Rodeo: Bull fighting takes another step forward

It was a novel necessity last year, a series of events that would showcase the top bullfighters in the sport of rodeo.

With just eight stops, though, it was hard to get a true measure of the athletes’ skill, though no one would deny the team of Sam Gress and Wacey Munsell the title they garnered at the end of the year.

On Friday night during the opening performance of the 75th SandHills Stock Show and Rodeo, the Daisy Protection Bullfight Tour kicked off its second season by doubling the number of competitors and adding 22 more stops to the season-long chase for a world championship.

“I think that everyone is going to get a chance to see just how good these guys are,” said Jim McLain, president of Professional Bullfighters. “It’s exciting to know that we are going to be at so many more events this year.

“Everyone sees the cowboys and the bulls, but the bull fighters play a big part in the safety out there, taking the risks to let the cowboys get out of the way after they’ve hit the dirt.”

Gress, of Hutchinson, Kan., and Munsell of Ulysses, Kan., (Team Diamond Pump & Transport) were back to start the defense of their title, but this time they have three other teams to battle for the crown.

Andy Burelle of Wilson, Okla., and Dusty Truckness of Mateetse, Wyo., make up Team Diamond Tank Rental, with Burelle one of the returning competitors from last year.

Team Jordan Wire Rope consists of Ryan Wilson of Kennewick, Wash., and Jesse Tennet of Springfield, Ore., who also competed last year.

The final pairing is Ross Hill of Muscle Shoals, Ala., and Lance McIlvain of Arlington (Team Cavenders).

All four duos each got a chance to put themselves in harm’s way three times Friday and Heath Ford of Greeley, Colo., is very happy that Gress and Munsell were in the arena when he left the chute in the second session of bull riding.

Little more than three seconds after the gate opened, Ford was spun off the bull’s back, but got hung up in the rigging and dangled off the right side of the animal before finally dropping to the dirt — underneath the bull’s feet.

Gress and Munsell quickly moved in to catch the bull’s attention, taking him deeper into the arena as Ford struggled to get to his feet as the Justin Sports Medicine Team rushed into the arena. Ford was able to get to his feet into a chute for protection as the bull fighters and pickup men ushered the bull out of the coliseum.