BURNET — It’s all bull. A lotta bull, in fact.
At least that’s what it will be Saturday at the Burnet County Fairground and Rodeo Arena during the “Riding for the Glory” Bull Riding event.
“There’s going to be over 100 head,” said organizer Jason Moore. “That’s a lot of buckin’ bulls.”
The contest opens at 2 p.m. with several youth events, but the top bulls and riders hit the ground at 6 p.m. in the Open/Pro bull riding. All the events are at the rodeo arena located behind the Burnet Municipal Airport on Houston Clinton Drive. along U.S. 281.
“That’s when you’ll see the (professional bull riding) quality bulls,” Moore said. “You’ll also see some outstanding cowboys.”
Tickets for the event are $10 for adults, $5 for youth and free for children 5 and under.
The Open/Pro riders will compete for cash and buckles with $3,000 added money.
The Open/Pro features a 40-head turnout with the top 10 riders coming back for the short round to determine who’s the best of the night.
“There’s going to be a lot of rides,” Moore said. “This is an all-bull riding event ... If you like bull riding, then you need to come out and see this.”
Everything starts rolling at 2 p.m. with a list of youth events and Senior Pro bull riding. To qualify for the senior event, Moore said the rider must be 35 years old or older.
The youth events include mutton bustin’, calf riding, steer riding and junior bull riding.
Though the junior bull riding doesn’t have the level of animals found with the Open/Pro event, Moore said the animals are matched to the abilities of the youth riders.
“They will be younger bulls at the same level of the kids,” he said.
“Some of the kids have been riding for a few years and they want the chance to get on the back of some good bulls.”
The Senior Pro rider will also climb aboard some challenging bulls, Moore said, but the event is again geared toward their abilities.
“They’ll be 70-75 point bulls,” Moore said about the animals in the Senior Pro ride. “The (senior competitors) want to come out and have a good time. And that’s what we’re going to do for them. Still, these will be some good bulls as well.”
The points refer to how much a rider could earn on the back of the bulls based on rodeo judge scoring.
In bull riding, there’s a possibility of 50 points awarded for the bull’s performance and 50 points awarded for the rider’s performance.
So, the rider could earn up to 100 points — though this is extremely rare.
When Moore describes a bull as a 70- to 75-point animal, he is referring to the probable top scores available for the animal.
The Open/Pro bulls are 80- to 90-point quality, he said.
Along with the gate entry, people can enjoy a live concert after the bull riding with the Alvarado Road Show.
“People can check out the band on their Web site at www.alvaradoroadshow.com,” Moore said. “They’re pretty good.”
And there’s also a “Meet the Bull Riders” dinner 7 p.m. Friday at the Burnet Feed Store Barbecue, 2800 S. Water (which is also U.S. 281).
“It’s a great all-day event,” said Moore, who added the best bulls can be seen during “The Big Show” at 6 p.m.
