Bucking Bulls Draw Crowds, And Dollars

The bucking bull has long been the embodiment of the American rodeo, and it takes just four seconds for a strong young bull to reap its owner as much as $50,000 in prize money. Four seconds is how long each 1- or 2-year-old bull will wear a weight strapped to its back as the massive animal is judged on how high it kicks and how much it twists. In the past 10 years, bucking bulls have become a major industry. The price of the best bloodlines can soar to $250,000, and competitions take place everywhere from Madison Square Garden to Wyoming. Randy Shippy, owner of Shippy Rodeo Bulls in Colome, S.D., has seven bulls entered in a nearby regional competition. The competition is used to get young bulls ready for the contests with higher prizes. The bulls kick and defy the brawny cowboys trying to place a blue box known as a "dummy" on their backs. By throwing off the box, the bull learns what it's like to throw weight. It's supposed to get him ready to throw off a determined cowboy in a year