Nitro Circus Blog: Forgotten Lake Part II: Bull Riding One "O" One

Photos & Entry By Jolene Van Vugt, AKA "Nitro Girl"

No day or trip could be complete without us doing something completely stupid and way out of our range, so we hit up the local Rodeo and did some Bull Riding. Yes folks you heard me right, Godfrey thought it was the greatest idea to come out of the trip, go and ride pissed off, large bulls with horns!

TP had another adventure that he was dead set on and left us on the way to the Bull pen. So when we got there, we had a quick lesson in Bull Riding (and when I say quick, I mean quick, if you sneezed you would have missed the instructions!) Cam and Godfrey were gun-ho for this one but Crum and I, not so much once we got there a saw them up close and personal, some of those bulls were not very friendly looking, not to mention for some reason they really didn't like it when they had that rope tied up around their, you know what's and then pulled really tight. I have not idea why that would make them angry!

Cam stepped up first and rocked it, making it look easy and way fun as he yelled, yeeeha the whole time. His was also the funniest as when they opened the gate for him to started this bull jumped twice and kicked, but then came to an abrupt halt and stopped dead in the middle of the pen, cracking us all up. But that didn't last to long as the round up dog came along and bit the bulls butt which sent it into high gear and Cam was off, I'm not sure how long exactly he was on the bull but it was a long ride in bull terms.

Next was Godfrey, his bull was bigger and a little meaner than Cam's kitty cat, all sporting those nice long painful looking sharp horns. Godfrey was already getting smashed around in the starting cage and getting his legs rammed into the sides as that thing wanted out badly, Gregg managed a few seconds before he hit the ground hard with his head and shoulder, but he popped up and got out the way of the war path of the bull.

Crum was still in pain from his extreme big wheel cliff drop and not quite walking straight, already. He also stated that he was already scared sh*tless once today and he just wanted to get this over with, I believe all-in-all it was one of the most nerve racking days for good ole Crum Daddy! But he pulled through as a champ. His and Godfrey's bulls and rides were about the same except for the get off, Crum hit the ground and wanted out of there so bad, I'm pretty sure the bull could sense it and he came right after him. Crum found him self in a little bit of a dance with a not so happy, large bull. Crum got away, after a few close calls and the look on his face was priceless!

Brandon came in and stepped up for this one, he said he had done it before and he looked pretty confident, that was until they put him on the biggest, meanest, angriest bull yet with huge horns but what was suppose to have the straightest kick-out. After a what seemed like a 1 second ride Brandon was sandwiched between this bull and the metal caging around the pen at high speed and needless to say the bull didn't kick straight! He was out like a light and down for the count! Basically Brandon got us the gnarly shot we were looking for but all hoped it wasn't going to be us to deliver it. I took him a few seconds and he was ready to scrap as he came around, stumbling all over the place and stating "I wanna go again". Big B, takes the award for the night.

After that, I was up, one might think you would call it a night after seeing that just happen, but nope I marched over to the truck and grabbed an MX helmet! I don't know if there are too many bull riders that sport the full face, full coverage helmet but after seeing what I just saw, I truly didn't care, I was running it MX style. I also took it upon myself to pick my bull, I went for the smallest and friendliest (if there's such thing) looking one I could find, with NO horns! I kept having his bad thought of getting rammed with the horns and I wasn't like the idea. It was a cool but crazy intense feeling as you climb over the cage and on to the bulls bare back, then they strap your hand in super tight, which is a little unnerving and then pulled the bulls "ouch" rope to get him going and then open the gate and your off! I stayed on for a few seconds getting across to the other side of the pen and had a pretty easy and soft get off, the bull also had no interest in me, which was totally cool with me. He just ran back into his pen, but not before stepping on the poor round up dog and making him squeal like a pig! The pup was ok and looked like he just loved chasing and playing with the bulls he just had to watch here it got under. I don't image it tickles to much having a hoof kick you and no one else was about to find out, we called it night and that was a wrap and the end of our film trip. We went back to the boats called it a night and cleaned up and head out the next morning.

Checkout these behind the scenes photos. Albums to come, I promise : )