There once was a bull name of Bones
Whose balls were as big as millstones.
But that baby got hurt,
Left his pride in the dirt,
Now Big Tex has the largest cajones.
The trash talking has stopped, the contest is over, Tom Teague’s pocket is lighter by $50,000, and a lot of people, including my poor suffering friend Jaye, are off licking their wounds in dark corners and muttering to themselves. I don’t have much comfort to offer, since I do think that Big Tex bucked harder than Bones on Sunday night.
But it seemed clear to me as soon as Bones left the chute that he didn’t have the same trip he had before he got hurt. Now I’m a little worried that we may never again see that adorable baby jump straight up in the air and then make that big signature drop of his. The cowboys who rode through that must have felt like they were strapped to a car careening over the edge of a ravine, watching the ground come up to meet them and realizing the brakes were useless.
After weeks of Dr. Carla's therapy, Bones may be feeling as good as new, but it’s impossible to explain to an animal that what hurt before shouldn’t hurt him now. I’m betting Bones remembers what it felt like to land on that injured shoulder, and I’m afraid he won’t be jumping like he did before for a while, if he ever does. I genuinely hope I’m wrong, because it would be a huge loss to the sport if I’m not.
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5 comments:
SQ, I will have to respectfully disagree with you on Bones' trip even though we all know I am biased in this matter. Here is why:
1. Bones showed more drop and kick than Big Tex.
2. Bones was less rider friendly which ended up with a buck-off time of 2.5 seconds for Mike Lee versus 4.7 for Zack Brown on Big Tex. Bones was just getting started and it was over.
3. Bones took one long jump out of the chute, and on his second jump he started turning back at which time Lee was thrown. Big Tex took 4 jump kicks before he started turning back. Only two of his kicks were noteworthy.
4. Bones was in a chute with a left hand delivery for the first time. Why? I have no idea, but it seems odd that they would make a change like that.
5. Right now Zack Brown is a better rider than Mike Lee and stayed on long enough to more favorably impress Judge 2.
Based on the time Bones was seen compared to Big Tex, I am disappointed but not surprised by the scores. And I'm not trying to make excuses for either Teague or Bones. I just think that if both bulls had been ridden for the same amount of time, the results would have been different.
I do love Bones, but my all-time favorite active bull is still Chicken on a Chain. He didn't have his best out in Birmingham, but he is still great. My hopes are that Lostroh draws him in Albuquerque and gets face planted.
Jaye, you are always free to disagree with me! But I do have a question about your reasoning on items 2 and 5. Are you saying that Zack Brown would have ridden Bones longer and thus he would have gotten a better bull score? If Mike Lee isn't riding as well, then how can you be certain Bones was less "rider friendly"?
Sorry. I agree it's unclear, and it's certainly open for debate.
What I meant was that Bones is not as rider friendly in that, at least on this trip, he took a huge leap out of the gate, and 2 or 3 the bucks he made had a lot of drop to them. He also turned back hard after the first leap. Big Tex, on the other hand, was kind of hopping during his first 4 bucks before he turned back.
I do think Zack is riding better than Mike, and if Zack had been on Bones, he may have stayed on longer giving the judges more time to see what Bones could do.
Let me reiterate that I'm not trying to make excuses here. It is what it is, and everyone has an opinion.
Maybe Judge 2 docked Bones a point for covering so much ground as he left the chute. Still it wasn't like he was scooting out, he took one big leap.
I just want Mr. Bones to be in the best possible shape. I have not seen him do his mega-drop since he was hurt, but he really has not had a chance yet. He is an awesome competitor and still has many a fine jump ahead of him. I just want him to be in tip-top condition and "loving his job" as Cody Lambert would say. I LOVE that bull. AND Big Tex, too.
Given the discussion about the esteemed bull, "Bones," coming back (or maybe not fully coming back) from injury and such matters, I'm reminded of what Mark Twain once wrote. "A cat who jumps onto a hot stove," he said, "will never jump on top of another one. But then, he will never jump on top of a cold one, either."
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