02.28.10

When searching for a flat, plastered up on an sheet of paper on the white brick walls of an inner city bohemian-like communal laundry will be the words “Flatmate required – must be house trained.”  I have never responded to such an ad - believing it to have been placed by a woman in her mid-forties who has spent too long living with a cat.    Instead of house trained, to become a bull rider I must be horse trained.      (Sigh – what a lame little piece of word play….thinks the reader.   Double sigh, who does this guy think he is?  Trying to intone the reader’s thoughts inside the brackets of his very own blog.)

The brutal facts are these – I am going ahead with this bull riding idea.  Honestly….I’m committed to it.  There is a very chirpy and resourseful young man called Toddy (Richard Todd) - who is an award-winning film maker and will be following me around America to make a documentary.  Also, I now have a literary agent, who will be approaching publishers with the idea.   So, unlike my year on the pro surfing tour, which was done ad-hoc by loaning 20 grand off my brother (who had loaned it off a bank) there are others who are committed to this project.

My plan is to participate at a bull riding school in America in April, then practice for a month on a ranch in Texas in May, then hopefully be good enough to sign up for a few rodeos by June.  I’m not sure how, but Toddy has lined up some pretty good contacts in the States:  Before arriving in America, we will spend easter weekend with Troy Dunn – who is running a bull riding school in Alice Springs.  Troy, who was a legendary bull rider on the P.B.R., is also the coach of the Australian team at the Bull Riding World Cup in Vegas in April.  At the bull riding school,  I will be coached by Gary Leffew(who taught Luke Perry how to ride bulls in the movie 8 Seconds and apparently is the most accomplished bull riding trainer in the world).  We will then head to Vegas for the PBR World Cup to watch all the action from up close.

To successfully ride bulls in America I’ve reasoned that I need  three things: insanity (check) money (nope) and bull riding skills (working on it).