bull riding

The life of a rodeo cowboy

The life of a rodeo cowboy

19 Photos, 1 Video

“There’s no injured reserve for bull riders,” said Chip Ridgely, the owner of Rockin’ R Western Productions, which put on the Bull Blast at the Howard County Fair Monday night, and will again on Thursday.

We took look into the life of rodeo cowboys, who travel around the country in groups for weeks on end to entertain crowds at fairs and other events. Most people are aware of how dangerous the sport can be, but few may realize what bull riders go through from day to day.

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Bull Blast rodeo at the Howard County Fair

Bull Blast rodeo at the Howard County Fair

25 photos, 1 videos

After 16 years, attendees of the Howard County Fair finally got to see some bucking bulls.

With a new event called “Bull Blast” held Monday night, the fair launched itself back into the ring with professional riders putting on a show for about 2,000 cheering fans.

“We’re going to see some spills, some falls, maybe a couple cowboys getting bucked off real good,” said Justin Howard, of Rockin “R” Western Productions, which produced the show. “We’re going to have some fun.” (Story continues below video)

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Carroll cowboys try their luck at the ‘Battle of the Beast’

Carroll cowboys try their luck at the ‘Battle of the Beast’

21 photos

Armed with a flat braided rope, riding gloves, spurs and a protective vest, cowboys at the J Bar W Ranch in Union Bridge, Md., engage in one of rodeo’s most dangerous events: bull riding. Riders attempt to stay on a bucking bull for eight seconds without touching it with their free hands, as the animal jumps, twists and turns.

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