Ready for the rodeo

"BEFORE you know it you're sitting on his back, you call for the gate and then the bull just explodes underneath you."

Queanbeyan rodeo rider Daniel Hipwell paints nothing if not a vivid picture of what is surely one of the world's most dangerous sports.

The 23-year-old is an electrician by trade, but in his spare time climbs on the back of a 700kg bulls and hopes to hold on for eight seconds.

"It's a very confronting experience when they roll them up," he says.

"For someone who was a city boy originally, just the size of them takes you back a fair bit. You swear they're looking you in the eye and sizing you up."

Hipwell said riders would need to psych themselves up before jumping on the beasts.

"You can't ignore how dangerous it is, it's in the back of your mind the whole time," he said. "Even the professional guys will tell you they're scared stiff. Any man who says otherwise is either drunk, or lying."

Originally from Newcastle, Hipwell says the rodeo circuit is quite a bit different from the skateboarding and surfing culture on the coast.

"It's just something different, [I like] the challenge of it, the culture around it," he said.

He was convinced to jump on a bull by work colleague Laurie Pallombi, a former competitor and a member of the Queanbeyan Rodeo committee.

"Laurie talked it up, never had a bad word to say about it so I thought I'd give it a go," Hipwell said.

He said the wise words passed on from around the ring made it easier to will himself to get on the animal. And, the friendly culture around the sport made it easier.

"The older blokes really help you out a lot, talking you through what you're doing. You do what they tell you to do."

He said the first ride he had was a blur, he'd only ever ridden a horse once and had never climbed on a bull.

"The first time I saw a bull buck was five minutes before I got on myself."

Since then, Hipwell has ridden at a few rodeos around the region, learning more and more each ride.

"It's definitely a step up, there's people everywhere, the bulls are a lot bigger and they're bred for it so they're a lot more athletic, they're a lot more aggressive."

He said one bull he attempted to ride kept trying to turn back and hook him with his horns, all the while raring up and trying to shake him off.

"The adrenaline is absolutely racing; the older blokes are there reassuring, telling me I'm fine.

It's all a rush."

Several times Hipwell had almost ridden the eight seconds, once being disqualified in the final second for his hand grazing the bull's head.

"Laurie and the other guys think I've got it in me, it's just a matter of sticking it out and keep working on it."

Injuries are an almost certainty in the game; Hipwell tore the rotator cuff in one of his shoulders but the 23-year-old said otherwise he hadn't had any injuries to write home about.

And, what did his family think about it all?

"Mum and dad they're really supportive," he said. Although, they certainly weren't used to the dangerous sport.

"No matter what me and my brothers and I have decided to do they've trusted us the whole way. They know it's risky but it's something I enjoy and they're proud of me getting in and having a go rather than being worried about it."

For more on the 2013 Queanbeyan Rodeo click here: http://www.queanbeyanage.com.au/story/1334802/big-bucks-up-for-grabs/?cs=12