Page 30 of Forever Enough
Bradly shrugged. “Around fifteen-hundred pounds.”
I slowly shook my head. “You’re not afraid to get on the backs of those?”
“Hell yes, I’m afraid. Every single time. Especially since I’m not your typical bull rider.” He took my hand and led us over to the bulls.
“What do you mean?”
“Most bull riders are slimmer than me. Around a buck-fifty, give or take. I’m closer to one-eighty and have more muscle. My dad and uncles were built about the same. Some would say that’s a disadvantage for us. Smaller guys they say can handle the bulls better because they’re lighter, able to be more agile. But our winning records prove otherwise.”
I nodded and tried not to let my eyes sweep over his body. He had on jeans that fit him perfectly, a long-sleeve white shirt and a baseball cap that said Montana across the front. He’d put that on as he got out of the truck when we’d arrived at his uncle’s.
When his gaze met mine, I quickly looked away. “They’re beautiful.”
“They are. And they’re amazing athletes. I mean, for a half-ton-or-more animal to be able to move the way they do, it has to be a good athlete. They’re also treated like royalty. My uncle even has someone come in and massage them. Well, the ones that will let you massage them.”
I laughed. “Are you serious?”
He nodded.
“You need to change?” Ty asked as he walked up to us.
Bradly nodded. “You got my boots here still?”
Ty smiled. “Of course. You’re up first.”
A wide grin spread over Bradly’s face, and he turned to me. “I’m going to go get ready. Josh will bring you to the bucking chute, okay?”
Josh appeared again and flashed me a wicked grin. “You’ll be safe with me.”
“Why do I question that?”
Ty laughed. “Smart woman. I like her.”
As Josh and I walked around the arena, I took it all in.
“In a PBR event, this would look a lot different. You’d have a lot more of these panels where the bulls are shuffled in and out of the chutes.”
“How do you get them to go where you want?”
“They just know, mostly, but the panels help guide them. When I was little, one of my chores was feeding all the bulls.”
“How old were you?”
He smiled. “Started at about four or five. Working the bulls with my father are some of my fondest memories. I couldn’t wait to crawl into the pen.”
“The pen?”
“It’s where they keep the bulls before they’re loaded into the chute.”
We walked over to a set of stairs and climbed up.
“These are bucking chutes. One side is for left exits, the other for right, depending on which way the rider and bull will exit.”
I nodded.
“So, what will happen is, the bull will be loaded in the chute. They’ll put the flank strap and the bull rope on before they get into the chute. Danny one of my dad’s ranch hands, will be spotting Bradly, which means he’ll keep his hand in front of him to keep him steady if the bull tries to buck him off.”
“In the chute?”