Well, that's a lot of BULL!

[Rams]

 Dad jumps into action to shield son from angry rodeo bull
https://www.wdam.com/2022/03/03/dad-jumps-into-action-shield-son-angry-rodeo-bull/?fbclid=IwAR1H8yZCKX8rdaI3GM6Liz6skKzX6UxlpbZsy47R7C_bWev39pE7kVGXvVw

BELTON, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) – A father in central Texas is being celebrated after he jumped into the ring at a rodeo earlier this month to save his son from a raging bull.

Landis Hooks jumped in the ring after seeing his 18-year-old son, Cody, thrown from the bull quickly after leaving the gate at the PRCA rodeo. His son was left unconscious because of the fall.

“All I could think about was just covering him up because he couldn’t cover himself up,” Hooks told KWTX.

Video of the ordeal shows the dad jumping in action to cover his son with his body.

“I’d much rather do that than get in a cage and go cage fighting, I can promise you that,” said Hooks, who used to ride bulls, too.

The video has gone viral since its release, with many commenters calling him a hero and some arguing Hooks should be nominated for “Father of the Year.”

Hooks said he doesn’t think he’s a hero and said he’d do it all again in a heartbeat, even if the bull had done more serious damage.

Whoa!      

I'll bet he didn't even think about it before he cleared that fence.   Father of the Year contender in my mind.  

Rams

[f6john]

Greater love hath no man,,,,,,,

[Jess from VA]

Bull riding seems pretty dangerous to me.

Maybe not as dangerous as marriage, but bull riding doesn't usually last as long.   

[Rams]

Bull riding seems pretty dangerous to me.

Maybe not as dangerous as marriage, but bull riding doesn't usually last as long.   

Tried it twice (bull riding), I lasted a bit longer than the guy (son) in the video but, nowhere near the 8 seconds required.   That should tell you how bright I was as a teenager.       Not something I'd recommend with the exception of those who think their "stuff" don't stink.   

Rams

[TrapperAH1G]

Yep, dumbass as a teenager.  Was 16 and gonna try bullriding.  Had ridden bucking horse before, couldn't be that much different, right?  Was at the chute getting ready to climb on....put my hand on the hump and the bull took offense.  Came back and laid his horn across the hump smashing my hand and fracturing a couple of bones.  In hindsight, glad he did!  Never tried, which is a testament to how rapidly I learn from mistakes!

Of course, there are folks that would say this wasn't the dumbest thing I did back then.  Come to think of it, there are some since that time too.  Or so I'm told....mostly by my wife.

[Rams]

Yep, dumbass as a teenager.  Was 16 and gonna try bullriding.  Had ridden bucking horse before, couldn't be that much different, right?  Was at the chute getting ready to climb on....put my hand on the hump and the bull took offense.  Came back and laid his horn across the hump smashing my hand and fracturing a couple of bones.  In hindsight, glad he did!  Never tried, which is a testament to how rapidly I learn from mistakes!

Of course, there are folks that would say this wasn't the dumbest thing I did back then.  Come to think of it, there are some since that time too.  Or so I'm told....mostly by my wife.

Yeah, I don't remember the first time out, apparently trying to show the bull who was boss, I head butt him.   That's probably the reason I tried it a second time, couldn't remember the first.   Regardless, thank the Lord for clowns.   

Rams

[0leman]

While in college, I worked one summer for the Gas company on a survey crew. We were staking a new gas line across a field with lots of pecan trees.   I was halfway across the field when my boss yelled at me to watch out.  There was a rather unhappy very large bull coming at me. lots of horns sticking out.  I quickly climbed one of the trees and sat down on a branch out of his reach.  I got to sit there for nearly an hour while my boss contacted the owner of said bull.  The owner came on a horse with another horse to my rescue.   Though got paid for doing nothing but sitting on my butt for an hour, it was some 96 degrees and 95% humidity.  Not that much fun. 

I have in my many years helped raise a calf every year for 12 years while growing up (they got eaten when big enough).   Help move cows from pastures to pastures, had to wait for 30 minutes while three bulls were discussing who was boss at gate, and had a bull race me for a fence, but never butted heads with one of them.   

[RNFWP]

While in college, I worked one summer for the Gas company on a survey crew. We were staking a new gas line across a field with lots of pecan trees.   I was halfway across the field when my boss yelled at me to watch out.  There was a rather unhappy very large bull coming at me. lots of horns sticking out.  I quickly climbed one of the trees and sat down on a branch out of his reach.  I got to sit there for nearly an hour while my boss contacted the owner of said bull.  The owner came on a horse with another horse to my rescue.   Though got paid for doing nothing but sitting on my butt for an hour, it was some 96 degrees and 95% humidity.  Not that much fun. 

I have in my many years helped raise a calf every year for 12 years while growing up (they got eaten when big enough).   Help move cows from pastures to pastures, had to wait for 30 minutes while three bulls were discussing who was boss at gate, and had a bull race me for a fence, but never butted heads with one of them.   

Your story reminded me of my own close call with a bull. As a kid (10-12ish) we'd go play in a wooded creek bed in a neighbors pasture. One time, while making the trip across an open area, I realized a bull was walking my way. Don't know what he would've done had I stayed calm but I started to run for the fence. The race was on and he was faster and gaining on me. I could hear him. When I got to the fence I laid out in a belly slide like coming into second base. Was amazed that I didn't get snagged by the bottom stand of barbed wire.
 It didn't keep me from going back to play in the creek. It did deter me from wandering out in the open. After that, stayed close to the trees, creek or fence line.

Lost count of how many times I've been thrown or fell off of a horse. (never was good at riding those) I've never tried, or had the desire, to get on a bull.

[Jess from VA]

Lot of beef cattle in No VA.  (and horses)

Once out riding the back roads, I stopped under the shade of some big old trees along one of the many civil war era stone walls surrounding a herd of beef.  My big black intestate got the resident bull all excited and he ran all the way over to me to snort and stomp and tell me to F off.   

The old Snickersville Turnpike.

[semo97]

I grew up in a large family of ranchers and many of my cousins rodeoed. rough stock, doggers and calf ropers. I did not take the sport up I broke horses for ranch work starting at age 12 and did for 30 years. I have ridden some bucking horses I should not have and got bucked off of some I should have ridden. The clowns should have done a better job of keeping the bull away, the guys at the chute gate usually help a downed rider. The dad's movements attracted the bull and just made a bigger target. The dad should have attracted the bull the other way. Everything was amateur, been around the rodeo world for 60 years and had never seen this. As for a hero, not at all, in a nice way, laps of better judgement. I get really anal with the hero term. Back in the day you did something above and be owned. Not every soldier, cop or fireman is a hero, very few in fact. How many of us Nam chopper guys went into and out of hot LZs with grunts and resupply, how many of us went down? We were just doing the job we wanted. Sorry, but I do not buy into this hero stuff in this touchy-feely world.