Who’s ready for rodeo season? David Rice of Rice Rodeo Company provides rodeo entertainment for the Upper Midwest. Bull riding is their bread and butter. Rice, who has his own experience bull riding, tells us what it takes to raise bucking bulls, starting with genetics.
“These are all specifically bred for the rodeo business,” he says. “We raise a lot of our own bulls. Right now, we have an NFR (National Finals Rodeo) bull… so they have a lot of really good genetics and that’s the basis of our breeding program.”
Rice says notable traits in a bucking bull include a good kick, buck, and spin. He also looks for muscle and athleticism. Rice Rodeo Company has around 60 to 80 bulls and avoids bucking them too much.
“We don’t want to overuse them and wear them out,” he explains. “Our average bull probably only gets hauled and bucked 10, 12 times a year throughout the summer.”
He reminds us that a bucking bull is an athlete, and it requires a different diet than an average bull.
“It’s a very high-end feed program with the protein levels and the minerals and the vitamins. It’s a specialty feed — you can’t go to a tractor farm supply and buy it,” he says. “As far as the other care, good vet care is very important.”
Rice says every bull is exercised and gets ample rest before the next show.
The Rider
“You’ve got to be committed to do it. There’s no referee to blow the whistle. It’s over when the bull says it’s over,” Rice reflects on the bullriding experience. “It’s an adrenaline rush, and you love doing it, getting on a 1800-lb bucking bull, it’s an addiction.”
Becoming a well-paid bull rider includes schooling and practice. Rice says the community is close-knit like a family. Unfortunately, every year less people are getting involved.
“They need to make another movie like 8 Seconds,” he jokes. “That helped our industry out and blew it up for us back in the day. There’s still plenty of bull riders out there, but it’s not what it used to be 20 years ago.”
