Bull Riding Tips

Bull riding is an adventure sport, wherein an individual is expected to mount a bull, and stay mounted on it for at least 8 seconds, whilst the animal tries its level best to throw the rider off its back. Bull riding is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous sports in the world. In fact, those 8 seconds wherein the individual rides the bull are regarded as the most dangerous 8 seconds of his life. Over the last few decades, this extreme sport has gained wide popularity among adventure enthusiasts, and no more is it restricted to a particular age or gender. The introduction of some new tips and techniques has made the task quite a bit easier, without hampering the adrenaline rush involved in it.

Bull Riding Rules

As far as scoring is concerned, a rider can achieve a maximum score of 100 for a performance. There are basically 2 judges, who can give 50 points each - 25 for the riders performance, and 25 for the animals performance. In most of the forms of bull riding, the rider is not supposed to touch himself or the animal throughout the performance, and doing so only results in loss of valuable points for the rider. Before we move on to tips, you need to understand that bull riding is not the same as horse riding. Both concepts are totally different, and the risk involved in former is quite high as you ride an animal which is trying to topple you off its back.

Bull Riding Tips for Beginners

Bull riding requires a good amount of flexibility and stamina, and hence, it is important to be in good shape to excel in this sport. Riding a bull which can stamp you to death if you fell to the ground, is not an easy task and a slightest mistake can land you in the soup. Therefore, it is always good to be prepared than later being sorry.

Practice does make a man perfect, and when it comes to bull riding, practice has immense importance. You should practice on a mechanical bull for a considerable time before you opt for riding the animal. At least, you have the assurance that the mechanical animal won't stomp you death, even if you commit some mistake in the beginning.

Basic Bull Riding Tips

Go for bull riding only when there are people around to help you, if you get caught in any sort of trouble. Wrapping the rope around your hand will facilitate a steady grip, which is a must. The gate-man will wait for your signal to open the gate, do so only when you are ready.

Once the bull starts giving jerks, ensure that you move your body in a rhythm with the moment of the bull. This is not just important to hang on to the bull, but also important for your safety. Use your free hand and leg to maintain a proper balance.

Eight seconds is quite a short time, though it may seem to be eternity when you are on the bull. Make sure that you abide by the basic rule of bull riding: touching the bull with your free hand or jumping off the bull before the 8 minute buzzer sounds will automatically call for your disqualification.

One of the most important aspect of bull riding is regarding handling of the rope. Before you jump off the bull, you need to make sure that the rope, you wrapped around your hand is loose, or else there are significant chances that you will get dragged along with the bull, and your bull riding escapade will end on a tragic note. On a safer side, it is wiser to jump off the bull only after your hand is free.

All these tips aside, you should never try bull riding on your own. Watching the sport on your television screen does cause an adrenaline rush, but that doesn't mean you go ahead and try it on your own. Being a dangerous sport, which can even cost you your life, bull riding should always be done under professional guidance. Ideally, you can join a bull riding school and take proper training from the scratch. That will ensure that your first ride is enjoyable and not the last one.