Local Rodeo to Feature Wild Bison Riding

"To be honest", said a rodeo organizer speaking off the record, "attendance has been dropping at the Methow Valley rodeos. We thought all the bull-riding injuries would keep folks coming but, compared to a typical video game, we just can't compete. So, we're moving it up a notch."

Backers of the new event admit it isn't without its difficulties. Getting the bison involved buying a motorhome, driving to Yellowstone, then convincing the animals to climb inside. "That there was the tough part", said one of those involved. "Not to mention that the bed in the RV is pretty much unusable now."

The next challenge is to find cowboys to ride them. Nobody really knows what a wild bison will do if a human climbs on its back and, as one rodeo rider pointed out, "nobody really wants to be the first to find out."

When told that some were planning to protest the event because of the bison's listing as a threatened species, Hopper, a part-time rodeo clown, said, "I tell you what – you jump on one of those suckers for a minute or two and THEN tell me who's threatened."

4/1/2012

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