It was at this point in his life that Larry began to think about a large bull
riding only event for Gallup. As his personal bull riding career peaked, he found there is another term that bull riders use besides “waking up” and it is called “losing heart.” He explained that “losing heart” is the moment that a bull rider realizes that wanting to ride that bull more than anything else in life has faded. Larry said that he began to “lose heart” when, “a 2000 lb. bull named ‘Calgary Snow’ rolled on him and broke four ribs, four other bones, his nose, and tailbone. In 1993 Larry took the leap and started the first “Wild Thing.” He says it was a really tough first five years trying to stay financially viable and dealing with an event that was also at the mercy of the weather. But around year ten, he got a big boost. “At that time the Bull Riders TV Network began filming open bull riding events and showing us on television. We were often ranked between #1 and #3 in the country for open bull riding events. That really helped us,” Larry explained.
Now in year 26, Larry says with pride, “I’m very thankful for my family who helps me run the event every year, even though many of them now live in Texas, and I am also thankful for the great sponsors that are super faithful without them it doesn’t happen.” As part of giving back to the community, the “WildThing” allows the Manuelito Children’s Home to run the parking and concessions which provide the organization with its largest fund-raising event each year. It’s not a random connection as Larry’s dad helped found the children’s home, and Larry himself remembers as a kid spending time with other kids from the home in his early years. So he is proud to help and carries a place in his heart for the mission and love the home offers. This year’s WildThing Championship Bull Riding events take place July 12th and 13th. Tickets are $25 at the gate or you can pre-purchase discounted tickets at Castle Furniture, T&R, and Rico Auto Complex.
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to create a bull riding only event, that upped the ante in both bringing some of the nastiest bulls in the county to ride, while paying out over $28,000 to those brave enough to mount them? The answer is simple: Larry Peterson. Born and raised in Gallup, Larry attended Gallup High School and tried his hand at wrestling and baseball but neither sport seemed to offer the challenge and intensity his heart was seeking. At age 19 he found a more fitting endeavor when he became a sponsored motocross racer for Husqvarna motorcycles. Fittingly, he raced a 400cc 2-stroke bike in the open class where his light weight could halfwheelie the bike from the line through three gear shifts, often getting him the hole shot in the races he competed in throughout the southwest. While his motocross career was successful and satisfyingly intense, he soon found a new passion when a few of his friends invited him to try riding a bull at some small rodeos in the Gallup area. He soon gave up motocross and put his energies into figuring what it took to ride a bull. Larry describes the process of breaking into the realm of becoming a true bull rider as “Waking up.” He says, “After riding 70-80 bulls, there came a time when I was suddenly very present and aware of everything that was happening on those few seconds of a ride. There was no more fear or ‘what if’ thoughts, all that was turned off, and there was no dream or fog like on previous rides. I was totally awake.” Larry improved as a bull rider and entered more competitive events throughout the region. When asked what his best ride was, he is quick to say, “The best rides aren’t those at the biggest event or that make the most money, but it is really about that particular bull, that day, and that moment.” But with that said, Larry adds, “My best ride was at the White River Arizona Rodeo in 1988 when I drew an incredible bull and I rode him. That bull put me in surgery the next week, but I rode him and I won.” Larry then stood up and showed me the buckle from that event that he happened to be wearing.
