Eight junior rodeo bucking bulls from Gulargambone have given budding young cowboys a run for their money at the Bucking Bulls Australia (BBA) Brewarrina Classic Bonanza on Saturday 12 July. 

BJ, Cody, Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Dingo Five, Sioux, Tobermory and 2828 bucked in the Junior Bullride event for 14years to 18years cowboys at the event held at Brewarrina RSL Club. 

These bulls were bred on a property just south of Gulargambone by Chris 'Hipshot' Mead and his partner Karen Mackay as 'Cockatoo Rodeo Gulargambone'. 

Hipshot is a well known bullrider, having competed throughout Australia, the USA and Canada with two World Titles to his name. 

Hipshot's bull riding days might be over, although Chris still helps train the sport's young cowboys with practice days at home and taking the Junior Bulls to bull riding schools and practice days and helping out. 

"It's great for the bulls, it's great to see the people and catch up," Karen said. "Hip Shot, he likes helping the young kids with their bull riding, and they talk to him about what they can improve on which is what led to him producing the junior bull pen and contracting to rodeos with them. 

"It's putting the right type of bulls under the Junior Riders so they can learn before moving up to the Novice Level, then Open Level. Having the right type of bulls encourages them to stick with bull riding as you do not want to see these kids hurt on stock too good for them. 

However, Hipshot said there are less juniors staying in the sport these days, partly because he believes they are being thrown into the deep end way too early. 

Entrants in the BBA event at Brewarrina RSL Club on 12 July. IMAGE: Bucking Bulls Australia

"To learn to ride bulls, you can't do it overnight," Chris said. "It's just like me wanting to be a boxer. It's no good going training with Mike Tyson every day because I'm going to get knocked out, and at the end of the six months I've learned nothing because of it."

"It's the same as these kids getting on 'Mike Tyson' bulls. A lot of them are too well bred for a Junior Bull Pen. You got to get them learning on the right stock" 

 Scoring in Bull riding involves two judges, who each give up to 25 points to rate the bucking bull's performance, plus another 25 for the rider. 

 Two-year-old BJ is currently unridden in the Junior Bulls but its early days yet for him.

"He bucks pretty good," Chris said. "He’ll get an extra bucket of oats when he gets home." 

PHOTO: Chris with his partner Karen Mackay.

The pair know how unpredictable bulls can be - Chris has had friends killed in the sport.

"You often see the rider come off and a bull will turn around and go back to hook them with his horns. We don't aim for that with a Junior Pen," Karen said. "There are protection athletes there protecting the Bull rider. 

"You’ll see that a fair bit in Novice & Open Bull rides but that’s a different story as by that level the Bull rider has had more experience. 

"With Chris' pen of juniors, he starts handling them young. So, they're well-handled, they're in the yards a lot of the time, they're petted, he walks around feeding them with a bucket. They follow him, they all know him well, but he still does not take his eyes off them or trust them."

BBA started a few years ago now, cowboys breeding bucking stock and taking them out to compete in “Dummy” and Ridden events. 

BBA are now taking these events all over NSW to places like Brewarrina. 

"Its great entertainment all around and good for country towns," said Karen. "It is run by a good crew of Cowboys. 

"There's plenty of BBA events nowadays, good prizemoney and finals every year.