KEY POINTS:
It's an old saying in rodeo that it's not a matter of if you will get hurt but of when and how bad it will be.
They also say that eight seconds on a 1.5 tonne bucking bull is the biggest adrenalin rush and the highest natural high you can get.
The rodeo circuit is in full swing and holiday-makers around the country have the opportunity to see the addicted test themselves against the animals.
Kalym Lipsey stepped down from competition in March after 17 years, lost teeth, bone breaks in feet, hip, hands and wrists and lots of muscle strain problems. "I was unlucky," he said, "some people go for years and don't break anything."
He's now the secretary of the 850-strong NZ Rodeo Cowboys Association, running what he calls "a family sport - dad is in the roping, mum rides in the barrel races and the kids are in calf riding".
It's a tough circuit, around 35 meetings nationally and most between December and March, in Gisborne and Opotiki last week then Warkworth on New Year's Day for the 47th annual contest at the mid-north town, and on to Kaitaia, Peria then Whangarei and Huntly. Meanwhile competition has been held at Waimate, Omarama, Wanaka and other South Island centres. Whole families travel quickly from one to another, sometimes hiring horses or borrowing them with an agreement to share prizemoney.
They don't do it for the money. Entry costs about $40 and all entrance fees go to top-four prizemoney as does an amount from the hosting club. Top dollar is between $700 and $1000 for the bull ride, other feature events might bring in $400. A cowboy who competes well in numerous events might make $2000, before expenses.
Overseas is where the money is, the "world" bullriding champ in the United States can pick up close to US$2 million ($2.6 million) in prizemoney and maybe US$15 million for endorsements.
Rodeo's popularity here seems to be increasing, with larger crowds drawn to events. Opotiki turned people away and Warkworth had its best attendance in 2007.
The first indoor event in Christchurch in November was a 6500 sellout and a two-night stand is planned for 2008.
A small animal welfare group protested in Christchurch. Lipsey's response is nil. "We don't need to answer them. We know what we are doing is not harmful to animals, we have nothing to hide."
Claims that horses or bulls were driven to bucking by spurs or barbs in saddles were "ludicrous and 99 per cent of people would laugh at them because it just doesn't happen".
The animals were bred for competition and the bulls and horses seemed to like it, Lipsey said. "They know their job and they enjoy it and I challenge anyone to prove that they don't. When you get dumped by a bull and he walks off like he's just beaten you, you know he's enjoying it."
Last year's bullriding and all-round champion Jonny Ward, 29, is manager of an angus stud farm near Waipukerau most of the year. "We don't breed them to buck," he said, dismissing suggestions that handling bulls on farms gives him any insight into handling them in the ring.
It is the challenge of conquering the best bull that is trying to better him that is the motivation, Ward said.
"You know you can get hurt. It's the adrenalin rush, you're still pumping for hours afterwards."
Ward is off to the Gold Coast this month to compete against cowboys from Australia, Brazil, Guatemala, the US and Canada for A$50,000 ($57,000) for top bullrider. Ward watched local rider Rodney Walker, 39, beat him at Waimate "so I figure I've got 10 years left in me".
Wife Kushla competes in barrel racing, son Klaydyn, 5, had his first calf ride age 4 and Ward expects his other son Rylee, 3, to also take up the sport. "They put bullriding on the TV in the morning rather than cartoons."
To prove Lipsey's statement about a family sport, Ward's father rode and younger brother Kevin, 23, is leading rookie of the year.
The Church family provide a significant part of the backbone of New Zealand rodeo. Twelve members of the Rotorua/Taupo-based family competed at Warkworth, led by patriarch Merv.
The Warkworth Rodeo Club owns land where it runs bulls bred for the ring and leases more to keep broncos. At other meets, stock controllers provide the animals, which are specially bred and raised just for rodeo. The controller handles them in the chute before the gate opens. The animals do get to know their role. Most bulls trot out to the yards calmly after dispatching a rider.
Some attack. Lipsey said the riders know the bulls and which ones to worry about. They rely on bullfighters to distract the bull by running in front of it and turning it away from the rider as he exits. If the rider's hand is hung up in the strap around the bull it is the bullfighter's job to get him free.
At an event at Methven over Labour Weekend, Manawatu bullfighter Shane Bird threw himself on top of a visiting American rider Jeremy Star who had been knocked unconscious as he came off, while the bull danced around kicking above them until attracted away by another bullfighter. "When you see that sort of thing happen it gives you great confidence in the bullfighters, you know you're going to be okay with that gut," Lipsey said.
But it doesn't stop the eight seconds to the buzzer seeming like eight hours. "Some guys reckon they count it down - I never could."
