Bucking Tradition, Bull-Riding Fans Cheer for the Beasts
Brenda and Billy Schnell arrived at Parsons Stadium 10 hours before the Professional Bull Riders event, hoping to get a glimpse of their favorite competitor.
The couple already had a frame waiting at home in Memphis for the photo they planned to take of him. His speed, strength and determined attitude set him apart from the others, they said. They can rattle off his weight and his hometown. They know all about his performance this year.
"My friends think it's crazy to get this excited about a bull," says 51-year-old Mrs. Schnell about a critter named Blueberry Wine. "But I think he's gorgeous and thrilling to watch. I love him as much as Sean Connery." She hoped to get his hoofprint for her scrapbook.
Competitive bull-riding, a staple of the Old West, has a new set of stars: the bulls, some of which these days are more famous than their riders.
Professional Bull Riders Inc., which stages competitions, aims to draw in more animal lovers, so it promotes the bulls aggressively. "Our philosophy is that there are two athletes in every ride," says Randy Bernard, chief executive of the Colorado Springs, Colo., organization.
Just like the riders, the bulls now have their own rankings, statistics, sponsorships, training programs and devoted fans. Top bulls also have their own line of stuffed animals, figurines and T-shirts.
Blueberry Wine attempts to throw rider Michael Gaffney at the Phoenix Invitational in January
Blueberry Wine has his own "Collectibull" figurine, selling for $15, that faithfully reproduces his gray spotted hide and famed vertical leap that leaves the bull standing on its back legs. A stuffed-animal version of Cash, another fan favorite, is black with white spots. It balances on its front legs, just as its namesake does when he hurls riders from his back. Plush bull key chains, at $10, bellow when squeezed.
The bull Mossy Oak Mudslinger owes his name to the Mossy Oak brand of camouflage clothing that sponsors him. Larry the Cable Guy, a comedian and bull-riding fan, sponsors a bull named Larry the Cable Guy's Git 'R Done.
Traditionally, bull riding was all about whether a cowboy can stay on a bull for eight seconds while holding on with just one hand. Getting bucked off was considered a failed ride. But now, when a rider gets bucked off, the announcer will often praise the bull and tout the animal's "riding percentage." And crowds cheer the bull.
"If I'm about to ride a famous bull, they'll spend more time introducing him than me," says 25-year-old rider Reuben Geleynse, who is currently ranked No. 12 among the 45 riders who compete in PBR events. "It's great for the sport, though, because it's not just some big farm animal you're riding -- it's a tuned athlete."
When the 1,200-pound Blueberry Wine travels to competitions, the floor of his trailer is lined with six inches of soft, fluffy wood shavings to reduce the shock absorbed by his joints. Stadiums have feed on hand. But he eats a special mix of roasted soybeans, corn and oats brought from his home in Mont Belvieu, Texas, by Doug Butcher, who cares for bulls owned by Herrington Cattle Co. when they're on the road.
Blueberry Wine is one of the few bulls that get their own pens at the stadium. He also has his own pasture at home because he doesn't get along with other bulls. Mr. Butcher says he has a Napoleonic complex. "He's got little-man syndrome," says Mr. Butcher, because he is smaller than many others on tour and compensates for it with feistiness. "He wants to be the dominant bull and is always getting into fights."
Fans often ask Mr. Butcher to sign autographs on behalf of the bulls. He tries to make it more authentic by changing his handwriting when signing the names of different bulls.
Roger Grisham of Alpena, Ark., brought his nine-year-old son, Trey, and six-year-old daughter, Faith, to a bull-rider autograph session, but stopped first at the bulls' holding pens to show them the animals up close. He pointed out his favorites: Hammer, Sling Blade and Blueberry Wine, all of whom he easily recognized from television. Mr. Grisham says he often cheers for the bull rather than the rider. "Bull riding is a contest between two athletes, but it's not a very even competition," he says.
Growing demand for extreme sports has boosted the popularity of bull riding and increased TV coverage. The PBR was founded 12 years ago by 20 bull riders who believed their event was popular enough to support its own tour. Prize money is up this year to $9.5 million, from $250,000 in 1993. Seeking a broader audience, the PBR uses pyrotechnics and rock music at its events, and promotes bull riding as a sport rather than a show.
The emphasis on the animals has increased, especially since market research shows that many female fans, who account for about half of ticket sales, cheer for the bull, not the rider. On the PBR Web site, bulls have their own photos and biographies. TV coverage often includes features on the bulls and their hometowns.
Little Yellow Jacket, named Bull of the Year for the past two years and ridden successfully by just 10 of the last 71 men who have tried, starred in his own up-close and personal profile in NBC's television coverage. Between clips of him tossing riders, top bull riders spoke reverentially about the mental and physical prowess of their 1,750-pound antagonist.
"He's got a mind that just works like a human's," said Chris Shivers, who last year was bucked off Little Yellow Jacket during a ride that would have won him $1 million had he lasted eight seconds. Zooming in to show the bull in his pen pawing the ground, the announcer raved, "There's the man, there's the stud, the two-time reigning world champion. He loves being a star."
Nutrition regimens and training programs for bulls now are followed with the same deliberation as those of thoroughbred racehorses. Sperm of champion bulls -- those that have bucked the best riders off their backs -- can fetch tens of thousands of dollars. The owners of a bull named Hotel California are negotiating a $200,000 deal to provide semen to 10 buyers over the next three years. Today's bulls are "faster, jump higher, twist more and are a lot more aggressive and competitive," says Cody Lambert, the PBR's livestock director and a former bull-riding star.
Mr. Lambert personally selects each bull to compete in events and become one of the 130 animals appearing at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas in October. The animal named Bull of the Year wins his owner $20,000.
When determining whether a bull has what it takes to be a champion bucker, Mr. Lambert says he mostly judges the "heart" that the bull puts into his kicks, rather than his stature or muscle tone. "You can see whether a bull is really trying to compete, or if he won because he got lucky," he says. "It's just like judging a rider."
While training and diet also help, ultimately it's attitude that makes a superstar, says Tom Teague, owner of Teague Bucking Bulls LLC and co-owner of Little Yellow Jacket. He mates his top bulls with athletic, easily spooked and otherwise ornery females. "Little Yellow Jacket knows he's hot stuff and a champion," says Mr. Teague. "I can't wait to see what his sons can do."
骑牛爱好者：我为牛狂
布伦达?施内尔(Brenda Schnell)和比利?施内尔(Billy Schnell)在职业骑牛比赛(Professional Bull Riders)开始前10个小时就已经到达帕森斯体育馆(Parsons Stadium)，希望有幸一睹他们最喜爱的竞技者的风采。
夫妇俩已经在孟菲斯的家中准备好了镜框，就等著给他拍个靓照裱进去。他们说，他的速度、力量以及矢志不渝的作战态度使它有别于其他竞技者。他们随口就能说出这头他的重量和家乡所在地，对他今年的表现更是了如指掌。
五十一岁的施内尔太太谈到这头为越橘酒(Blueberry Wine)的公牛时说："我的朋友们都认为为一头牛如此狂热简直就是发疯，但我觉得他非常帅，观看时很刺激。我爱他如爱肖恩?康纳利 (Sean Connery)"。她希望弄到这头牛的蹄印，收藏在她的剪贴本里。
激烈的骑公牛比赛是美国老西部的传统之一，如今培育出了一大群新星──牛明星，他们当中有些比骑士还出名。
组织赛事的职业骑牛公司(Professional Bull Riders Inc.)为了吸引更多的骑牛爱好者，不惜重金为这些公牛宣传包装。"位于科罗拉多泉市的该组织的首席执行官兰迪?伯纳德(Randy Bernard)说："我们的理念是，每一场比赛都有两个运动员。"
就像骑士一样，这些公牛也有各自的排名、统计数据、赞助、训练安排和忠实的爱好者。最受欢迎的牛还有以它们为主题的一系列填充动物玩具、小雕像和T恤。
越橘酒就有自己的"Collectibull"小雕像，15美元一个，灰色的皮肤上带著些许斑点，极其逼真。当然，他著名的后腿站立的垂直上跃姿势被生动地再现出来。另一头受牛迷喜爱的公牛现金(Cash)也有自己的玩具版本：黝黑的皮肤上点缀著鲜明的白点，前腿平衡身体，后退翻起──正是现金把骑士从头顶摔下的姿势。牛明星形像的绒线钥匙链每个卖10美元，捏一下能发出怒吼的声音。
公牛Mossy Oak Mudslinger的名字来自它的赞助商──一个叫Mossy Oak的迷彩服装品牌。戏剧演员、骑牛爱好者Larry the Cable Guy也赞助了一头公牛，这头牛得名Larry the Cable Guy's Git 'R Done。
骑牛比赛的传统规则是牛仔如果能单手抓绳、在牛背上坚持8秒钟就算胜利，被甩下就算输。但跟过去有所不同是，如今一旦骑士被牛摔下来，广播员马上高度赞扬牛的勇猛表现。于是观众们都为这头公牛欢呼喝彩。
"如果我要骑的是一头著名的公牛，那他们介绍牛的时间肯定比介绍我的时间还要多，"25岁的牛仔鲁本?盖莱恩斯(Reuben Geleynse)说。他目前在PBR比赛的45名骑士中排名12。"尽管如此，这项运动还是非常棒的，因为你骑的不是农场里那些普普通通的大个子，而是训练有素的运动健将。"
当时把体重1,200磅的越橘酒运到体育馆来时，拖车的平板上铺了一层６英尺厚的松软刨花，为的是减少牛的腿关节受到的震荡。体育馆的饲养员亲手给牛喂食，而他吃的东西也大有讲究：用烤豆、玉米拌上从公牛的家乡德克萨斯的Mont Belvieu运来的燕麦。道格?布彻(Doug Butcher) 是赫林顿牛公司(Herrington Cattle Co.)雇来专门在运送途中照料公牛的饲养员。
越橘酒是体育馆里为数不多的几头有专用围栏的公牛之一。他在家乡还有自己的牧场，因为他没法跟其他牛共处。据布彻先生称，这头牛有"拿破仑情结"。布彻说："他有矮个子综合特点。"因为他比许多其他比赛场上的牛的个头要小，但他暴躁的性子弥补了这个缺点。"它要做统治者，对战斗乐此不疲。"
经常有公牛迷请布彻代牛签名。为了使签名更真实一些，布彻在代不同的牛签名时有意变换字迹。
家住阿肯色州Alpena的罗杰?格里沙姆(Roger Grisham)带9岁的儿子特雷(Trey)和6岁的女儿费思(Faith)参加一个骑士签名会，但到那儿之前，他先带孩子们到牛的围栏边去近距离观摩一下牛的英姿。他把自己最喜爱的那几头指给孩子们看：铁锤(Hammer)、 飞刀(Sling Blade)和越橘酒。他毫不费力就能在电视上认出它们来。格里沙姆说他通常给牛喝彩，而不是给骑士鼓掌。他说："骑牛比赛是两个选手之间的竞争，但不是一种平等的比赛。"
极限运动需求的日益增加使骑牛运动的受欢迎程度大大提高，电视转播也越来越多。PBR是12年前由20名骑士创立的，他们相信这项运动已经有足够的知名度，可以支撑巡回比赛的费用了。今年奖金达到950万美元，而1993年才25万美元。为了吸引更多观众，PBR还在赛场上燃放焰火、播放摇滚乐助兴，他们把骑牛比赛当作一项运动来推广，而不只是一种表演。
人们把越来越多的注意力放在牛身上，尤其是有市场研究表明一半的门票收入来自女性观众，而女牛迷们喜欢给牛喝彩，而不是给牛仔喝彩。在PBR的网站上，公牛们有自己的照片和经历介绍。电视也经常对公牛和他们的家乡做专题报导。
黄色小杰克(Little Yellow Jacke)过去两年连任"年度奖得主"，71名与他挑战的牛仔中只有10名成功。NBC对它作了专门报导。在他把牛仔凌空抛落的录像片段之间穿插了一些对牛仔的采访，牛仔们无一不对这位体重1750磅、无论是精神还是体力上都神勇无比的对手表示出真诚的敬意。
"他有人类一样的头脑，" 克里?斯希弗(Chris Shivers)说。 他去年被黄色小杰克从背上摔下来。这场比赛，如果他能坚持8秒钟，就能拿走1百万美元的奖金。电视来了个近镜特写，这位冠军正在自己的围栏里一个劲儿地用蹄子刨地上的土。主持人高声解说道："像人类一样有思想，同类中的佼佼者，连任两届的世界冠军。他喜欢当明星的感觉。"
这些牛在营养和训练方面的精心照料程度可以和纯种赛马的待遇相媲美。冠军公牛──即曾把最优秀的骑士翻倒在地的牛──的精子可以带来成千上万的收入。一头名叫加州旅店(Hotel California)的公牛的主人正在跟人谈一笔20万美元的生意，如果成交，那他将在以后三年内向10个买家提供这头牛的精子。PBR饲养总监、前任明星骑士科迪?兰伯特(Cody Lambert)称，现在的公牛比以前的"跑得更快、蹦得更高、扭甩得更多、更有攻击力。"
兰伯特亲自挑选将参加10月份在拉斯维加斯举行的PBR世界决赛的公牛，届时将有130头公牛参赛。获得年度大奖的公牛的主人将获得2万美元的奖金。
兰伯特说，在判断一头牛是否具备冠军相时，他一般要看这头牛在踢腿时是否"用心"，而不是看他的身材和肌肉。"你可以看得出一头牛是否真的在比赛，或仅仅靠运气取胜。这就像判断一个牛仔一样。"
Teague Bucking Bulls LLC的老板、黄色小杰克的共有人汤姆?蒂格(Tom Teague)也说，尽管训练和营养起很大作用，但最终决定一头牛能否成为超级明星的是他的态度。他让手上最出色的那几头公牛和好运动、但受惊吓而且暴躁的母牛交配。"黄色小杰克知道自己是炙手可热的冠军，" 蒂格说，"我迫不及待地想看他的儿子们的表现。"
