SHELLEY TERRY
Star Beacon
August 08, 2007 07:23 am
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When local bull rider Scott Downing saddles up tonight for a bull ride at the Ashtabula County Fair, he knows the danger that comes with that decision.
Last year, Downing, 25, an Austinburg resident who has suffered injuries during three years of riding bulls, shattered one of his legs.
"But I'm back this year. I didn't know if I could, but I am," he said. "Injuries are part of the game."
An Ashtabula High School graduate, Downing said bull riding is something he always has wanted to do.
"It's not my hobby; it's my passion," he said Friday, during a telephone interview from a rodeo in Tulsa, Okla. "I love it."
Downing will be one of the "Bad Boys of Summer," riding at 7:30 tonight in the Rock 'n' S Rodeo in front of the grandstand at the county fairgrounds in Jefferson.
"I have a one-bull guarantee," he said. "After that, it's the top-eight and top-10 guys."
Last summer, Downing rode a couple of mean bulls named Raspberry Beret for 2.75 seconds and Bushwhacker for 1.5 seconds in Kellettville, Pa., according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association.
While a second or two may seem like nothing to spectators, the cowboy swinging his arm on top of the beast can take quite a beating. Cowboys only can use one hand, and the bull rope onto which they grab is thick. Staying on a raging bull weighing 10 times one's own weight is no easy task, but it's a fan favorite. Watch the clowns: They save cowboys' lives.
There also might be some barrel racing, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. So, grab your cowboy and cowgirl hats, and root them on!
Star Beacon Print Edition: 8/8/2007
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