Charlie’ s 2.5 Second
Seventy-one year old bull rider Charlie Simmons coming out of the chute.
Ride
A Seventy-One Year Old Cowboy Takes On The Most Dangerous 8 Seconds in Sports
Charlie, " Les " Simmons is long legged and slender for his seventy-one years. He has long gray hair, shaves on a regular basis, wears jeans and western shirts and sports a cowboy hat and boots. Saturday, June 8th he rode a bull, hoping for eight seconds on the back of a mean muscle bound bruin.
Over the course of the week after a few of the old timers found out about his quest to ride a bull, they have tried to talk him out of it. One professional gave him what he termed a good four hour lecture on the insanity, saying men half his age wouldn ' t even consider it.
According to Charlie it isn ' t about the purse, he figures he isn ' t going to win the five hundred dollars. It is on his bucket list, and he is hell bent on having a go at it.
Bull riding is a tough sport, and sport it is in Montana. Charlie says it is all about the adrenalin.
Charlie ' s father, you know he is in the next world because Les talks to him looking up, told him when he was young to get a real job and stay out of the world of professional rodeo. You can tell it never sat well with Les. His seventy odd years hold numerous careers including a recording in Nashville. He has a score to settle, and is the first one to say what he is considering is nuts
To ride a bull, you have to get in a chute on the back of the bruin, and fasten one hand to a long braided rope. When the chute opens its time to see if you can meet the American tradition of staying atop the bucking bull for eight seconds, where the eight second rule came from is anybodies guess. Bull riding has its direct roots in Mexican contests of equestrian and ranching skill; according to Wikipedia the early Texas rangers adapted many Hispanic techniques and traditions. Charlie is a Texan.
The rider and bull are matched randomly before the competition. Les drew # 703, a brindle around 5,000 pounds. Les got 2 seconds out of the chute, before going off the back end of the bull. He stood up after hitting the ground and didn ' t even brush off his nice red western shirt. He wanted another go at it. I told him he was lucky to be walking and talking.
On a final note, bull riding has the highest rate of injury of any rodeo sport accounting for approximately 50 % of all traumatic injuries to rodeo contestants.
From Western Gal Speak blog at: http:// thewestoldandnew. wordpress. com
The West Old & New Page 14