Battle of the Bulls rocks Sisters arena

Excitement permeated the air at the Sisters Rodeo Grounds even before the Battle of the Bulls began Saturday, August 22.

The near-capacity crowd murmured in anticipation over the country/rock 'n' roll blaring from the speakers above the center of the arena. When it began to drizzle a half an hour before the show started, few ran for the car to snatch a raincoat or umbrella; most sat unfazed, knowing that the mud just makes things more interesting.

The ugly beasts that the cowboys were waiting to ride moaned and thrashed in the unopened chutes and several thrust their massive heads and burly shoulders up over the white metal fence that enclosed them.

The ring announcer called the Sisters crowds "the rowdiest bunch I've ever been around" and directed the rowdiest of them to "Chad's Bull Pen," a section of the bleachers reserved for only the most rambunctious.

Things kicked off with the junior bull riding.

The ages of the kids competing ranged from nine to 14, and they rode bull calves, which are "just as ugly as the big fellas," according to the ring announcer. Each junior contestant rode complete with chaps, gloves, cowboy boots and hats, padded support vests, and heavy-duty helmets.

None of the contestants could achieve the qualifying six seconds, so the longest rider got to take home all the money and all the glory. Cort Huserick, a nine-year-old from Powell Butte who rode with the big kids, earned that honor. Being the last rider, and apparently catching a hoof, it took a moment, but Cort strutted out to take a bow. He later received his junior bull riding champion belt buckle to the theme music from "Rocky."

At 7 p.m., the performance began as one of the clowns walked out and seemed to manually pull a roar from the audience.

The bull riding started with a fast buck, but the crowd erupted in jubilation as Mike Romain (the second rider) went the distance and was awarded a pace-setting 81 points.

From then on, the crowd was provided with non-stop action and a giddy excitement that comes from watching the masters of the most dangerous sport on earth.

The ladies had an opportunity to show their skills as well. The barrel racing came right after the first section of bulls and featured a wide variety of talents. Lee Sherrill from Klamath Falls won the event with a time of 18.17 seconds, but 10-year-old Sierra Jones from Redmond won the crowd over, finishing with a time of 25.50 seconds - a long time in comparison to the pros, but a great start for a young rider.

The second and third sections of bull riding followed.

Near the end of the show the cowboys played a round of Texas Hold 'em, where all you need to win is a set of steel nerves and perhaps a touch of lunacy. A card game was set up in the center of the arena and a bull let loose. The last one at the card table was the winner.

This is an event so full of intense apprehension that it makes one wonder if the contestants remain seated to win the game or to hide the wet spot on the front of their Wranglers.