Archive for the ‘Bull riding’ Category

You’ve probably heard this said before, “These horses have raced so many times against each other, it’s just a matter of whose turn it is to win. They just take turns.”

On any racing circuit there are certain horses who always seem to wind up in the same races. Usually this occurs with claimers or cheap handicap races. First one horse from the group will win and then another one of the horses will win and it really does seem like the trainers are taking turns, but that usually isn’t the case. What is actually happening is that the horses are so evenly matched that a minor advantage is all it takes for one of them to win.

Many times in these races, the favorite fails. That is good news for an astute handicapper, but before we get too excited about the possibility of winning, let’s be honest with ourselves. This is one of the toughest races to handicap because they have all shown that they are capable at this level.

Another problem is that we can’t read their minds to know which one is feeling its best and which one will get a good break, etc. So how do you handicap this race? First of all, there are many times when you should pass a race like this because it really is too close to call. On the other hand, look for value. If a horse has won at this level against this group, why can’t it do it again? If the odds are right, go for it.

The truth is that the trainers and other insiders often don’t have a clue as to which horse will win a race like that, but put their horse in because they know that given a break or in the right circumstances, their horse can win.

Bull riding is a fascinating rodeo sport: a rider trying to stay mounted on the top rodeo bulls for as long as they can. But, usually the angry bull bucks off the rider long before it reaches eight seconds. One may think that it is eight seconds too soon, but when you are hanging by the bull with just one hand tightly fastened around the long braided rope, eight seconds can seem like a lifetime.

Bull riding is perhaps the most popular of all rodeo sport; and the most dangerous. Here are the top rodeo bulls that contribute to the danger of the sport:

Little Yellow Jacket is a three-time PBR (Professional Bull Riders) “Bull of the Year”. He won the title from 2002-2004; this made him unmatched by any top rodeo bull in the history of PBR. Born in 1996, he debut in PBR in year 1999 and went to his first world finals. By 2001, he was the bull to watch, bagging the second place of “Bull of the Year” that year. The next year, the former “Bull of the Year” had an injury and Little Yellow Jacket stepped up in his thrown. Some may say that it was just lucky break that gave him the award; but he proved he deserved that stop as a top rodeo bull, for two more consecutive years. He ended his lustrous career on 2004 and rank as the second on the list of PBR’s tops bulls.

Dillinger is a two-time PBR “Bull of the Year”. He was forced to retire during his prime due to injury. He was a big bull, but he was agile and athletic; a menacing mix of speed, size and strength. He was not really a threat to gore the riders as he does not have his horns, but still the riders were intimidated by him because he was known for his power and competitiveness. Only a very few rodeo riders rode him successfully, and he was truly one of the top rodeo bulls ever.