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Bullriding and bullfighting school comes to Stettler

Some were starting out down the path for the first time, while others were farther along.
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The Road to Becoming a Champion Bullriding and Bullfighting School ran from Friday

Some were starting out down the path for the first time, while others were farther along. After this weekend, though, they all found themselves closer to that end goal.

The Stettler Agriplex hosted a three-day instructional event — The Road to Becoming a Champion Bullriding and Bullfighting School — from Friday, Feb. 27 to Sunday, March 1.

Organized by Houston Stuart, who operates the Open Season Adventures agency from east of Penhold, the event drew 30 bullriding students and six bullfighting students, ranging in age from nine to 25 years.

Instructing the bullfighters was Scott Waye of Medicine Hat, an 11-year veteran of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association who has competed in the Calgary Stampede five times.

Daryl Mills of Pink Mountain, B.C. — a 2006 Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee with several championship titles, including the 1994 world championship — was the bullriding instructor.

Stuart, himself an experienced rider, said he was inspired to organize the event to give kids like his son Denver a proper environment to learn about riding and fighting bulls.

“I had this little vision in my head that I was going to give back to these kids, to the spirit of rodeo,” he said. “It’s hard to find places to practise, to teach these kids. . . Some places they go, the bulls are too rank, too wild.”

Stuart began organizing the event in October, inviting Mills to join in as an instructor. They ultimately found 12 contractors to provide a wide range of bulls for the event; Stuart said they bucked a total of 280 bulls over three days.

In choosing a host town, Stuart said he went with the “community that wanted to give me the most support.”

He said that the Stettler Agricultural Society supported him from the start, while numerous local sponsors also stepped up to the plate to help make the event happen.

These included major sponsors Boston Pizza and Canalta Hotels, both of which provided meals for the students, instructors, organizers and other volunteers.

Among the other sponsors was the Stettler Auction Mart, which provided room and board for the bulls over the weekend.

Troy Fischer of Mayerthorpe crafted the buckles awarded to students at the end of the program.

Mills said the weekend went smoothly and provided a good opportunity for the riders to get on the proper calibre of bulls for their skill levels.

“Injuries have been kept to a minimum,” he said. “We take the time to learn it the safest way possible. . . We didn’t send anyone to the hospital.”

Mills said the riders were trained in everything from checking their equipment and properly mounting the bull to correct chute procedure and getting off afterwards.

He also said the students varied from kids who had never been on a bull before to advanced riders who needed to tweak their style somewhat to be successful.

Over the weekend, video replays were provided to help the riders see what they did right or wrong and learn from their mistakes.

Waye, who grew up in nearby Delia, said it was an “outstanding” weekend, noting that his students made great strides despite most of them having had minimal experience beforehand.

“I start with the mechanics of the animal,” he explained. “It’s as simple as ‘four legs can outrun two legs in a straight line’ . . . how to run around their bodies and use their size to their disadvantage.”

Waye said this was only the second time he had taught bullfighting in a formal setting, but called himself “a student of the sport” and said that helps him to teach. He also said that the temperament of the bulls is often influenced by the fighters themselves.

“Not every bull’s hooky or mean,” he said. “The ones that are, we handled them in such a fashion so nobody got into any binds.”

Stuart said a great deal of work went into the event, but credited both the sponsors and volunteers who helped it all come together.

“I wanted to present the best rodeo school ever,” he said. “I knocked it out of the ballpark . . . not just ‘I’, but ‘we.’”

For more information on Open Season Adventures, call 1-866-334-4864.