Daryl Thiessen likes to live life on the edge — of angry bulls.
He has even vaulted right over them, like he did during the freestyle bullfighting event at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina Nov. 14, much to the crowd’s approval.
“It’s man versus beast,” he said explaining the attraction of the event, which is growing in popularity in the United States but is less well known in Canada.
Agribition introduced it last year, inviting four bullfighters to compete in three rounds. Monty Phillips, who trains blue heelers and breaks colts when not bullfighting, won the inaugural event.
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This year, six competitors took part, including Phillips. In the end, Thiessen, of Elm Creek, Man., and Curtis Smyth of Kennedy, Sask. earned identical scores from the judges and split the $3,000 prize.
The sport developed a profile during the 1980s Wrangler series in the U.S. when the best competed at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
The contest is typically 50 seconds long. The bullfighter engages the bull, but also avoids him by dodging, jumping and using a barrel.
At 30 seconds a horn sounds and the fighter has the option for another 20 seconds to earn more points.
“You want to end the best you possibly can,” Thiessen said.
The judges award up to 50 points each for the fighter and the bull.
This all takes place in a small part of the arena to keep the competitors close.
The freestylers generally are in the business of cowboy protection. In other words, they work as bullfighters during the bull riding event.
“This was originated by the rodeo clowns,” said Thiessen. “They (bullfighters) wanted to show their athleticism.”
He thinks the crowd likes it but said they might be more impressed if they saw one of the American rodeos with purebred Mexican fighting bulls that are much tougher to fight.
Thiessen, 23, has been fighting bulls professionally since he was 18.
In 2012, his first year of serious freestyling, Thiessen made it to the world championships in Oklahoma even after suffering a broken back while practicing in June.
“I went to step around the bull and he just got a hold of me, threw me up and pretty much mauled me,” he said. “I was supposed to be out for nine weeks and I got back in four-and-a-half.”
This year, he tore his medial collateral ligament in July and was out for three months before being able to get in some fall rodeos in the southern U.S.
The shortened season meant he didn’t make enough money to say he can live off rodeo. An off-season job will be a necessity.
His family no longer operates the farm where he grew up. Last year he worked a pipeline job in Regina and this year he expects he might be trucking somewhere before buying some cows in spring and working on his real estate licence.
“I understand it’s something that doesn’t last long,” Thiessen said. “But there are guys who are 50 still fighting and guys who are 30 that are calling it a day.”
Until that happens he will continue to do what he loves. He trains in a gym regularly and plans to head back south for the rodeo circuit next year.
“We’re not just a bunch of crazy cowboys,” he added. “There’s an art to it. You’ve got to be an athlete to be good at it.”
