Skills Needed to Be a Bull Rider

Bull riding has risen from being an obscure sport in the early 1990s to incredible popularity today, with professional prize money of nearly $10 million on the Professional Bull Riders tour, according to National Geographic News. In bull riding competitions, the total possible score for a bull ride is 100 points. Half of the points are based on the difficulty of the bull. The other half is based on the performance of the rider, specifically his ability to stay on the bull for eight seconds. Bull riders need an array of physical and mental skills to be successful in the arena.

  1. Balance

    • Bull riders must have strong balancing skills to stay on the bull during competitions. Riders can improve their balance by doing strength training and yoga. That said, the exact skill of balancing on a bull can only be practiced by riding bulls. Riders should start out with bulls that are calm before riding on competition level bulls.

    Metabolic Strength

    • One of the most important skills of a bull rider is the ability to get his body ready for competitions. Train your metabolic system for bull riding competitions with the resistance exercises such as full body deadlifts and squats. Also, do short sprints of 20, 30 or 40 yards several times in a row to improve metabolic conditioning. These exercises allow you to stay on the bull longer, ride faster and prevent injury.

    Rope Tying

    • Bull riders do not ride on saddles during competitions. Rather, they sit directly on the bull and hold onto a bull rope to stay on the bull. The bull rope is a thickly braided rope with a cowbell attached to it. One end of the rope must be placed around the bull's neck and the other end is wrapped around the rider's hand. Bull riders need to know how to make a loop in the rope and practice holding onto the handle. Once the rider is finished or when he is bucked off, the bull rope falls off the bull on its own, with the cowbell acting as a weight to make the rope fall on its own.

    Courage

    • Bull riding requires extreme mental toughness. The sport has many dangers and a high incidence of physical injuries. Bull rider Cody Tapp suggests that bull riders develop strong visualization skills. This means preparing for a ride by going through it in your mind. Visualize potential moves the bull will make and the counter-moves you can make to help you stay on the bull. Tapp says that a positive mental attitude and the ability to visualize success are critical aspects of dealing with fear.