Described by Greeley Stampede officials as the best crowd they’ve ever had for the American Bull Fighting competition, about 5,000 people showed up on July 2 to watch bull fighting and were also rewarded with a cowboy mounted shooting contest taking place in the same arena during breaks in the bull fighting action.
2022 Miss Rodeo Rodeo Colorado, Ashley Baller, galloped the American flag out of the arena after the singing of the national anthem to kick off the American Bull Fighting competition on July 2 at the 100th Greeley Stampede.The Miss Rodeo Colorado pageant has been held at the Greeley Stampede since the 1980's, so it is basically a hometown rodeo for the state queen.
In the bull fighting contest, 10 participants showed up to compete in the Greeley Stampede arena against the smaller, quicker and more aggressive Mexican fighting bulls. The first round whittled it down to five competitors for a final round, where Eaton, Colo., bull fighter Roper Rich won back-to-back Greeley Stampede titles with his speed and fearless approach to piling up points. Those points are earned by staying close to the bull while not getting hit or trampled and extra points are awarded for effectively using bonus time in the arena and also employing trick maneuvers, like leaping a charging bull. Roper Rich did all those things numerous times on his way to winning the event with a final round score of 87.50. Second place went to Malaqi Cook with 84 and third was earned by Kye Hicks with 78.
Westlee Jones had speed and moves, but the wily Mexican fighting bulls were also fast and smart. Jones scored a solid 83 points in the first round, but did not fare as well in the final round of action.
Sometimes the smart bulls just figure out how to hit bull fighters. Zigging when he should have zagged, Chris Monroe got caught by the head and horns of a bull during first round action of the 2022 American Bull Fighting competition on July 2 and did not qualify to advance.
Two-time American Bull Fighting champion — Roper Rich from Eaton, Colo. — showed his speed and quickness in the first round of competition at the 100th Greeley Stampede as he avoided a nimble Mexican fighting bull's charging effort to sweep his legs. Staying close while avoiding the aggressive bull, plus difficult trick maneuvers like leaping over a charging bull, will result in high scores in an American Bull Fighting competition. Unlike bull fighting overseas, which has a goal of harming or killing the bull, American Bull Fighting is about displaying speed, athleticism and fearlessness in the arena with the bull.
During a break in American Bull Fighting action, an entertainment contest was set up to see who could fill a pitcher of water the fastest while a wild bull was loose in the arena. Team members tried to fill the pitcher while another team member wearing a plastic bubble for protection attempted to distract the bull from those carrying the water. Well… it worked so well the bull used its horns to pop the bubbles and still go after the people inside trying to finish the contest. After that, it was a mad scramble.
Staying close to the bull while avoiding a hit is the name of the game in scoring points at the American Bull Fighting competitions. Reaching out and putting a hand on the bull as he dodged its charge helped Andrew Gary win this first round contest with an 82-point score and advance to the final round of five bull fighters.
After advancing past the opening round, a quick Malaqi Cook took to the arena in the final round and posted the second best score of 82 points in the American Bull Fighting competition at the Greeley Stampede (July 2, 2022).
Bull fighter Kody Davis was overmatched in his first round competition against a brute of Mexican fighting bull. Getting taken to the ground too many times cost him a chance to advance in the 2022 American Bull Fighting competition at the 100th Greeley Stampede.
Eaton, Colo., bull fighter Roper Rich stood tall on the rails and encouraged the crowd's applause after putting in a winning effort in the championship round of the American Bull Fighting competition at the 2022 Greeley Stampede. It was Rich's second consecutive American Bull Fighting title at the Greeley venue.
The Colorado Regulators put on the mounted shooting competition and the event was well-received by the crowd. Participants sprint their horses through set patterns while firing blanks at balloon targets using .45 caliber single action pistols. The fastest time wins and missing a balloon target adds a 5-second penalty, along with penalties for veering off course or knocking over a barrel in the pattern. Accomplished mounted shooter De Chapman won the competition with a final round 9.4-second time over fellow Coloradan Rick Carlson’s 9.6-second effort.
One of the top mounted shooters in the sport, Colorado-based De Chapman, is shown after shooting the last balloon target on her pattern during first round action in the Mounted Shooting competition held during breaks in America Bull Fighting action at the 100th Greeley Stampede on July 2, 2022. Her 13.1-second time on the first round course was one of the fastest of the round and moved her ahead to the final round of the mixed men's and women's contest put on by the Colorado Regulators Association.
Wellington, Colo., pastor Rick Carlson hits the last balloon target during a quick first round performance in the mounted shooting contest and exhibition held during the American Bull Fighting competition at the 2022 Greeley Stampede. His fast time helped Carlson move ahead to the final round, where he placed second overall. Carlson performs mounted shooting at a high level and combines the opportunity of competing with his calling of being a pastor to also preach at the mounted shooting events.
First place winner De Chapman, left, with a final round time of 9.4-seconds and second place mounted shooter Rick Carlson, right, with a final round time of 9.6-seconds ride together to a spot in the arena where they can be introduced to the crowd and collect some hardware for their top finishes in the Mounted Shooting competition held at the 100th Greeley Stampede (July 2, 2022). Greeley Stampede officials believed adding the mounted shooting contest to run during breaks in the American Bull Fighting competition appeared to be a crowd-pleasing combination.
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