The fine art of Mutton Bustin’

When I tell people that I am going to the Sundance Steakhouse and Saloon in Fort Collins to photograph bull riding, the majority come back with something like “Do they have bull riding there? I didn’t know that. Where do they have it?” Sometimes the reply is “Oh, you mean inside with the mechanical bull ...”

Apparently it is a well-kept secret, but I assure you that twice a year, there are real bulls bucking in the parking lot of the Sundance Steakhouse. It is not just one night but every Friday and Saturday night for four weeks — one series in the spring and one series in the fall.

These series are part of the qualifying for the PTBR events that are held in the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland, Colo. You are going to see the same cowboys and the same bulls in a friendly and fun atmosphere. The arena is smaller and there is not a bad seat anywhere. You and the bull riders are free to walk around and talk to one another. What better way to spend a weekend night than sitting outside with your favorite people and a fresh cooked hamburger, watching some bull riding?

You never can tell who you are going to see. I am sure that all the PBR fans have heard of Kody Lostroh, 2005 PBR Rookie of the year and fifth place finisher in 2006. Well, it turns out that Kody got his start riding sheep out at the Sundance and comes out a couple times a year to ride some bulls with his friends ... which kind of brings me to what I really wanted to tell you about — the fine art of Mutton Bustin’.

Every night, at what amounts to “halftime” in the bull riding, there is Mutton Bustin’. This event is sponsored by Mike Poppenwimer, owner of the Sundance, and volunteers from the Butch Cassidy Club. I don’t think there are a whole lot of people reading this who haven’t at least heard of Mutton Bustin’. What I want to do is to share some little-known facts about this event with you.

Some people seem to think this is the most popular event in rodeo. I think that it has something to do with the way people cheer for each rider as they zoom across the arena on their sheep. I’m sure there are a whole lot of city folks in California and New York that would say it is positively barbaric the way that we tie small children to farm animals and then cheer as they are dragged across the arena.

The kids sure seem to like it though, as they line up every weekend to try their hand at Mutton Bustin’. What you have on Friday and Saturday night at the Sundance is Recreational Mutton Bustin’, as opposed to Competitive Mutton Bustin’. Competitive Mutton Busters are essentially mini bull riders, from 4 to 8-years-old. They use bull ropes, wear chaps and spurs, hold the bull rope with one hand, sit upright, and are timed. If you want to see competitive Mutton Bustin’, come out to the Sundance on Sunday afternoon and watch the stars of tomorrow in the Young Guns Series.

Recreational Mutton Bustin’ is just for fun. There is no dress code, 4- to 8-years old, and no rules except “don’t let go.” After photographing hundreds of Recreational Mutton Busters, I have noticed that there are some very distinct styles of riding that have developed that I would like to share with you to enhance your watching of this event.

The most traditional is the Classic Position, where the rider positions himself or herself in the median position on the sheep’s back and places a leg on each side of the animal. A tight grip is secured in the wool, the head is buried in the wool, and the eyes are closed. The rider remains in this position until he either falls off or is removed by the “sheep fighter.”

Over the years, the more adventurous riders have evolved variations on the Classic Position. There are the Right and Left Side variations and the very popular Surfer Position for riders whose legs are not long enough to reach either side of the sheep. A few extreme riders are experimenting with the Underneath variation of the Classic Position. This variation has met with mixed results and the jury is still out on whether it will be adopted by mainstream Mutton Busters.

While wrecks are inevitable and occasionally there are a few tears shed, there is never any serious damage done. The kids are always eager to come back and try again next week. Mike and the Butch Cassidy Club make sure that everyone comes away a winner. Each rider gets a score and a ribbon and the top three Mutton Busters get trophies.

There is a Final Round for the Mutton Busters that is held on the same night as the bull riding series final. Each participant gets a trophy with additional prizes going to the top three finishers in the series.

I hope that you smiled a little at my “tongue in cheek” account of Mutton Bustin. All kidding aside, I sincerely urge you to go out to the Sundance and cheer for these youngsters. You will have a lot of fun and you just might be cheering for the next Kody Lostroh.

Give the Sundance Steakhouse a call at (970) 484-1600 for dates and times.