"Last round, a bull jumped on me guts and pierced me kidneys and broke seven ribs and I've been out for six weeks then and then come back. Get on a buckin’ bull again, he knocked me out, broke my nose, broke a leg and a few ribs and I was in hospital for a week." JOSH BIRKS, 18 year old bull rider.
I just stumbled upon a story from the ABC in Australia from the area I grew up in. Kingaroy is a few hours drive from where I was born and not so far from where I went to High School. The ABC piece, Former Champion Helps Young Cowboys (video and transcript) is an intense insight into the masculine culture (and English dialect) of my 'home country'.
I went to a rodeo (Oakey Rodeo, my one and only time) when I was about 17. Being the soft type I was horrified by the whole experience, but being 17 and going to school with many seriously disturbed young men who were built like brick outhouses I kept my sensitives to myself.
Young Josh quoted above wants to be world champion bull rider. If he lives that long I wish him luck..
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