Rodeo Bullfighter - Nebraska stories

****** A profile of rodeo bullfighter Rowdy Moon. As the bucking bull successfully launches the rider from its back during the Plum Creek Rodeo, young Rowdy Moon (Sargent) quickly snares the attention of the 1600-pound beast. Before the cowboy lands, the athletic bullfighter rapidly steps across the arena expertly dodging the business end of an angry horn. Rowdy hopes to go professional, but it will have to wait until the college freshman finishes school.

(country music) ROWDY MOON: My job is to keep riders safe. I gotta keep moving or else I'm gonna get stuck. I'm Rowdy Moon, I'm from Sargent, Nebraska. I'm 18. Don't call me a clown, call me bullfighter. Everybody that goes to a rodeo thinks the bullfighters are clowns. We're not rodeo clowns, we're not to make the crowd get all wild or anything. We're just to do our jobs and keep fighting bulls and keep everyone safe. 82 now be ready to hustle. (announcer talking) People think we're kind of crazy or whatever, but you know, as long as you're smooth on your feet we all stay pretty safe. ANNOUNCER: See the way our bullfighter moved in there to keep the bull away from the cowboy? That's what he's all about. Way to be, Rowdy. Nice job. MOON: Whenever a bull rider gets bucked off or something you know, laying there sometimes, you never know if they're concussed or you know, it can be anything. But I always have to go to the bull's head first, pick them up and take them away. That way the bull rider's always out of danger. You know, if someone gets hung up I sure try my hardest to get them out of there. I kind of think, what about the next one? If I'm getting hurt, how am I going to make it? How am I going to recover? MUSIC ANNOUNCER: Well, I'll tell you what, friends, our bulls are kind of winning out on this deal. MOON: If I have to take a hook, and I have to take a hook, and it's what the job is. ANNOUNCER: See the way Rowdy moved in there to keep the bull's attention? That's what he's all about.