Who’s the baddest bull at the Hanover Ag Fair?

Finessing the movements of a roughly 2,000-pound animal that’s twisting and lunging with the power to throw you off at any moment takes balance, physical strength — and some nerve.

Bull riders have to push thoughts of injury out of their minds, focusing instead on keeping a free hand up and staying in control in pursuit of the highest score they can get out of 100.

And this week, Manitobans have the chance to watch some of the very best, as top bull riders from across Canada are set to compete at Hanover Ag’s Bull Riders Canada Invitational from Aug. 14-15 at the Keystone Agri-Motive Livestock Arena in Grunthal — about 50 minutes south of Winnipeg.

The Hanover Ag Invitational, presented by Crossfire Bullriding, is a stop on Bull Riders Canada (BRC) Season XIII and is one of the largest events of the season prize money-wise, with the winning rider going home with $12,000.

The competition will feature 18 BRC athletes, including the No. 1-ranked Jeremy Maisonneuve and other high-ranked riders in Gilmar Santana and Hayden Mulvey. Five novice riders will also compete, using the event as part of their development.

Around 2,000 people from across Manitoba usually come out to Grunthal each night to watch, an environment that Brenda Levesque, Marketing Co-ordinator at Hanover Ag, says is electric.

“A great family atmosphere there,” said Levesque. “Of course, the guys are competitive and they want to win, but they all get along great. They all travel the road together. They have a great camaraderie between them. At the same time, in our audience, it’s just a very electric, exciting crowd.”

The Hanover Ag Invitational was voted Bull Riders Canada Event of the Year in 2019, 2021 and 2023 — a major milestone to achieve for a calendar that has had up to 60 events.

“We are lucky, we always have a great audience,” said Levesque. “We have a tried and true, loyal audience that always come out to ours, so we’ve always had a pretty good turnout. But I do agree that it has grown, and I think the demographic is changing, and it’s becoming more popular among younger adults.”

“It’s not if you’re going to get hurt, it’s just when and how bad, unfortunately.”–Ben Kinkead, founder of Crossfire Bullriding

Ben Kinkead, former pro bull rider and founder of Crossfire Bullriding, says bull riding has been steadily growing in Manitoba since the formation of BRC about 12 years ago.

“Crossfire Bullriding was formed with that as part of our mission to elevate the sport and to help it grow and to provide opportunity for our athletes and stock contractors to really, you know, be on a bigger stage,” said Kinkead. “The growth in the opportunity that exists now for those athletes and bulls and owners, it’s really second to none.”

The Hanover Ag Invitational, one of the original season stops, is now joined by nearly a dozen tour stops throughout Manitoba.

“It’s a dedicated group of people that have really worked hard and have a true desire to see the sport evolve and elevate in the province and central Canada,” said Kinkead on what makes the Hanover Ag Invitational stand out. “It’s just always been really well represented, and it seems to create an energy that the riders and the fans feed off of.”

Riders will compete in two rounds, each drawing a randomly selected bull. To earn a score, they must stay on for at least eight seconds. The winner is the rider with the highest combined score from both rounds, based on the performance of both the rider and the bull.

“We have five separate stock contracting firms that bring us our bulls to assemble the pan of 40 that we’ll need per night for each performance,” said Kinkead. “We work with them to select them and strategically place them due to their abilities and which part of the event they will compete in.”

The first round typically features bulls that are a bit more user-friendly, but in the second round, watch out for crowd favourites like Sock Monkey, How High, and Scootin’ to Hell — returning bulls that have given riders some trouble in the past.

“Contrary to what many think, it’s not based off of powering bulls,” said Kinkead. “It’s really about finesse and balance and trying to counteract their movements. But I think the mental aspect of putting to the side what could potentially happen to you is probably what separates the best from average. It’s not if you’re going to get hurt, it’s just when and how bad, unfortunately.”

“And that’s an old saying, but it does hold true. Learning how to look after yourself and take as many precautions you can to stay healthy and ready to ride is definitely a huge part.”

Along with the competitions, intermissions will feature “Mutton Busting,” where kids can participate by riding sheep. After the cowboys finish competing, live music will keep the energy going with the “Party in the Dirt” event.

Gates open at 6 p.m. and the shows start at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Tickets are $30.

zoe.pierce@freepress.mb.ca