Bullheaded

Before the bull even left the box, you knew you had him, and he was one rank bull.”
    “How could you tell?”
    “I’ve watched your replays for years. You can always catch it in slow-mo. You get this cocky look on your face—”
    “Me? Cocky?” Cody put his hand on his chest in mock surprise.
    “And then if you fall you get all surprised.”
    “And then I land on my ass.” Cody sighed. “I was knocked on my ass a lot this summer when you weren’t around. The only good thing was no TV cameras, no interviews. Just exhibition rings of failure.”
    “Shake it off. That was then, this is now. Tomorrow you’ll do great.”
    “If I make it to the championship round, I’ll have first choice. I could pick a bull I know I could win on.” Cody took a deep breath. “Or I could pick Spinal Tap.”
    “You always got to pick the toughest bull?”
    “No one remembers 85-point rides. Maybe I’m crazy, but I want to ride Spinal Tap.”
    “Yeah, maybe you’re a little crazy, but you got a right to be nervous.” Johnny ran his hand over Cody’s arm.
    “There’s got to be a key to him. He’s never been ridden yet in over thirty-six outs.”
    “Well, you’re the guy to do it.”
    “Thanks, but the two times I tried, he sent me flying like a rag doll.”
    Cody looked so unsure that Johnny wanted to do something to help him believe in himself. “It’ll be different tomorrow. You know what it feels like to ride him and he knows he doesn’t scare you.”
    “Yeah, maybe he does a little, actually. The owner told me he always goes left out of the gate.”
    “And you never figured the stock contractor might be blowing smoke up your chaps?”
    “Yeah, why would he lie?” Both of them laughed. “So tell me, how do I ride him?”
    “Whatever you did the other two times, don’t do it again,” Johnny said.
    “That’s not real helpful.”
    “You’ll figure it out. Just stay on.”
    “You just sat here and gave me the technical 4-1-1 on Failure to Yield. What the fuck?”
    “Different bull, different trip. You can count on Failure to Yield to do what he does. He’s only got so many tricks. Spinal Tap is a whole different story. He’s always got it cranked up to eleven. I’d say he’s the best bull the NBR has ever seen.”
    “If I can stay on him, it’ll be the ride everyone will remember. Even if I don’t win.”
    “If you cover him, it’ll be an automatic 90-plus ride unless the bull’s having the worst day of his life.”
    “That bull doesn’t have bad days. What does he like to do?”
    “What doesn’t he do? He’s got more moves than any other bull I’ve ever seen, and he’s wicked smart. If one thing doesn’t work, he’ll try something else. He’ll go down as one of the greatest bulls ever.”
    “You’re just making me more nervous.”
    Taking in a deep breath, Johnny said, “I could tell you Spinal Tap jumps farther out of the gate than any other bull. I could say he’s almost vertical when he kicks, so straight up and down he almost hits a rider in the back with his rump. He twists, he belly rolls, he kicks harder as the ride goes on, and he never gives up. He figures out what you’re doing and goes the other way to get you off. You’ve been on him. Let your muscles replay the trip for you.”
    He watched as Cody straightened up, swaying slightly as his muscles twitched. “I always feel on edge on Spinal Tap, like I never could find the rhythm to the way that bull moved. If I go out there and take it to him—”
    “Someone I know said to stop planning ahead so much. Get out of your head and just react to what you feel under you. Ride what the bull gives you, not what you think he’s going to do.”
    “What smart aleck told you that?”
    “You did.” Johnny smirked, but then he got serious. “You got one foot in each camp. You think like a contractor, making lists of how each bull is gonna act. You know these bulls really well, but sometimes memorizing their trips gets in your way. A bull gets a rep for going left, so you’re all set for him to do that, and then you get caught flat-footed when he goes right. Happens most of the times you fall off.”
    “Damn. It’s a little late in the career to hear that,” Cody said. “I learned a lot this summer, but I guess there’s always time to learn more.”
    “You’re going to do great, Cody.” Johnny gave him a kiss. “It’ll be one of the greatest rides ever. The best rider ever on the best bull. You’re