For a few hours on Saturday, Mauney had the chance to play with one of nature’s most dangerous creatures. His ranch in Marietta is a training ground for bull riders, and his son Jagger, 3, pulls on miniature versions of the riding gear that real cowboys wear: chaps, boots and a hat. He stomps around the pens, mimicking the movement of the men riding on a 2,000-pound bos taurus that can stomp you to the ground and exert ground force reaction times your body weight when it strikes you with its back legs.

Mauney is not a big man, 5-foot-10 and blade-thin 140 pounds. He tries to impress his family by making two or three extra runs when the rodeo needs another rider or two. He’s outmatched on a scale that most people can’t imagine, says Tandy Freeman, who treats rodeo athletes as part of Professional Bull Riders’ sports medicine team. Bull riders are 10 times more likely to sustain serious head injuries than football players, she says.

The tragedy of Denim Bradshaw’s death pushed Mauney to speak out against amateur rodeos, where riders often don’t have the skills or experience to compete with professional animals. His daughter Persephone is working on legislation called Denim’s Law, which would require that minors be required to have six months to a year of practice before they can ride at an amateur event. It would also require that rodeo staff weigh all animals the day of competition and that government officials perform regular inspections to ensure compliance.

Bringing Out the Cowboy in Your Friends and Family

For many people, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of riding a Rodeo Bull in South Carolina. Whether it’s at a birthday party, church festival, town fair or school event, the excitement of taming and staying on the mechanical bull for as long as you can is enough to make any event unmissable.

And while it might be difficult to bring the thrill of the rodeo home, there’s no reason why you can’t have the same experience at a private event or corporate function. Renting a mechanical bull from Laugh n Leap is an easy way to elevate any event and create unforgettable memories. Just add a few hats and some cowboy boots and you’ve got yourself a western-themed party! For more information, visit our website today.