The first few of the bull riders at Rowell Ranch Rodeo seemed to do pretty well and make it for the full duration.  It turns out that this was an aberration and the remainder of the riders seemed to have a lot of problems.  Some still went the distance but a lot of them were thrown off.  Getting thrown from a bull is a risky proposition.

Let’s put aside the problem with falling at speed from an animal.  Instead, contemplate being on the ground and a little disoriented when you need to get out of the way of a seriously pissed off bull that weighs a lot!  This is where the other people come in to play.  Their role is to distract the attention of the bull away from the rider while someone helps him get to his feet.  It is something that looks perilous and, I imagine, it is.