Inside the Life-or-Death World of Competitive Bull Riding
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- Опубліковано 4 гру 2017
- As a third-generation Native American bull rider, Bo Tyler Vocu faces risk of serious injury and death each time he gets in the ring. At just 16 years old, Vocu has already broken his hip twice pursuing his dream of becoming a world champion bull rider-a dream that's been passed down from his grandfather to his father and is now his.
On this episode of 'Rites of Passage,' VICE caught up with Vocu and his family ahead of a major bull riding competition in Oklahoma to talk about the serious risks riders take to compete in one of the most dangerous sports on Earth. Vocu talks about his grueling practice schedule and his pre-competition rituals, and his father weighs in on what it's like to watch his son compete as a parent, and as a bull rider himself.
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Only 16 and broke his hip twice already... he’s in for a world of pain when he’s older
Nothing a little Vicodin can’t fix. Ask Brett farve
@@williamdon3442you see farve taking money from from welfare and it was also in the poorest state.
thats why nobody will remember you
Remember that these bulls are assets worth thousands of dollars, some reaching a worth of over half a million. Would you treat your sole money earner poorly? These bulls are treated better than the cowboys riding them. As a stock contractor I want to personally clarify that no bulls would ever be purposely put in any pain/suffering, for they make the money that feeds the stock contractors family. ( to make them buck we use flank straps, like a loose belt that they think they can kick off, but is just tight enough to stay on, no pain whatsoever )
Degenerate and a liar I see. We all know the real truth buddy.
And what about mental stress for the bulls? Do you think they like doing this shit?
How do you get a bull worth that much? What is his value based on? Lastly, why is he the sole money earner? Are options so limited that you gotta get yourself a bull to live? To answer your question: I would hope not, but it certainly doesn't exempt that type of behavior.
What bullshit, of course they're looked after just as racehorses or greyhounds are, which of course is not the point. Its the racing or riding which is detrimental to them not the downtime and once they have exhausted their use in the arena, bye bye. No buddy, you've got it all wrong.
Keep talking about an industry your not involved in, going to get real far convincing me that my bulls and the friends of mine bulls are treated wrongly. After every rodeo they go home to the ranch. They get to graze all week with no stress, then for 24 seconds a weekend they are in a situation that they have done for years. Same amount of stress any trained animal gets into when they are about to perform their job. Comparing this to race horses? We don't work our bulls out, i mean how would you do that? There is no pressure to beat the rest, we just do the best we can 8 seconds at a time. Most cowboys don't have the money nor moral instability to do anything wrong to an animal that does so much for us. Their are no drugs, even if I wanted to I dont have the money for that. Not speaking for every contractor out there, but for you to tell me that i treat my animals wrong? You sir, are the liar.
I've always felt that the rodeo clowns deserve more recognition for their work.
Boutros Boutros Boutros Ghali we just save the rider a go to the next rodeo or home we don't like to be recognized for what we do
konor anderson That humble approach is another reason why I admire your work. May I ask if injuries are common in your profession?
konor anderson thank you for what you guys do sersuily
FYI, they're called bullfighters, they get VERY offended when you call them clowns. The clown is the funnyman. Konor Anderson would know this if he wasn't a wannabe & poser!!!!
Boutros Boutros Boutros Im a bullfighter and gettin hurt is very common I know of a PBR bullfighter that broke every rib and numerous other injuries
The ranchers that breed competitive bulls treat the bulls like their own children trust me.
king chris Completely true these bulls are treated like kings
king chris these bulls are essentially their paycheck of course they’re gonna make sure they’re perfect
Yeah this isn't like Bull *fighting* that is where mostly they end up killing the poor animal.
king chris I know this from first hand experience. I’ve seen a stock contractor hit a guy getting a little to zappy with a hotshot
Fern Gaming obviously
People complain about bull riding but these bulls are treated really well, better than race horses and no they don't tie a strap around its balls, I've seen bull riding, the bulls just don't like people on them there not being physically hurt
What's the strap crushing their crotch then? Why when a horse or bull tosses a rider the first thing they do is yank that rope loose? I'm Coloradan, know my way around a rodeo. You're lying to people.
@@obiwanudonnome814 wranglernetwork.com/pbr-blog/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-animal-welfare-in-the-pbr/
it’s called a flank it’s the reason they buck so hard
@@obiwanudonnome814 that strap isn’t on their balls
@@obiwanudonnome814 they are trained to buck when the flank is on. Its not even near its balls
11:08 it just shows you how much a supportive father can mean so much to a son.
Or you could just call it a brainwashed kid with a braindead father.
It surprises me to see such little use of protective gear, when it's readily available & helps a lot with the injuries sustained in this sport. I'm a motorcycle-gear reviewer, so I can think of many products that'd make a difference to these guys. I'm learning more about the sport and loving it. My hat goes off to these dudes and any dudettes. Special type of courage!
They wear vest and stuff like that . Stuff designed to prevent puncture and pressure wounds I believe
zzzz....
The vests and helmet work enough. Ive been stepped on a couple times and hit my head hard a few times. The equipment doesnt look like much but it defienitely helps a lot. My buddy got stomped on hard by a rank bull, destroyed the vest and fucked him up for 2 weeks, but nothing broken or lasting injuries.
Personally I think this is one rare place where animals sometimes used for food are put on an even field with humans and it's remarkable to see. I imagine that Bo appreciates his steaks and hamburgers many times more than the average American kid.
yeah very true, very humbling to see how much power these animals have
you don't have to say "personally" when you say "I think".
With All Due respect, A 1800-2000 Pound Bull Versus A 180 Pound Human Critter Ain't Exactly An "Even Field" And Doesn't Feel that way either when the bull Bucks You Off, Butts You, Stomps You,Then Runs Off And Throws Rocks At You, If You're not already a Greasy Spot In The Arena Dirt.
What now feels like a hundred years ago, In my Misspent Youth I Rode Broncs And Bulls for several years in my 20s And Had A Big Time, Made a little money too, but started getting offers to Break And Train Saddle Horses, which although dangerous wasn't like Bull Riding,and I quit Bulls, kept riding Bareback Broncs & took Breaking & Training Jobs as well. I enjoyed it all immensely. I was Young, Healthy and Single, and figured if I was ever gonna do it, that was the time for such nonsense. I kept up the Horse Breaking & Training to this day. I'm now 72 and there's a nice Mare in my pasture that I'll put under Saddle this Fall. I can still do it, only a little slower and more carefully, because I don't Heal as quickly as I did in my 20s & 30s. It's Still Fun And I wouldn't Change A Thing if I had it to do over again. I've got Nothing But Respect For Bull Riders, and having Straddled more than a few of them, I got a good idea what they go through. Every Bull Rider Is A Certified Bad Ass in my eyes. It's been said, A Bull can rip their head off and they'll just tuck it under one arm and use it to Holler "Outside" and come out of the chute, "Lookin Fer 8".
Massive respect for that kid, no matter how dangerous it is, he keeps going, that's what you call 'Never give up on dreams'.
except that its not really his dreams, but his grandad and father, some people want to live trough success they couldnt accomplish via their own children
@@darthtrump4428 absolutely agree 👌🏻
"never give up on being an animal abuser"
Damn when he pulled out that lighter I thought he was about to spark up
🤣😂
F'real. Pre-comp lettuce lmao
We need this guy in the future for the pbr. all the top guys are from Brazil these days. the USA needs a new champ to come on the scene and take the pbr championships back. brazil is ok i guess but come on man bull ridin' is what we do. Lets go BO
I reeeally wanna see JB win another one once he's healed up.
@@Coonass sorry to say but I met jb and I dont think he will ever be "healed up" the most ye will be is ok he just cant compete like he is in his prime
The ignorant comments are stopping me from even watching this. 5th generation Texan, I grew up around this. It’s not torture, get over it.
Bet the cotton farmers down south in the 1800’s would say the same thing. My slaves are happy. My slaves are treated very well.
@@alanotter Not even comparable by a long shot and you know it. Bulls like this are treated very well. You don’t give a bull proper care and it will not perform well. Legendary bulls are even inducted into PBR’s Hall of Fame (Brand of Honor) and recognized as athletes alongside the cowboys. They don’t buck like that because they are abused, it’s their nature, just like when you occasionally see a cowboy get thrown off and the bull charges. Listen to people who have grown up around these animals and maybe you’ll learn a thing or two instead of assuming.
Rest In Peace to my Uncle Stan "The Man" Etsitty! Professional Bullrider!
Iam SlayerFox why is that relevant
Rip
You're Navajo bro?
I'm also a bull rider and I know the internal conflicts of life and death. You either love it or you hate it. There's no in between.
Long live indian cowboy
Andrew Mills yee-how!
It's not just a question of when you're going to get hurt, but how badly you're going to get hurt. The biggest pain in the ass about getting badly hurt is that you aren't able to make money to help put food on the plate for the family. Recovering from a bull riding injury isn't like recovering from a NFL injury. The NFL guys are still collecting their pay check. Bull riders don't get paid nothing (unless they are a star w/ major endorsements), which can sometimes cause them to get back into competition way before they are fully healed.
The importance of having good male role models growing up can’t be understated.
Yeah. And we all know the best possible role model for a child isn't a scientist or a Nobel Prize winner.
It's a guy who sits on top of a bull for a few seconds.
Yep. Bull riders are the people who will lead us forward into the 21st century.
@@chrisjcollins777 The idea that someone’s profession is all that matters to be a good role model is a rather shallow perception, in my opinion.
"Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'"
That boy can ride a steak like nobody's business.
Not killing the bull just riding the bulls😎..awsome
Lovely father/son relationship. Stay safe!
I was engaged to a professional bull rider 16 yrs ago and decided I wasn't into it. Those guys are legit crazy. My Dad was a cowboy and was a roper and bareback rider. The guys on the bulls are totally different than the rest. They've got a screw loose. Many of them are legit gentlemen but are out of their minds. My ex fiance got stepped on a few times. He had both shoulders absolutely destroyed from riding and was constantly having back issues in his early 20's.
Crazy in what kind of ways?
i love this series..the best one so far was the gang one...
It's cool I've dreamed of horse backriding and rodeoing my whole life and now I own a horse and do rodeo at the same time❤🎉😊
You keep that head up young man. Keep going. I know its hard but you need to keep your eyes on the bulls head. It will tell you. Witch way to get your next step. And do your self a favor. Start ridding your horse with out a saddle. That way you use more balance and lege movement. Thadeous. Ganthner. 1978. World. 11th in the world of bull ridding. 12 th in the world team roping.
I have no experience or past knowledge about this sport, but i must say, its opened up a whole new world of curiosity for me. Ill be reaing about and watching videos on this fascinating subject for a while surely
This kid got a good supportive dad that leads by example. Good parenting and good support is the recipe for success.
I always wanted to be a bull rider when I was growing up in Wyoming. Loved every aspect of it. That was until I saw a cowboy get gored in the arena and lay dying from internal bleeding. Sobered me up real quick.
Great video thanks!
Great video of an impressive young man!👍👍👍
seems like the son just parroted back everything the dad was saying.
That's what you do when you look up to someone.
its been a long time, i was eagerly waiting for your new video...U guys show us the real truth.
This people are so fascinating. Risk reward ratio of this is nuts tho...
my grandson rides bulls too and he loves it glad to know you guys do to
This remind's me of my visit to grandma bessy's in the okkies, Road bull's and pit fight's those were the day's.
Thats so cool Dad Son and Grandson best of luck
I've never had the balls to ride a bull. Almost did at a bar event but ironically my jeans got caught in my fixed gear bicycle, and I blew my shoulder out. True story
I literally have never been on a bull or even been to a rodeo like this but im fascinated and watch videos a lot and have learned a few things. The bulls are not abused or treated poorly. They're literally treated better than the rider for godsakes. After the 30 seconds of being in the arena, they literally go home to their pasture and live their best life. They're very taken care of.
I love that he smudged himself down before riding the Bull.
I like this kid I hope he goes far
"if it's out there and you want it bad enough"
I love the PBR hey man just keep on doing your thing you'll make it
This ain't his first ro...
How do you even start to practice something deadly like that?
Anupum Pant
1.) Aquire bull
2.) Ride it
You start young, with a really small bull with an adult right there to catch you
kids start out on sheep
Keith Beebe well, that does make sense
Mutton riding first. Starts around 5-9 yrs. Then, once you're used to the kicking and bucking you move up to the young, smaller bulls. And then the big bulls.
Awesome dad and son.,
Be humble man 🔥try hard its okay if u didn't make it but remember jus have fun talk to people u will get their some day it takes patience 🔥🔥👍👍
I am a seventy year old woman and have fallen in love with watching these videos about bull riding.
that's what traditional cultures look like brave man wearing fancy and cool gentleman dresses that's what i like most about america their are people still living on this earth to keep their cultures and traditions alive. #peace&respect
Only vice can make bull riding this interesting 🔥🔥🔥
Negro UnChained While I agree with you that Vice makes great documentaries, bull riding, and Indian Rodeo in general, are interesting and exciting all on their own. So if you like this documentary, there are many more great videos out there for you. :)
As a former bull rider, I would tent to disagree
Ha vice is a libtard show bull riding is make America great again shit gb America
watch some pbr and then make your verdict
Maybe bull riding makes bull riding look this interesting....
Good job!
Not trying to burst any bubbles here, but his dad told him that buckoff was the type of bulls he would be getting on in the PBR… and it’s not even close
Respect to the boy for going after his dream!
He may make it someday!!
He's only 16, but Vocu has already broken his hip twice pursuing his dream of becoming a world champion bull rider-a dream that’s been passed down from his grandfather to his father and is now his.
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VICE family of idiots, just like coal mining. I’m gonna get black lung instead of building solar panels. My family does a stupid thing, great now I’m suckered cuz my family got a bull horn hard on.
When will Vice's campaign against animals and the truth end?
When will these hipster fucks turn around and say, "shit, maybe we we're wrong about diet and the largest contributor to climate change?"
Just kidding, they'll keep eating grass-fed™ bison burgers® and just blame Donald Trump for global warming.
Fuck this shit.
yep. family of idiots. "Imma break my hip multiple times before 17 cuz my grandaddy liked bulls."
Maybe he enjoys it? I don't know about you but if you truly love something you are willing to take the hits.
ScrayXXI What are you even talking about
Would love to go and watch this one day
I really like this game.. hope have here in Philippines
11:37 Bruh, the commentator in the back made me feel like I was in piggy wiggly
After the 8 minute mark I had to see how long this was after hearing " this is life or death " sooo many times. Holy shit 8 min mark , 8 seconds , the goal to ride a bull . Its life or death
We need to press the culture and have more good riders from all over the world. The pbr should make it more easy for countries that can not compete because of their legal status. I know many Mexican great riders that don't have the financial power to compete
Keep on riding cowboy
Link to the musical pieces?
Real strong desire.
Something to learn from the kid.
That's a lot of weight for such a young man to shoulder. Good luck in life young man.
Keep up the great work.. love your attitude on it all... You will go far .. love your Heritage! Cow boy up..
Go get 'em Bo Tyler!
Cool video!
Sounds a lot like big wave surfing in the beginning
Them Sioux men honey! ❤️️
@8:02? Mushrooms b4 the ride?!? Ha.
You wish , itsSage
6:11 yoooo is that cam!
the level of peta supporting lack of knowledge having never seen a bull in real life people commenting has reached unbelievable levels
I need to ride a bull.
God bless u all
You can’t train with a wealter weight to fight a heavy weight..anybody understand?
Mom said it all!
rip ty pozzobon
You screw with the bull, you get the horn
Historians quote Old Time Cowboys saying that The Lakota, Cheyenne and Comanche were The Finest Horsemen ever in this world. I've been to Indian Rodeos and have no doubt about the Truth Of that. They'll make you Pay Attention
How can one predict on what the bull is going to do?
Strings 1043 you can't predict. They have tendencies to buck the same way and spin the same way just like a basketball player has the same form everytime he shoots a ball. But they are unpredictable and everytime you get on one you have to ride jump for jump you don't have time to think you feel it it's muscle memory because you've rode so many bulls. You feel it and immediately know which counter move to make to his move in order to stay centered and not get bucked off
What was the first person to discover this doing ?
Idk know much but it seems like bull riding relies alot on luck. Like what if one bull just decides to be more mellow than another bull
When you sign up for every rodeo they put your name and the bunch of bulls that are going to be at the rodeo in a hat so to speak and then they draw out a riders name and then a bulls nane so its the luck of the draw on how rank your bull is going to be
But if your bull is mellow and not performing how it is supposed to you’ll get a lower score
90 percent mental 5 percent skill and 5 percent luck
Bulls or women.....7 seconds is never enough.
Bo Tyler is now a College Bull Rider for New Mexico State University.
we need a documentary about whats going on in Libya.
Malik what's going on in libya
I’m sure you could go find another program that suits you better.
that bull was like get off of me
I work for wrangler network, and can inform you that this title is quite out of hand
I started doing this when I was 17. By 24 my body was ruined. His dad shouldn't start him so young
ricky ringer ring any bells bozo?
I live in Perkins!
Part 2?
The men that do this are the men that need to join the military and defend America!!! We need this breed of courage today!
Big balls , big bulls !! total respect !
Bulls are not toys
When he rides that bull, there is so much at steak!
Come to Las Vegas so we can do a documentary on the scripattack
A tradition all across the West. Its hard as hell but you can get good money if youre good
at least some people have pride in their families history and still carry this legacy on at least when we compete we sing our national anthem and then pray you won't see us kneeling
look all of those vegans hipsters in the comments :)
Nice boy nice bull
kkona in the chat
the names mcree
I could barely hold on to a moving camel, you think I could do this?
If you use your hand And both of your entire legs to grip onto the bull, then yes
What a bunch of close-minded pricks in the comments. Unless you've been part of the rodeo culture, don't bash something you don't understand. Of course the bulls don't want to be there, but they are kept safe and rarely harm any harm is done to them. In terms of a domestic animal's life, they are doing fine. In most cases the bulls are SAFER than the rider. If the rider wants to risk their own life, just like many other sports, that's their choice. It's easier to be hateful then it is to be understanding. grow up
You're the clueless one here mate, obviously some people are commenting out of pure emotion and dont know much about the "culture" but for you to type as if its the pinnacle of humane animal husbandry like the dont put cigarettes out on the balls of bulls to make them more violent & unpredictable, dont kill any bull that injures a human, etc is beyond intellectually dishonest and bordering lying.
Humans don't equal animals. But I do think there is a difference between a dog and a fly. Still none of them are aware of their own existence
So it doesn't matter if we hurt them
Animals can feel pain and suffering and have a will to live, if someone has no good reason the harm them its immoral.
Dotjpg well spoken sir, bravo!!!