Bulls get spotlight in Killdeer

• Rorey Maier

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Rorey Maier of Timber Lake, S.D., hangs on during the bull riding at the Roughrider Days Rodeo last Saturday. Maier drew Sir Patrick, one of the world’s top bulls, tonight at the Killdeer Mountain Roundup Rodeo.

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The bull riders at the Killdeer Mountain Roundup Rodeo better be ready to hang on today and Saturday.

The Dakota Rodeo Company, operated by Joe Simon and Chad Berger, is bringing a truck full of bulls that include seven that have burst out of chutes at Professional Bull Riders Finals.

“It’s not going to be a drawing contest, I’ll tell ya that,” Simon said. “It’ll be a riding contest. If they can ride, they’re going to get a check.”

Twenty-one-year-old Rorey Maier of Timber Lake, S.D., may be in store for one of the toughest draws of his young career.

Maier has drawn Sir Patrick, a bull that has been rode just twice in PRCA competition — once a 93.5-ride by B.J. Schumacher during his march to a world championship at the 2006 National Finals Rodeo.

During his five-year career, Sir Patrick has produced an average score of 87.47 on 17 rides.

Another bull, God’s Gift, has been tamed just four times at PRCA rodeos and is ranked 34th among active bulls on the Web site probullstats.com. His rides have generated an average score of 88.34 points and he has a 73-percent buckoff rate.

Will Sargent of Winner, S.D., has drawn God’s Gift. Sargent won the second performance at the Roughrider Days Rodeo and finished second overall.

Other notable bulls include White Diamond (86.25 average score), Texas Jack (86), Spiderman (85.75), Bond, James Bond (85.33) and Out of the Box (85.13).

But the bulls won’t be the only featured attraction at the state’s oldest rodeo, which enters its 86th year.

Deb Harsche, one of the organizers of the event, said fans should be pleased to see a remodeled arena that includes new chutes and a new announcer’s stand.

“The old chutes were getting dangerous and obsolete,” Harsche said. “These look very nice, very professional and they’re new so we’re excited about it.”

Tags: bull riding, sports, rodeo