My boys

If they could see him now!

Catfish was a hell of a bull in his day. He knew his job and he took it serious. But, he was never out for blood. He didn't want to hurt the rider, just wanted to win and buck him off, he was an athlete. And he never did stay in the arena to chase the bullfighters like some of his team mates would. He went out... did his job and left. But, he wasn't a softy either. Catfish wouldn't let you close to him, he was a bull...a bull didn't get scratched behind the ears..At least so he thought.

In his prime he bucked off some of the best bull riders. The ones that were lucky enough (or talented enough) to ride him, well, he took them to the pay window. When we were invited to bull ridings, we were told "Bring Catfish and those bulls." Everyone wanted to see Catfish.

I could talk about Catfish forever, the time he went to Tucson Arizona and Donny Gay was announcing. "They call him Catfish, and that bull BUCKS," Donny said. Or the time we took him to Jerry Nelson's PBR in Casper Wyoming and he through off his riders both nights. Or Bismark, ND where Cody Lambert marked him a 22. And the many times we'd take him to Greeley or Fort Collins for a Wild West Show and everyone knew Catfish and everyone wanted to draw Catfish...of course they had to make it to the short-go for a chance at him as more times or not that's where he'd be.

Don't get me started on all the times he'd jump fences. Once he jumped over Phil who was standing on top of the fence, I thought he'd killed him. Or the time he jumped out of his pen at the Greenriver rodeo and Phil thought I'd leave him if he didn't get Catfish back safely. And my favorite story, the time he jumped out of a pen of bulls going to the packer and jumped in with a pen of bulls that were trying their "hooves" out at rodeo.

But now, Catfish is retired. He's a daddy and a trainer (I like to think the younger bulls look up to him and learn from him). And he's not the hard-nose bull anymore...now he is a softy. He's learned that this girl and that guy that comes out twice a day and feeds him, the ones that are always talking to him, the ones that let him spend a few summer with his girlfriends, well they aren't that bad. Actually they are pretty fun. And well, being scratched is almost as fun as bucking.

And Phil...Well, a bull rider, even one who's retired, never lets an opportunity to get on a great bucking bull pass him by. Even one that is smart enough to know the best scratching happens from above. Oh my boys! I wouldn't trade them for the world.