Pretoria folk try their hand at bull-riding

A taste of the Wild West came to Gauteng this weekend when an American-style rodeo was held in Rayton, just east of Pretoria.

Aspirant cowboys donned their boots and stetsons to try their hand at bull riding, which proved to be the highlight of the event.

Rodeo organiser Koos Dippenaar said the event had proven popular. "Now we're hoping to hold rodeos on a regular basis," he said.

The rodeo was opened with the barrel racing event, in which cowboys on their horses race around a course of barrels, with the aim of completing the course in the fastest possible time.

Barrel-racer Yolandi Ankovich, who set an imposing time for other cowgirls to match, said she enjoyed the event. "It's different to other equestrian sports and loads of fun," she said.

There were plenty of spills and thrills to keep the crowd excited.

The main attraction was the bull riding and the contestants were visibly nervous. Dippenaar's stern warning to the hopefuls was: "Bull-riding is dangerous and 23 cowboys are killed every year by bulls in America."

Bull riders are required to stay aboard for eight seconds, but in Rayton three seconds proved to be the best time.

An early contestant was Louis Prinsloo on a formidable Brahman bull who had earned the nickname "Bad News".

Spectators groaned as "Bad News" immediately tumbled Prinsloo into the dirt. "Not as easy as it looks," said Prinsloo, limping back to the grandstands.

Johnny Cilliers had drawn a little black bull and was optimistic about seeing eight seconds on its twisting back. The bull had other ideas and quickly planted Cilliers into the dust with a devastating punch that him badly winded.

Animal welfare groups and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were present to ensure that no animals were harmed during proceedings.