Bull riding is about balance, mental toughness
Staff writer
About a year ago, Cassy Legg of Marion went to a rodeo with a friend and decided to try bull riding.
Her first attempt fell well short of the 8-second requirement to get a score, as she started falling off as soon as the chute open, Legg said Friday. But right from the beginning, she knew bull riding was the sport for her.
“I haven’t stopped since then,” she said.
She has constantly strived to get better, competing and practicing whenever possible. Legg estimated she has ridden about 100 bulls since that first rodeo.
She said there is a misconception that bull riding takes a lot of strength. Core strength is important, she said, but balance and mental toughness are equally as important.
“Yes, it’s a man’s sport, but it’s really something anybody can do,” Legg said.
Bull riders who reach the 8-second mark receive a score between 0 and 100. There are usually two judges, and each judge gives a score between 0 and 25 for both the rider and the bull. The rider’s score is based on grace and control, and the bull’s score is based on bucking and kicking.
“Nowadays they’re being promoted as animal athletes,” Legg said of the bulls.
Legg has yet to score in competition, but she has repeatedly stayed on for 6 or 7 seconds.
“I keep getting frustrated,” she said. “I keep getting close.”
She is looking forward to the day that she hears the buzzer indicating she completed a ride.
“I’ll probably find a place to gracefully land, for once on my feet, throw my hat, and I’ll probably have a big smile on my face,” Legg said.
Legg was a late-arrival to bull riding. Many of her competitors started as children in the sport of mutton busting — sheep riding — before advancing to steer riding and finally bull riding.
Bull riding is one of the most dangerous sports, and Legg has taken her lumps along the way. She was stepped on once, leaving her with a bruised kidney. She also got her hand caught on the rope once, which led to one of her legs hitting the fence hard, causing a muscular contusion that has repeatedly bruised.
Legg is a member of Ride Rank for a Cure, an organization that raises awareness of cancer and money for research through rodeos. “Rank” is a rodeo term meaning toughness, Legg said. She joined the group after meeting Austin Reddick, a bull rider from North Carolina who has leukemia. The organization has an Internet site, www.riderankforacure.com.
Recently, Legg hasn’t been able to practice or compete as much as she would like, because she is preparing for her wedding. She is engaged to Isaiah Sattler of Oakley, and their wedding is scheduled for July 30.
Legg is also studying biology at Wichita State University in preparation for medical school. She recognizes the contrast between her sport and studies. She said she sees bull riding as a way to get out and have fun when she isn’t studying.
“I’ve always been somebody who likes mental competition,” she said.
Legg is a 2008 Marion High School graduate. Laura Legg of Marion is her mother.