Bull Fight!

Yesterday I was headed home from work about 5, to go get ready to go with my grandparents to celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary. My house is located behind the V8 showbarn, so every time I drive by, I scope out my favorite animals...my bull 51 who's in the trap with his girlfriends (the older show heifers), 797 and 888 who are in the trip with the A team Brahman showstring, and a few others.

Well yesterday when I drove by, I noticed 51 was huddled up over in the corner by the working pens and his face was covered with mud. (It's been raining here a lot). This is unusual for him, then I noticed that our Shorthorn bull, Tonic, was in the working pens, like he was fixing to get loaded up or something. Being the astute cattlewoman I am (NOT) I thought to myself, I hope we don't have a bull fight. (Catherine says there is no way I actually thought that, but I'm telling you, I DID!) But then I thought, well there's a big pipe fence between them, they're both really gentle, and they're only touching on one corner of the pen, so it'll be alright.

WRONG!!!!

By the time I had driven down the road, turned in the cattle-guard, and got to the pens are, 51 (Brahman) had lifted up the pipe gate and gotten in with Tonic. I was on the phone at this time with Catherine, and I quickly said "I GOTTA GO" and drove up to the pens where the bulls were.

First I called my dad. No answer.

Then I called Matt, showbarn manager. No answer.

3rd I called Frank, super-hero cowman of V8 Ranch and thank goodness he answered!

About that time, Matt called me back and I frantically said "Bull fight at the blue barn" and he said "I'll be right there". Click. We knew we had some business to take care of.

So as I am standing there, I'm thinking, this is NOT good. My two favorite bulls on the ranch are squared off head to head. 51 vs. Tonic. Brahman vs. Shorthorn. Heat Tolerance vs. Carcass Merit. Commercial vs. Showring.

Then BAM -- It's ON!!! Since it was so muddy, I think that this could be real bad because I could easily see someone slipping and losing their footing and getting hurt. I started trying to think of ways I could distract them because there is NO WAY I'm getting in that muddy mud-hole trap. Again, I make no claims that I am a good cattle-worker. First I start yelling real loud with a mixture of "hooo" and "hoe". That works for about 15 to 30 seconds. Still squared off but no actual like ramming of each other yet. After that stops working next I try beating some rocks against the pipe fence. Again, slight distraction but now they are starting to push each other back and forth.

At this time I take the opportunity to run to the showbarn where I am looking for a shovel or something. I find a broom (yeah like that's gonna help) and a hot shot. I grab both and run back out to Fight Club V8 2008. Since i'm opposed to using a hot shot, I set that aside and grab the broom and start beating them over the backs....with a fence between me and the bulls of course.

That doesn't work at all and they start to go at it. Since there is mud everywhere, and I'm like right by them, at this time I get PLASTERED with mud. Like head to toe covered in mud, nice.

About that time, Matt pulls up going 90 to nothing and he comes to the rescue. All of a sudden our typically very nice and quite Matt has morphed into like Crocodile Dundee Matt...complete with his pants tucked in his boots and a BULL WHIP. I'm thinking--- where in the world did you find a bull whip in the 3 minutes from when I talked to you and you drove over here??

Matt jumps in the pen, again I'm thinking that is NOT a smart idea but he isn't scared one bit! Crocodile Dundee Matt breaks them up for a split second and we "shoo" 51 back into his normal pen (the broom comes in handy here) and get the gate kinda rigged up. We moved Tonic back into the other trap where they can't get together.

As the rest of the family got there --- since word had travelled fast about the fight---- everyone wants to know who won. My mother and Catherine also observe, while I'm covered in mud, that I absolutely LOVE this sort of stuff. ha ha. Which I definitely don't want any animals to get into a fight but I will admit, I always love any type of ranch action that's a bit off the ordinary. I can't think of the last time we had a bull fight, I think it was probably like 15 years ago or more! So of course, while I was urgently distracting the prize fighters, I did snap some pics on my camera phone of the bulls and myself covered in mud and sent them to several friends.

So who won? Since I love them both and I wouldn't want to call either of them out as being a sissy or wimp, I'll just say...it was a tie!! :)