Winning the bull ride at the Wagga Pro Rodeo was all the more rewarding for Young’s Ben Thorpe (left) who has had a stint of hard luck with rodeo-related injuries.
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Thorpe is well-acquainted with the dangers of bull riding.
He was out for eight months in 2014 after breaking his ankle, and in September, 2015 he had another bad fall, breaking his leg, relegating him to the couch for another four months of tedium.
Thorpe made his comeback in Tumbarumba on New Years Day, and was thrown off after three seconds.
Never to be deterred, three rodeos later in Beechworth, he finally recorded a time, and took out the event.
“The bulls have been dominating a lot lately, I’ve been to a few shows where there are no scores at all,” Thorpe said.
“It’s a hard way to make a living.”
He landed one of the season’s highest scores, drawing a tough bull named ‘High Flyer’ and scoring 87 points.
“It’ feels good to get your bull rode, especially when you’ve been sitting at home, it feels like a bit of a privilege,” Thorpe said.
The Thorpes kept it in the family, with Ben’s uncle, Rod Thorpe, former Australian steer wrestler, winning the steer wrestling in Wagga.
