Safety now part of cowboy way
Posted on Wednesday, July 2, 2008
SPRINGDALE — Stormy Wing grew up with the image of the risk-taking, free-wheeling cowboy who had little regard for his safety.
But a confrontation with a 2, 000-pound bull two years ago changed Wing’s perception and convinced the bull rider from Dalhart, Texas, to join the growing list of professional cowboys who choose to wear helmets and safety vests for added protection during competition.
“I still like the cowboy way, but I think it’s smart to protect yourself,” said Wing, who participated in the bull riding competition Tuesday night in the Rodeo of the Ozarks at Parsons Stadium. “I got jerked down by a bull when I wasn’t wearing a helmet and broke a couple of bones in my face. The doctor said I would’ve needed reconstructive surgery if I’d broken a couple of more bones.
“ I had to sit out three months, and I began wearing a helmet ever since.” Wearing protective gear isn’t mandated by Professional Bull Riders Inc. of Pueblo, Colo., but the organization highly recommends its use. Its backing is a clear sign that a safety-first philosophy has finally been embraced in one of the world’s most dangerous sporting events.
“Some of the older riders who aren’t used to the equipment are reluctant to use it, but the younger ones are pretty acceptable to it,” said Edwin Lay, a former professional bull rider who works as an events coordinator for PBR Inc. “We can’t force anyone over 21 to wear a vest or helmet, but it won’t be long in the near future when everyone will be wearing the added protection.
“ The bottom line is that bull riding is a dangerous sport and you should do everything you can to protect yourself.” According to researchers at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, about 40 percent of professional bull riders wear helmets now compared with 5 percent a decade ago. Lay said his organization has suffered only one fatality since the group was formed in 1994.
It helps that former world champion bull riders like Ty Murray endorse the use of helmets and protective vests. Murray’s former traveling partner, Cody Lambert, designed one of the first vests for bull riders, and both Lambert and Murray watched as Lane Frost, whose life was the subject of the movie 8 Seconds, was killed by a bull in 1989 in Cheyenne, Wyo.
Helmets run from $ 80 to more than $ 200 with a facemask attached and vests can cost as much as $ 400, but many cowboys believe they are well worth the price.
“Wearing a vest will lengthen a guy’s career, and it’s prevented hundreds of serious injuries,” said Fred Boettcher of Rice Lake, Wis., who wore a vest while riding a bull Tuesday at Parsons Stadium. “It’s just common sense to wear one.”
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