Editing Bull riding (section)

==Equipment==

[[File:40th Annual Park Rapids PRCA, Park Rapids Minnesota rider thrown.jpg|thumb|A rider in full gear being thrown from his bull.]]
Bull riders use many pieces of equipment both functionally and to ensure maximum safety, both to themselves and to the animals 
involved. 

===Bull rope===
The primary piece of equipment used is the ''bull rope''. It is a braided rope made of  polypropylene, grass, or some combination. A handle is braided into the center of the rope and is usually stiffened with leather. One side of the rope is tied in an adjustable knot that can be changed for the size of bull. The other side of the rope (the tail) is a flat braid and is usually coated with [[rosin]] to keep it from sliding through the rider's hand. A metallic bell is strapped to the knot and hangs directly under the bull throughout the ride. In addition to the sound the bell produces, it also gives the rope some weight, allowing it to fall off the bull once a rider has dismounted.

===Chaps===
[[Chaps]] are probably the most noticeable piece of bull rider clothing, as their distinctive coloring and patterns add flair to the sport. Usually made of leather, chaps also provide protection for the rider's legs and thighs.

===Vest===
Bull riders wear a protective vest which is made of high density foam that allows the shock to disperse over a wide area, thereby reducing pain and injury. The vest's foam is covered with a ballistic material called [[Spectra Shield|Spectra]], similar to [[Kevlar]]. It is then covered up with leather, giving it a western look. 

Bull rider [[Cody Lambert]] was inspired to create a protective vest for fellow riders after witnessing the fatal injury of his friend and 1987 PRCA world champion bull rider, [[Lane Frost]] who died at the 1989 [[Cheyenne Frontier Days]] rodeo. After successfully riding his bull during the championship round, Frost dismounted and landed in the muddy arena floor. The bull then turned and pressed a horn against Frost's back and pushed him against the mud. Frost got up and took a few steps towards the bucking chutes and signaled for help. He then collapsed. He died on the arena floor before he could be transported to the hospital. No autopsy was performed, and it was assumed that when the bull pushed Frost against the ground, its entire body weight was on the end of its horn, breaking some of Frost's ribs and severing a main artery. 

Lambert based the bull riding protective vest on the one worn by his brother who was a [[Jockey|horse jockey]]. He debuted the vest at the [[California Rodeo Salinas]] in the summer of 1993, and for several months, he was the only bull rider using one. It was not until the spring of 1994 when other contestants began riding with vests. The number of bull riders with vests grew over the months, and by the autumn of that year, the vast majority of riders were using them. They were officially made mandatory for all contestants by 1996. Some bull riding vests also include a neck roll for protection to the neck, although very few riders use a vest with this modification.

===Glove===
To prevent a [[rope burn]], riders must wear a protective [[glove]], usually made of [[leather]]. It must be fastened to the rider's hand since the force the animal is able to exert could easily tear it away. The rider often applies [[rosin]] to the glove, which allows for additional grip.

===Boots===
[[Cowboy boot]]s are worn with blunted and loosely locked [[spur]]s help keep the rider balanced and is crucial piece of equipment to the sport as a whole. The bulls are unharmed by the [[Spur#Design|rowel]]s, as their hide is roughly seven times thicker than a human being's skin. Truly skilled riders will often ''spur'' the bull in the hope of achieving extra style points from the judges. 

===Mouthguard===
Many riders wear [[mouthguard]]s, which are optional at the professional level.

===Headgear===
For most of bull riding's history, the primary headgear worn by contestants was [[cowboy hat]]s. However, things started to slowly change during the latter years of the 20th century. Among the earliest bull riders to use protective headgear was 1982 PRCA world champion, [[Charlie Sampson|Charlie Sampson]]. At an exhibition rodeo in [[Landover, Maryland]], during the latter part of the 1983 PRCA regular season, Sampson suffered some major injuries after he was jerked down and his face collided with the bull's head during the ride, knocking him unconscious. The wreck cracked his skull and fractured nearly every bone in his face. As a result, he had reconstructive surgery. When the regular season ended, he had won enough money to qualify for the [[National Finals Rodeo]] in [[Oklahoma City]] in December. Against doctors' recommendations, he decided to compete at the event. However, his face was still recovering, so he rode at the event with a [[lacrosse helmet]] and a neck roll. When his face was healed up, Sampson went back to riding in a cowboy hat. However, he would suffer additional facial injuries throughout the rest of his career and rode with a helmet if his injuries were severe enough to warrant it. He would always go back to riding in a hat when healed up and never made a helmet a permanent part of his gear. 

Into the 1990s, a small number of other professional bull riders began using protective headgear such as leather face masks with metal bars that they wore under their hats while riding or modified [[Hockey helmet|ice hockey helmets]]. Like Charlie Sampson, most of these riders only wore headgear while recovering from serious facial or head injuries, only to ditch it when healed up. Very few bull riders made protective headwear a permanent part of their gear. However, by 2003, though still a minority, helmeted bull riders were more common than ever. Many were now riders that did not necessarily suffer serious injuries, but who grew up riding with them for the sake of extra safety. The number of contestants who rode with helmets grew throughout the rest of the 2000s, especially during the latter years of the decade. 

By the early 2010s, manufacturers were building helmets made specifically for bull riding. During the same time period, most up-and-comers were already riding with helmets. In 2013, the PBR made it mandatory that all contestants at their events who were born on or after October 15, 1994 ride with a full bull riding helmet. Those born before that date were [[Grandfather clause|grandfathered in]] and permitted to ride with a protective face mask underneath their hat or simply with their hat if so desired.

Public health researchers found evidence suggesting that bull riding helmets are protective, when riders wearing one particular type of helmet suffered approximately 50% fewer head and facial injuries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Survey Analysis to Assess the Effectiveness of the Bull Tough Helmet in Preventing Head Injuries in Bull Riders: A Pilot Study |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11004188 |website=Research Gate |access-date=June 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Brandenburg |first1=Mark A. |title=Mechanisms of head injury in bull riders with and without the Bull Tough helmet--a case series |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7346449 |website=ResearchGate |access-date=June 20, 2019}}</ref>

In 2004, at the 1st International Rodeo Research and Clinical Care Conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the licensed rodeo and bull riding medical personnel and clinicians recommended to the rodeo and bull riding associations mentioned in the agreement the mandatory use of helmets to all youth bull riders and the recommendation of helmets to all adult bull riders.<ref>Butterwick2005/{{cite journal |author=Butterwick DJ, Brandenburg MA |title=Agreement Statement from the 1st International Rodeo Research and Clinical Care Conference Calgary, Alberta, Canada July 7-9, 2004 |journal=Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine |volume=15 |issue=12 |pages=192–195|date=April 2005 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7869942 |doi=10.1097/01.jsm.0000160553.87755.2a|pmid=15867568 }}</ref>

For competitors under the age of 18, mandatory protective headgear incorporating an ice hockey-style [[helmet]] is worn. Riders who use helmets as youths tend to continue wearing them as they reach adulthood and turn professional.<ref>[http://law.justia.com/texas/codes/2009/health-and-safety-code/title-9-safety/chapter-768-children-participating-in-rodeos/ Texas law mandates competitors under 18 in rodeos, including bull riding, must wear a helmet.]</ref>

===Bull equipment===
[[Image:California rodeo Salinas lasso bull p1050544.jpg|thumb|This bull is wearing a flank strap.]]
====Flank strap====
The ''flank strap'' is a soft cotton rope at least 5/8" in diameter and is used without extra padding like sheepskin or neoprene.  It is tied around the bull's flank.<ref>{{cite web|title=Livestock Welfare Rules|url=http://www.prorodeo.com/prorodeo/livestock/livestock-welfare-rules|website=www.prorodeo.com|publisher=Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association|access-date=October 2, 2017}}</ref> Contrary to popular belief, the flank strap is not tied around the bull's testicles. This rope is to encourage the bull to use his hind legs more in a bucking motion, as this is a true test of a rider's skill in maintaining the ride. The flank strap causes the bull to buck in motions such as bucking side to side, jumping up and down, or kicking its legs in the air in a circular motion. If it is applied improperly a rider may request to ride again, as the bull will not buck well if the flank strap is too tight.  The flank strap is applied by the [[stock contractor]] or his designate.