Bucking Brahmas

I was intrigued to learn Baltimore was part of the Professional Bullriding circuit. Not quite curious enough to spend a Saturday night at 1st Mariner, but certainly enough to tune in Versus and watch some of the broadcast live. I kept covering my eyes because it was scarier than some of the Dew Tour dramas. Definitely not for the faint of heart. But, like Dew and other action sports, bullriding has an enthusiastic and rapidly growing fan base.

One thing I learned is that, while the macho riders certainly had their loyal followings (including the "buckle bunnies" who follow their favorites on the circuit) so do their bovine competitors. Two of my favorites were Booger Butt (pictured above) and Blueberry Buckle. Blueberry was a particularly tough customer. After tossing one rider in two seconds, he ran after him with his horns. Other than Ray Lewis, there's no one I'd rather not be chased by.

Even more of a surprise was learning some of these beefers hail from Maryland. I filed that in the back of my mind as a future field trip --find the breeder of the bucking Brahmas. Today, I did.

The quest took me to Johnsville, a small community near Union Bridge. The J Bar W Ranch was visible from the road, as was the 3,000 seat arena where bullriding and barrel racing rodeos take place every other Saturday night during summer months. When I arrived, the concessionaires were preparing for the event tonight. I was lucky enough to snag a few moments with Debbie Williams, whose son Sonny is one of the owners of the ranch.

Sonny was himself a bullrider, competing on the top circuit for several years. When he gave up riding professionally, he began a breeding operation at the family's dairy farm. The bulls are "Bred to Buck" and many have made it to the upper echelons of the sport. (One alumni, Shock and Awe, competed in Las Vegas, the Super Bowl of the bucking business.)

Their herd numbers several hundred now. I saw a few wandering around, but remembering Blueberry Buckle, I didn't get too close. Instead, I learned more about the activities and attractions they offer. In addition to raising the bulls, the family also produces rodeos that are not only popular spectator events, but fund raisers for local charities. They also offer birthday and theme parties for. (Why didn't I know about this when my two terrors were young?)

In addition to the summer rodeos at the J Bar, they do a Battle of the Beast series every Saturday night during winter months at the Agriculture Center in Westminster. There will be a special Battle of the Beast bullriding competition during the Maryland State Fair in Timonium on August 31st. Similar exhibitions are slated for the Frederick and Montgomery County Fairs this year.

Debbie Williams was particularly proud of the money they've raised for the local hospice foundation. They've also hosted a number of wounded war veterans in the 13 years they've been putting on the rodeos.

So for family fun and entertainment, a trip to the bullriding ring may be just the ticket. And who ever thought you'd find that here in Maryland?