Bullheaded

the TV reporter Rex and Sam were waiting for him; Rex with microphone and cameraman, Sam with a gold buckle and huge check with a dazzling number of zeroes.
    As Cody climbed up, a thousand flashes went off, and the ring announcer was trying to be heard over the mayhem. “Cody Grainger has done it! Spinal Tap has been conquered! That ride was as good as Spinal Tap ever is! This bull was throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Cody and Cody handled it easily.
    “That was a ride to make history! Cody Grainger set the bar high with a score of 96.5, the highest score the NBR has ever seen! It will be a long time until we see a score like that again. He is also the first back-to-back NBR World Champion. Cody doesn’t just want to win. He wants everyone to know he’s the best, including the bull! In the short space of ten weeks, Cody Grainger has gone from heartbreaking to heart-stopping! He absolutely dominates this sport! Cody Grainger has just slayed the dragon! Let’s hear what he has to say about his historic win! Take it away, Rex.”
    Rex managed to get the mic in front of Cody. “You have conquered the titan of the NBR, Cody. This is the first time Spinal Tap has ever been taken to the whistle. How did you do it?”
    Cody took a moment before he answered. “To be honest, I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, my friends, and my fans. They always believed in me and told me to do my best, even when my best landed me on my butt in the dirt.”
    “What a humble answer from one of the best riders in the history of the NBR. What kind of steel backbone does it take to make you persevere and hang on for a high score on a rank bull like that?”
    “What was the score? I couldn’t hear it over this noise.” Cody squinted, trying to see the monitors between smoke, confetti, and columns of flame.
    “You made a score of 96.5, a career high for you and a score any rider would kill for,” Rex said, smiling. “How does that feel?”
    Cody wanted to say something to everyone about how much he owed to Johnny and Dub, standing by him as they had. He looked at the joy on his parents’ faces, remembering how they always supported him. Sam was grinning at him with pride. He wasn’t sure what he was saying as he spoke, but he meant every word. “I have so many people to thank, but most of all I want to thank my family and friends. I couldn’t have made it without them. I want to thank the great sponsors of the NBR who make this competition possible, the stock contractors, and all the wonderful fans who come out at every stop to watch us ride in this great country of ours. I hope you all had a great time tonight, because I know I did!”
    To the response of delighted shouts, whistles, and applause, Sam handed him the giant outsized check and buckle as they posed for the cameras. “Thanks for the plug for the stock contractors, son,” Sam murmured with a chuckle. “You’re learning.”
    Rex continued on. “Although Cody Grainger is the NBR World Champion this year, as often happens in this wild sport, he’s not the winner of this event. He went five for six in the finals, whereas four other men rode six for six. If Cody hadn’t had that buckoff in round one, he might be taking home two checks tonight, but his good friend, Dub Whittaker, surpassed him in event points. Dub, get out here and get your check. Here’s Dub Whittaker, your event winner for tonight!”
    Dub ran out to the cage, both arms raised in victory to more excited applause.
    Wishing it could have been Johnny, Cody bent to pull Dub up onto the shark cage. “Get your ass up here, Miss Runner-Up,” he teased.
    “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride,” Dub said in a mocking tone, and then dropped his voice to whisper close to Cody’s ear. “Isn’t that a little gay?”
    “Totally gay.” Cody grinned at him. “Next year it’ll be you up here as World Champion,” he promised.
    “We have a check here in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars,” Rex said, “made out to the event winner, Dub Whittaker. Dub, you’ve been on the circuit for seven years. How’s it feel to come so close to beating your good friend Cody and then watch it all slip away?”
    Dub grabbed the mic and pulled Rex’s hand closer. “Slip away? Did you see my ride? This is one excellent final for me. And I won the whole dang event!”
    Rex wrestled for the mic and got it back. “Cody, how does it feel to have your good friend Dub nipping at