Aces High Series continues at Texas Longhorn

 As the second round of the Aces High Buckle Series at the Texas Longhorn got underway Friday, 10 bull-riders showed up ready to rope up and ride.

However, Shane Young’s bulls had other ideas.

The first nine riders went to the dirt. There is no other way to say it. They went down fast and hard. Dustin Grabb got hung up when he went off into the “well,” the inside of the spin, and spun so hard and fast he looked like a wing on the bull’s left side. For two spins he was nearly horizontal to the ground. It was a great display of the strength and speed of bull Y-33.

Wilbur Fleming is a new rider to the series. He looked good coming out of the chute and was able to hang on about four seconds before getting off-balance and losing rip. The bull gave him a shoulder flip off of the right side and Fleming landed hard on his neck and right shoulder. He was dazed and hurt. It was a bad landing with an awkward body position. It took the paramedic and two others to help him out of the arena. After a little rest, he appeared no worse for the wear.

Dawson McKee showed up wearing a helmet and face guard. He apparently learned his lesson in Round One when his head knocked up against the bull’s head, giving him a severe cut above the left eye.

McKee is a good rider and perhaps the weight of the helmet and the vision through the face guard caused him balance problems. McKee was off when he came out of the chute and the bull put him down early.

The only covered ride of the night was Justin Wilson who earned 80 points for his ride on “Big Baby.” Wilson earned $650 as his payoff.

The high bidder in the Calcutta for Wilson’s riding ability won $950.

The Calcutta is always a good way to win a little money if the rider you bid on wins.

July 4 will see one lucky winner getting a 2008 Ford Ranger truck from David Self Ford. The truck will be given away through the Lucky Longhorn Casino, next door to the Longhorn Club.

The Aces High Series runs through Aug. 29 on first and third Fridays. The action is always great and the atmosphere is friendly. The bulls are fed with the best feed available to keep them healthy and in the best shape. They are given health checks and when needed, the best medical treatment available. They are rested and rotated in the same manner as major league baseball pitchers.

Put the bull in the chute and the bull gets one thing on his mind, “get out and get the rider off my back.” Young’s bulls did just that Friday.