2000s. He is one of the co-founders and a board adviser of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). From 2005 to 2020, he was also a regular color commentator for several televised PBR events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucking</span>

Bucking is a movement performed by an animal in which it lowers its head and raises its hindquarters into the air while kicking out with the hind legs. It is most commonly seen in herbivores such as equines, cattle, deer, goats, and sheep. Most research on this behavior has been directed towards horses and cattle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bareback riding</span>

Bareback riding is a form of horseback riding without a saddle. It requires skill, balance, and coordination, as the rider does not have any equipment to compensate for errors of balance or skill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cord McCoy</span> American bull rider

Cord Jarret McCoy is an American professional rodeo stock contractor and producer and former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in saddle bronc riding and bull riding. He is best known as the 2nd-place finisher on The Amazing Race 16. Jet and Cord returned to compete in the eighteenth season of The Amazing Race, finishing in 6th Place. Jet and Cord returned for The Amazing Race 24 also known as "The Amazing Race All-Stars" finishing in 5th place. From 2022 through 2023, Cord was the head coach of the Oklahoma Freedom for the PBR Team Series season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pickup rider</span>

A pickup rider is a person on horseback who works at a rodeo in the rough stock competitions of bull riding, saddle bronc and bareback riding. Pickup riders play an important role in assisting rodeo riders and increasing the safety of competitors.

Warren Granger "Freckles" Brown was a hall of fame American rodeo cowboy from Wheatland, Wyoming. His career spanned from 1937 to 1974, competing in bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, team roping, and steer wrestling. He was the World Bull Riding Champion in 1962. Brown was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for bull riding in 1979. He was also inducted into the inaugural class of the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2015. Brown was most famous for riding Tornado, who had an undefeated record of 220 riders. Brown was also a close friend and mentor of Lane Frost.

The Heart of the North Rodeo is located in Spooner, Wisconsin, United States. The rodeo takes place the first full weekend in July every year since 1954, except 2020. It is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). Fans from all over come to watch the professional cowboys and cowgirls compete in the seven main events of rodeo, and even some up-and-coming little cowboys and cowgirls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucking horse</span> Untrained horse or a horse that habitually bucks

A bucking horse is any breed of horse, male or female, with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Professional Rodeo Association</span>

The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) is the governing body of professional rodeo in Canada. Its championship event is the Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) held every November.

Alice Greenough Orr, was an internationally known rodeo performer and rodeo organizer who was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, and the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. She has been described as "hands down the first rodeo queen."

References

  1. ↑ Martin Kane and Laura Kane (2000). Greetings from Bertrand Island Amusement Park. Arcadia Publishing. p. 68. ISBN   0738504688.
  2. ↑ Lester V. Berrey and Melvin Van den Bark (1953). The American Thesaurus of Slang: A Complete Reference Book of Colloquial Speech. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co. p. 839.
  3. ↑ "Mechanical Bull Injuries". The Free Dictionary by Farlex. TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  4. ↑ Russell, Joyce (August 2003). "Family sues over mechanical bull accident". NWI Times. nwitimes.com. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Insurance for Mechanical Bulls | Liability Insurance". Mechanical Bull Insurance. www.insuranceformechanicalbulls.com. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Mechanical Bull Rental and Sales". JT Mechanical Bulls. www.mechanicalbullguy.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.