2010 - Volume #34, Issue #6, Page #08
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Miniature Bull Riding Is A Family Affair
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O'Neal and his family run HOWL Rodeo Bulls out of Lander, Wyo., in addition to running a commercial Angus beef operation. About three years ago O'Neal's young son, Cole, got interested in bull riding. So he bought his first miniature bull.
"Now we have a herd of 30," O'Neal says. To his knowledge he has the smallest bucking bull, King Kong, a 5-year-old, 32-in. Zebu. He buys bulls anywhere from 300 to 1,000 lbs. and has started running his own miniature cow herd.
Miniature bulls must be 32 to 48 in. tall. Typical breeds include Zebu, Lowline, Dexter, Longhorn and Scotch Highlands. Other than their size they're just like normal size bulls, O'Neal says. That includes their bucking action and varying temperaments.
"If it fits the size parameter, we can find a home for it," O'Neal says, explaining that the smallest, gentlest bulls work well for beginners, or Pewees, less than 9 years old. As young riders gain skills, they advance to bulls that buck more.
"They all think they're big. They act just like the big bulls," he notes.
Training is similar for both. The family works with the small bulls in different types of chutes, and gets them used to riding in a semi trailer. He and other contractors supply 90 miniature bulls for the Northwest Miniature Bullriding finals in Helena, Mont., in November.
O'Neal contracts with about 30 Ultimate Miniature Bullriding (UMB) events each year. That's in addition to 40 to 50 full-size bucking bull rodeos annually.
The sport has expanded east as well. Iowa holds a World competition and one contractor lives in North Carolina. While the fee for contracting miniature bulls is less than regular bulls, it's a good addition to the family business, O'Neal says.
It's also rewarding and a way to secure the future of the sport.
"Kids are the future. We are a stepping stone and learning association," O'Neal says of the UMB, for which his wife Joann is secretary. "We want to keep them learning and help them out. Some of these kids are really improving. In 10 years, I think some of these 8-year-olds could go all the way. They are hungry young men. That's what makes it all worthwhile."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Howl Rodeo Bulls, 46 Mill Creek Rd., Lander, Wyo. 82520 (ph 307 349-6400; www.howlrodeobulls.com).
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