by Terry Lidral
PBR star Big Black has proven stellar genetics and he’s passing those on to his calves, both bulls and heifers. He’s a son of Showtime and he’s built a reputation befitting that bloodline. With his PBR bull score average over 44 points in 66 outs and 60 events, this bull has left no doubt that he’s the total package. K-C’s Kenny McElroy is thrilled to see Big Black’s outstanding traits showing up in the bull’s offspring.
See Big Black’s PBR stats here: https://pbr.com/athletes/bulls/profile/3118967/bigblack
“He is big and he’s athletic,” said McElroy about his PBR standout Big Black. “He started out in competition when he was 3 years old and he’s been consistent ever since. It takes a lot of heart for a bull that big to be so consistently good. He’s been in the running for PBR Champion Bull which is demanding on an animal. And he still bucked every time.”
For a bull to be in the running for PBR Champion, they have to buck at peak performance against the toughest riders in the sport of bull riding each and every out. In a close race, one bad trip can be the end of championship hopes.
Big Black didn’t start out as a bull who was going places. In fact, some people would have culled him right at the beginning.
“Big Black ran off with the dummy. He could have ended up at the sale barn,” McElroy told us. “The choice was made to kick him out and try him as a 3-year-old with a rider. “
That choice turned out to be a good decision. As a 3-year in the derbies and classics, not only did Big Black do well, he made his way into the ABBI Classic Finals through a stellar performance in the 2017 Wild Card Competition to go on to earn that year’s ABBI Classic Reserve title.
Between the Wild Card and The Finals, Big Black had been acquired by K-C and partners Joe and Nina Webb. Their new acquisition came through with a great performance that put him only a half point shy of matching D&H Page/Tommy Julian’s Classic Champion Hy Test.
McElroy is hoping Big Black’s sons will follow in his impressive footsteps. Not only are his calves showing big size, they are looking strong as well.
“I have a 2-year-old out of Black that is already over 1400 pounds and he’s very athletic. He’s got size and athleticism just like his dad,” McElroy said, excited at the prospect of raising a bull with standout potential in the very competitive world of the bucking bull industry. “We’re going to put a rider on him this summer. He’s big enough to take it.”
There is another son of Big Black that McElroy is very excited about. And he even looks like his daddy.
“I have a solid black son who’s a spitting image of Black. The only difference is his horns are more straight up on his head,” McElroy told us with a laugh. “He has Black’s demeanor with no care in the world and he handles great. He kicks so hard that he wasn’t a futurity bull. He’s quite the athlete.”
McElroy has found that so far Big Black’s size dominates his calves. And like their sire, they are definitely rider bulls.
“I had three Big Black calves that were so big as yearlings that the dummy was useless,” explained McElroy. “They weren’t futurity bulls.”
“The cows I bred Black to were not big framed. I put Black’s power over the top of speed. Even out of little cows, Black’s calves are huge,” McElroy went on to say.
The future is exciting for McElroy. He is looking forward to putting Big Black’s sons into competition.
“I raised these bulls. And I’m excited to start to haul bulls on the truck that we’ve raised ourselves,” said McElroy proudly. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Big Black has produced some heifers who show promise of passing on those stellar genes. McElroy is excited about the upcoming calf crop from his Big Black heifers. He’s looking to put speed and smaller size in their calves in hopes of producing some good futurity calves.
But for now, it’s the sons who are getting ready to make their debut. With the athleticism, power and size of their daddy, Big Black’s sons are showing great promise of making their own names in the bucking bull world. And if they have their daddy’s heart, McElroy just might find himself with another bull or two in the race for the PBR World Championship.
Read more about Big Black here: https://buckingstocktalk.com/pbr-fan-favorite-big-black-consistently-putting-up-the-scores/
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.
