Welsh & Sparks & Cash

Look at the picture closely. Bobby Welsh rides a bull at Cheyenne Frontier Days yesterday. Jeremy Sparks, the bullfighter, fronts the action drawing the bull’s attention and the bull takes notice. What will happen next? Looks to me like Bobby is going to fall off and Sparks is in for a stomping. Nothing could be further from what takes place. Welsh regains his balance and Jeremy does his job making sure Bobby gets the best possible score out of his eight seconds on top. Bobby‘s ride was scored a 78. Why would young men put themselves in such precarious positions? They can. From a young age a parent, mentor, or rodeo hero they saw on television gave them inspiration. And then adrenaline took over. A rodeo song I have on a compilation CD is probably findable on I-Tunes. If you don’t have the ability or desire to go web-hunting here are a couple of stanzas from “Bull Rider” as recorded by Johnny Cash. The song was written by Rodney Crowell who was married for a time to Johnny’s daughter Roseanne. To me, this holds up pretty well and really captures the intensity, drama, and reckless nature of an event that once the chute gate opens, no one can avert their eyes from watching. Frankly, the man in black was actually way before his time (as usual) and did “Bull Rider” circa 1979 in a mostly spoken rap:

Well first you got to want to get off bad enough to want to get on him in the first place.

And you better trust in your Lady Luck and pray to God that she don’t give up on you right now.

Live fast. Die young. Bull Rider.

One hand hold is all you got. It’s you and the bull against the clock and of course the crowd.

And once upon a spinnin’ ton, nothin’ else you ever done can pull this way.

You’re just outside the buckin’ chute, lose a spur you lose a seat and you lose yourself.

By now he’s buckin’ mean and dirty, slingin’ mud and cowboy boots and kickin’ clowns.

No fools. No fun. Bull Rider.