Bulls, riders electrify crowds
After canceling last year’s show due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WildThing Championship Bullriding was back at Red Rock Park “bigger and badder than ever” July 9 and 10.
WildThing organizer Larry Peterson said the crew put on an event where all the guests had a fantastic time.
“Everything we had planned more or less went off,” Peterson said July 13. “We almost sold out the event on Friday, and then we actually sold out on Saturday. The crowds really had a good time, and we’ve been hearing nothing but how much fun they had and how great it was.”
Peterson said the crew did all it could to prepare Red Rock Park for the large turnout, but they still had to turn people away, because they reached capacity.
RIDER RECAP
The main draw at WildThing is the roster of bucking bulls along with the riders who attempt the ride to take home the top prize.
The riders come from all over the world, as Peterson cited riders who traveled from across the country and from Canada, along with the growing number of riders from Brazil. Because WildThing is an open event, every qualified rider can enter.
More than 90 riders entered this year’s event, and New Mexico native Travis Wimberly won the weekend with a 91-point ride.
There were eight scored runs, and they are:
Travis Wimberly - 91
Marco Juarez - 89
Justin Granger - 88
Junior Patrick Souza - 85
Tadd Dickson - 84
Korwin Kinlicheenie - 84
Kyle McDaniel - 81
Cody Jesus - 80
THE REST OF THE SHOW
Another big draw for WildThing is the Wooly Riding Championship. Young riders attempt to ride a sheep that dashes across the arena. These children have competed for champion buckles at previous shows.
This year, it was Lyndsey Tsosie who took home top honors.
“All the little champions rode really good (sic). The crowd really enjoyed [watching] them,” Peterson said.
There was also praise for Cowboy Poker, wherein a bull is unleashed toward a group playing a game of poker and the last person at the table wins.
Peterson mentioned the rest of the entertainment, including an outstanding fireworks show and the new funnyman, who was a hit with the crowd.
“[The entertainment] had everyone dancing and laughing and screaming. It was all just really good,” he said.
FOR THE COMMUNITY
In previous stories, Peterson stated he was excited for WildThing to be the first big event for the Four Corners region since the COVID-19 pandemic began. He is convinced the show was a success based on the smiles and cheers from attendees.
He calls WildThing a real community event.
But there is one other crucial aspect of WildThing Peterson wanted to highlight: it is the largest fundraiser of the year for Manuelito Children’s Home and Gallup Christian School, which provide parking and concessions for the event, respectively.
Peterson chose not to provide any numbers for this year’s WildThing. But he stated both the home and the school had a fantastic turnout and broke their all-time records for funds raised.
“The crowds were so big, and [the home and school] ran a great concession and the parking was full. They did a great job and they did really well,” Peterson said.
When asked about the groups he worked with to put WildThing into place, Peterson thanked numerous city entities.
“I really appreciate the different [city] departments, and Parks Director Vince Alonzo’s crew and the street crews for getting the park turned around for us,” Peterson said. “Red Rock Park was in rough shape because of [the pandemic.] Those crews worked really hard and put in a lot of work to do this for us.”
While Peterson said there will be challenges to face with the event next year, he was glad to take this moment to reflect on the return of WildThing and the joy that came with it after a difficult year.
This sentiment is best summarized on the WildThing Facebook page: “The comeback is Always greater than the Setback!”
For more information on WildThing, including photos and videos of the event, visit https://www.facebook.com/wildthing.bullriding/.
