We Bought a Bull

Hello! It has been awhile since I have tickled the keys of a keyboard. I have been busy with my new handful job, I mean full-time job of staying home with our son. Owen is the sweetest thing that I have ever laid my eyes on, but he is also ornery as all get out. I will write all about Owen and motherhood another time, but today’s post focuses on an exciting purchase David and I made.

Here is some background: four years ago I attended the Bull Riders of America Finals in Ottumwa, Iowa. As fate would have it, my friend Sally and I went to the same restaurant as the bull riders after the event. We were able to meet some of the riders and they offered to give us a backstage look at the following night’s event.

As I was getting a tour of the bucking chutes that following evening, there was a guy petting the bulls. I figured this fellow was a ranch hand of sorts, he introduced himself as Jimmy Twedt and answered countless questions I had about the bulls. Later that evening, when the event began, they announced one of the top riders—Jimmy Twedt. This was what made me know that Jimmy was a great guy, here he was—one of the best at his sport—but he was so humble that I had no idea he even rode bulls when I met him. Jimmy and I have remained in contact ever since. 

Fast forward four years to this spring. Jimmy asked me when I was due, I told him March 13. He told me that he had a heifer that should be calving around that time, as well. He asked if the calf and my baby were born around the same time and were the same gender, if it would be alright if he named the calf after the baby. I, of course, loved that idea.

On March 10, I received a text from Jimmy letting me know that his heifer had just given birth to a bull calf. I replied, “Well hopefully I’ll be calving soon, too!” less than 24 hours later, I had a “bull calf” of my own. I sent Jimmy a message telling him that I had a boy and named him Owen, which means “Young Warrior.” Jimmy, in turn, named his bull 801 Young Warrior.

Now, Jimmy retired from bull riding a few years ago but he hasn’t left the business completely behind. He has begun to raise and buck bulls. There are bull bucking competitions where bulls have a dummy fastened to them (instead of a human) and they are “bucked” like you would see at a bull riding contest. The bulls are then scored by judges and the winners are awarded cash and other prizes.

I was telling David about this and he suggested that we partner with Jimmy in that venture. Now, David and I love expanding our horizons so we asked Jimmy what he would think about us joining the JT Buckers family in some capacity. Thankfully, Jimmy enjoys sharing his hobbies and knowledge with us city slickers, so he invited us to watch him buck bulls in the practice arena.

David, Owen and I drove to Leon, Iowa to watch the bucking take place and immediately fell in love with that side of the sport. We took Jimmy and his dad out to dinner that evening and spoke about bulls. Jimmy let us know that Young Warrior is developing quite well. He comes from fine genetics and seems to be just as ornery as our Young Warrior (which is really stinkin ornery)! We asked Jimmy if we could purchase Young Warrior and he kindly agreed to let us purchase a half-stake (not steak!) in him.

David and I decided that not only would this be an investment and fun new venture, but it would also be David’s special gift to Owen. When Young Warrior sells (after hopefully winning PBR Bull of the Year—because hey, I dream big!) we will place the proceeds in Owen’s college fund. And I mean, it is pretty cool to have your dad buy you a bull!

A week after we bought our half-interest in 801 Young Warrior, I was reading nursery rhymes to Owen and stumbled across this one—I guess we aren’t too crazy for thinking a bull is an appropriate gift for a baby after all!