The Break That Ended An Era

This is a little different from the normal article. Not your “normal” or “typical” sport. I’m straying away from soccer, football, baseball, and NASCAR for something that I truly enjoy and have become more and more invested in over the years. Rodeo sports are an exciting change, and you don’t have to be a cowboy to enjoy them. People of all backgrounds enjoy the thrill of barrel racing, calf roping, and all the way to bull riding.

The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) has brought together top-tier riders from around the world. Brazil, Australia, the United States, and other countries are represented. But to me, those aren't the most impressive athletes at these events. The bulls are what catch my eye. There should be no way a 1,500-pound animal moves that way, but they do! Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing but the utmost respect for the riders. They are world-class athletes as well.

For those who may not know, let me introduce you to the sport a little bit. In bull riding, the rider must stay on a bull for eight seconds to earn a qualified ride. Making it to the eight seconds ensures you get a score from the judges. Judges give the riders scores based on balance, control, and staying in sync with the bull. The bull is also scored based on how they buck. This is shown by intensity, spinning, direction changes, basically, overall intensity. Both can earn a maximum of 50 points. So, in theory, the maximum score would be 100. But that’s pretty much unheard of. The highest score recorded in PBR history is a 98.75 posted by Jose Vitor Leme riding Woopaa in 2021.

Photo courtesy of The Cowboy Channel

One bull that, for lack of better words, dominated the PBR was Man Hater. Now, notice I put dominated. Past tense. This is the part that makes me sick to think about, and watching it was even worse. Here we go…

This past weekend, March 6-7, Little Rock, Arkansas, hosted a PBR Unleash the Beast event. The best riders and bulls gathered to show off their skills and earn season points and a little cash to go with it. The first round progressed with 13 out of 42 rides reaching eight seconds. Austin Richardson posted the high mark with an incredible 93.03 point ride. In the second round, 11 out of 39 rides reached the buzzer. Sage Steele Kimzey posted a high mark of 89.35. Then came the championship round.

The championship round is where all the highest-ranked bulls get their outs. So, of course, the number one bull in the world would be in that round, right? Absolutely. And his name was Man Hater. The sixth rider of the round, Brady Fielder, had the opportunity, nay, the privilege of riding Mat Hater. The out started as expected, Man Hater bringing his ferocious bucking and incredible skill. He continued to buck for about five seconds. Then it happened. As I saw the video, you could instantly tell something was wrong. Man Hater stumbled a little bit, then stopped bucking. Then, as I looked closer, he was favoring his left hind leg and limped out of the arena. 1500 pounds came crashing down as he landed wrong and ended up with a high right hind leg fracture.

It was an eerie sight. The looks on the other riders, judges, stock contractors, and broadcasters said it all. It was enough to make you sick. The thoughts instantly went to the adage, where an animal will automatically be put down if they break a leg. I was hoping not, but part of me gave up on the fact that he could be saved.

The stock contractors didn’t give up hope. They immediately drove him to the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Hospital for examination and potential treatment. OSU’s vets are some of the best in the United States and have even treated other bucking bulls. So, there was hope, but it was slim.

I went to bed that night after seeing the abundance of posts about the world-class bull. When I woke up, I decided to take a peek at the good ‘ol Facebook app. As I’m scrolling through the various stories and terrible dad jokes, I see Sean Gleason’s post stating that Man Hater had passed away. I think it was one of the few times I teared up a little bit surrounding sports. I didn’t know the bull, I didn’t know the owners, but somehow it was one of the saddest moments I had seen in quite some time.

Photo courtesy of PBR

Man Hater was a once-in-a-lifetime bull. He set the record with a 49.5 bull score. May I remind you, 50 is the highest possible score. He averaged around 47 points. He also had a buck off rate of roughly 89%. All of this led him to two world championships. But when outside the arena, he was gentle. Riders would go up and “boop” him on his snout before rides. A gentle giant, if you will, rolling around in the play pen, throwing dirt in the air, having a great time.

That brings me to another point. Man Hater’s passing isn’t just a blow to the sport; he was a part of someone’s family. People often see the bulls bucking their hearts out in the arena, but don’t understand or see what happens behind the scenes. Most bucking bulls have a level-headed temperament. They will allow you to pet them and be close to them. They truly do build a bond with their owners. There is a misconception that these bulls are treated terribly, but it is actually quite the opposite. Various stock contractors have opened their doors by posting videos of interactions with their bulls. It shows just how much they are loved and how well they are taken care of.

This may be the end of an era, and we never see a bull with the skills of Man Hater, but it’s much more than that for many people. This incredible athlete gave it all in the arena and always had a great time outside of work.

Here’s to you, Man Hater. Rest easy.

Photo courtesy of PBR