March 29, 2018
The recent transitions and changes going on in the bucking bull world are, for most of us I imagine, a little unsettling. Sitting back to ponder these changes, it’s important to keep things in perspective.
There have been some big announcements, and some of them quite surprising. First came the announcement that Bucking Bull Games and UBBI had joined forces for the 2018 season. Shortly thereafter, came the announcement that UBBI and Bucking Bull Games had parted ways. And then came the news that UBBI had shut down its operations completely.
Big things have been happening in the Championship Bull Riding organization with a shake-up in major personnel and changes to the bull riding format. Tuff Hedemann has gone out and started a new bull riding series. And, per usual, things are always transitioning within the PBR.
It can seem more than a little disturbing for those of us who have invested in the business. Stability in the big organizations gives us all a comfort zone. And we like it when organizations and their routines remain consistent from year to year. The loss of the UBBI and the loss of its competition opportunities is a little discouraging. Yet, although they will be missed, it’s a good possibility that other competition opportunities will emerge to fill in the void.
Fortunately, the majority of bucking bull associations and rodeos across the country are going about their business as usual. That doesn’t make headlines. But it keeps the bucking bull industry alive and well.
Change and transition are a part of the game of bucking bulls. It’s the love of the game – and the bulls – that keeps us all hooked. Organizations and their major players change, transition, and sometimes cease to exist. We, the heart and soul of the bucking bull industry, keep going. It’s what we do and we do it because it’s what we want to do.
As we launch into spring with all the new calves, yearlings to buck, breeding for next year’s calf crop, competitions to try our luck, old friends to meet up with and new friends to make, remember to put it all into perspective. It’s the bucking bull business. Enough said.
by Terry Lidral
for Bucking Stock Talk
Author: Terry Lidral
Terry Lidral is a western writer/journalist who lives in Idaho. She is the publisher and editor of the online magazine Bucking Stock Talk and the online magazine Western Living Journal. Her publishing credits include Storyteller for Real American Cowboy Magazine, writing feature articles for Humps N Horns Magazine as well as a wide variety of national and international web sites, historical magazines and news publications. She is known for her "up close and personal" profiles of celebrities and industry moguls such as NPR's Tom Bodett; PBR's Wiley Petersen and D.H. Page, PRCA's Sammy Andrews, Cindy Rosser and Julio Moreno to name a few. She has been applauded for her way of making a personal connection between her readers and her subjects. She indulges in her love of rodeo by serving as an associate board member for the Caldwell Night Rodeo. She is also an accomplished trainer and handler in dog agility. Her shelties Amelie and Milo are titled in NADAC, USDAA and AKC.
