Cowboys like us

[gemspegasus]

Cowboys Like Us
gemspegasus
Summary:

Ficlet inspired by egorstandish's challenge – 2. Cowboy at 7men1destiny. Mag 7 PBR AU Open inspired by sara_merry99. Also inspired by evil_jacquie's Mag 7 Rodeo Verse.
PBR Mag 7 Characters:
Chris Larabee Bull Rider
Vin Tanner Bull Rider
Buck Wilmington Bullfighter
Josiah Sanchez Retired Bullfighter turned Announcer
Nathan Jackson PBR Doctor
JD Dunne Barrelman
Ezra P. Standish Chief Production Officer
Rafael Cordoba
de Martinez Bull Rider
Yosemite Bullfighter
Philips Bullfighter
Orin W. Travis Former Champion Bull Rider who now owns Four Corners Industries. Four Corners Industries sponsors various bull riders and bullfighters.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)
Work Text:

Cowboys Like Us



Atop a "rank" 1500 pound bull, Vin Tanner shifted his position slightly while he securely gripped the bull rope with his gloved riding hand. He took a deep, calming breath and nodded.

The gate man opened the gate and quickly scurried out of the bull's way.

The black, white-faced bull named Bones broke through the chute, bucking as hard as he could.

Vin held on and spurred the bull as Bones "turned back" or bucked toward the left and then moved sharply to the right.

The animal also tried "fades" or moving backwards while spinning around and around. Bones suddenly "body rolled." Bones was in the air and kicked his hind feet to the side almost bucking Tanner off of his back.

But Vin was a cagey bull rider fluidly swaying in sync with Bones though his cowboy hat had flown off during the bull's body roll.

Finally, the eight second buzzer sounded and while Bones was spinning left and kicking, Vin jerked his riding hand loose from the bull rope and leapt nimbly off of the bull's right side.

Buck, Philips and Yosemite all distracted the bull and Philips was able to scoop up Vin's cowboy hat from off of the arena floor.

Vin untied and unfastened his glove and vest as Philips congratulated him on "covering" or riding the bull for the full eight seconds before the Afro-American bullfighter handed over the cowboy hat.

Tanner thanked him as they both heard Josiah announce Vin's score. Vin watched Philips hurry to stand opposite of Buck.

Both men were close in on either side of the chute where the last bull to be ridden tonight was being loaded. Yosemite was further back on the open side,

Vin thought Philips was a fine addition to the bullfighters now that 'Siah had retired from bullfighting.

Josiah was now handling announcing the bull riding events.

At his first event, the newest bullfighter had saved Chris from being "hooked" by that ornery bull, Warden. Chris had dismounted off of the 1600 pound animal and Warden had gone after Larabee trying to hook the human with his horns but Philips had intervened and let Chris get to safety.

It was also good to see Buck back in the arena. Buck had busted most of his ribs and his left leg in two places some months ago, protecting Rafael when the bull rider had gotten "hung up" on another "rank" bull, Code Blue.

But now, the gregarious, skilled bullfighter was once again healthy and back on the Tour.

Only one rider left in tonight's go round.

As everyone waited for Chris Larabee's ride upon Big Tex, they were being entertained by the barrelman JD Dunne's hip-hop routine which morphed into a jitterbug.

Chris's ride and score would determine the standings for tomorrow night's "Short Go."

Vin laughed at JD's antics, curling his hands against his chaps and awaited the night's final score. On the opposite side of the arena, he noted that Nathan and Ezra were chatting with Orin Travis. Catching Ezra's eye, Vin winked at him. Then Vin shifted his attention back to the arena floor as Big Tex came barreling out of the gate.

The End
Notes:

Barrelman entertains the crowd during the "down time" that is inherent to the sport of bull riding. When bulls are being loaded, or the show is on hold due to live television breaks, a barrelman takes over and amuses spectators with impromptu dance routines or comical dialogue with the event's announcers. The barrelman often hangs around a custom-made barrel placed in the arena's center. The barrel not only protects the barrelman from a charging bull, but also provides bull riders with an island of safety if they are bucked off far from the arena fence or bucking chutes.

Bull Rider A bull rider is the human athlete in the man-versus-beast sport of bull riding. A bull rider must be 18 years or older to obtain the membership required of each PBR competitor.

Bullfighter A bullfighter's job is to distract a bull when a bull rider either bucks off his bull or dismounts after his eight-second ride. The distraction provided by the bullfighter gives the rider a chance to get back to his feet and out of harm's way.

Chief Production Officer The PBR's Chief Production Officer (CPO) is responsible for managing all production elements of each event. Such elements include staging, pyrotechnics, sound, lighting, and video. Additionally, the CPO serves as a liaison between PBR and the management and staff of each venue that hosts a PBR event.

Hung up Sometimes a rider gets tossed from a bull but is unable to free his riding hand from his bull rope and therefore is "hung up" to the bull. When this dangerous scenario occurs, the bullfighters often move in to help the bull rider free his hand from his rope and get away from the bull.

Rank A bull that is difficult to ride.

Short Go The "short go" or "short go round" is a slang term for the Championship Round.

Other definitions of PBR words are given within the story.

Information about the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. found at their home page.