Bull riding - eight seconds ‘doing the impossible’

Tillsonburg bull rider Ashten Buzsik competes at the Norfolk Pro Rodeo in Nixon on July 20. (Chris Abbott Photo)

Chris Abbott, Post Correspondent

Eight seconds - that’s the goal for bull riders.

Tillsonburg’s Ashten Buzsik did not quite make it during the Norfolk Pro Rodeo at Timmermans Ranch, July 20, in Nixon. Buzsik, 22, “came down early” riding Dancing with the Devil.

“I would say that was one of my best rides this year,” said Buzsik, who is having a comeback season after breaking his leg late last year. “I’m getting closer and closer to that eight seconds.”

Only two of 14 bull riders successfully reached the eight-second mark during the three-day International Professional Rodeo Association sanctioned rodeo, presented by Rawhide Rodeo Company.

“The adrenaline rush is like no other,” said Buzsik. “The sense of accomplishment you get when you do ‘the impossible,’ when you cover the eight seconds… you’re doing something that most people think is impossible. And when you do it? I’ve never got that same feeling from anything other than bull riding.”

Buzsik, who grew up in Simcoe and now lives in Tillsonburg, is following in the footsteps of his uncle, Luke McCoag, who competed in Canada and the United States.

“My uncle was rodeo performing, so he kind of grew up in it. And because he was in it, I was at rodeos when I was a little kid. It’s always been a part of my life.”

Buzsik was 15 when he first rode a bull, or rather, attempted to ride his first bull. He did not last the eight seconds.

“Absolutely not,” Buzsik laughed. “It did not click right away… it was over just like that when I first did it. A blink of an eye and I was on the ground.

“No, it’s taken me years and years of practice.”

When not competing, he does his training at home and at a gym.

“I have what’s called a ‘bucking barrel.’ More or less, imagine a giant teeter-totter with a barrel on one end. You’re practicing the form – a bull’s either going to ‘head up’ or he’s going to kick, one of two things. I also have a stationary barrel – a barrel with four legs on the ground – and you can practice your form on that.”

He does not – and will not – ever ride ‘mechanical bulls’ often found in bars and festivals.

“Those are awful. I am not allowed to go on one of those… those are nothing like the real thing. They do not simulate it. If I were to get on one of those, it would form bad habits in my mind.

“When we practice, we practice perfect form. You don’t want to get lazy, you don’t want to practice bad form. Bull riding, being so fast, you don’t have time to think. The body is just reacting. You want to show your body what’s perfect, and your body can live on that.”

“It’s too fast to think. If you’re thinking ‘oh, the bull’s turning right’… you’re already off. You’re too slow.”

If you stay on eight seconds, scoring is determined by how you ride and the actions of the bull, which often repeats its kicking and turning patterns – but not always.

“You can only do the best that you can do. If you get a bull that doesn’t buck much, you better be in the centre, not hanging off the side.

“They do have a mind of their own - nine times out of 10 they may go left, but the time you are on them, of course they’re going to go right. So it’s best not to think like that when you’re riding.”

Bull riding is considered an extreme sport and there is risk of injury every time the riders compete.

“I would definitely rank it as one of the most dangerous sports… 100 per cent. I have always lived by the motto, if you’re not willing to deal with the pain of bull riding, you shouldn’t be in it, because it does happen that you will get hurt. You’re strapping yourself to a wild animal that weighs 1,500-2,000 pounds.

“Confidence is 110 per cent part of it. You’ve got to be the most confident person when you’re getting on that bull. That’s something I’ve been working on for years and years. You cannot have a single doubt in your mind because it will show up in your riding.”

Buzsik, who competes in rodeos almost every weekend from April-October, said his highest ranking, so far, has been 17th in the world.

“I’ve been to the Canadian finals up in Quebec… and I’ve been to Top 10 in Canada a couple times.”

He dreams of competing in the PRCA (The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association), based in Colorado, the largest rodeo association in the world. The Calgary Stampede is just one of the major PRCA events.

Professional Bull Rider (PBR) events in London and Ottawa are two of the biggest rodeos in the province.

“The National High School Rodeo Association gets kids involved in high school and elementary school to compete at rodeos, and that’s done great in Ontario. With the PBR having more events here, I think it’s a sport that’s going to grow.”