Wednesday, July 12, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
9
Sisters woman raising bucking bulls
By Kathryn Godsiff
Correspondent
On a recent hot July after-
noon, when most residents of
Sisters Country were thinking
about upcoming July 4th cel-
ebrations, 25-year-old Awbrey
Cyrus was hauling her small
string of bucking bulls to the
Sisters Rodeo grounds for a
day of training.
With help from an experi-
enced rough-stock contractor,
Andy Crozier of Aumsville,
Oregon, and her family, Cyrus
bucked out the bulls, assess-
ing their potential and getting
them accustomed to the life
they are bred to lead.
Bucking bulls undergo
training, enhancing their nat-
ural ability. Bloodlines and
temperament are important,
but they also need to be taught
to stand quietly in the chutes,
for their safety as well as
that of the cowboys who ride
them, and to not just buck but
to spin and do whatever else
necessary to get the cowboy
into the dirt.
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
Awbrey Cyrus’ two-year-old bull Royal Flush being bucked with a dummy
at Sisters Rodeo grounds.
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When the youngsters
(yearlings and 2-year-olds)
entered the chutes, they were
fitted with a “dummy,” a
15-pound weight strapped
onto the back where a cowboy
would sit. It is attached to the
flank strap, which lies loosely
around the animal just in
front of the hip bones. Cyrus
held a remote control device
that loosened the dummy
and flank strap when the
bull demonstrated a satisfac-
tory maneuver. Older bulls,
such as the four-year-old she
brought in, have a rider who
either gets bucked off or is
instructed to bail in less than
eight seconds if the bull per-
forms adequately.
“It’s all positive reinforce-
ment,” she said.
As soon as the weight
came off, the bull was gently
hazed out of the arena — also
part of the training. Good
bucking bulls are assertive
and a bit wild, and good pro-
ducers let them be that way.
The animals get to know their
handlers, and specific training
is necessary for everyone’s
safety.
This is all very well for the
bulls, but what about heifers?
Since half an animal’s ability
and temperament comes from
its mother, it’s important to
know if she has what it takes
to produce well-performing
offspring. Because only bulls
are allowed to
perform at sanc-
tioned rodeos,
there are buck-
ing futurity and
derby events
open to all
rough stock
from yearling
to 3 years old.
Breeders can
assess a heifer’s
talent at one of
these.
C y r u s
acknowledges
that she is in a
unique minority
as a young, sin- Awbrey Cyrus.
gle woman in
this field. Cyrus bonded with
one of her cow suppliers, an
older woman from Oklahoma
who, like Cyrus, has suffered
a brain injury. The woman
and her husband are gradu-
ally dispersing their herd, and
as Cyrus recovered from her
athletics-related concussion
injury, she gained valuable
insight and some really good
cows from her mentor.
“I know it will be difficult,
but I’m stubborn and I look
forward to it,” said Cyrus of
the journey ahead of her.
Her interest in the bucking
bull industry began when her
injury brought a temporary
halt to her schooling in mas-
sage therapy and agriculture
business management. She
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
suddenly had an excess of
time and started to learn about
pedigrees and producers, and
her passion for the industry
grew. Cyrus also raises sheep
and comes from a long line of
livestock producers, and the
support of her family (par-
ents Matt and Kelly Cyrus
and brothers William and
Alexander) is appreciated.
“They may not understand
why I’m (raising bulls) but
they’re supportive,” she said.
Next year she’ll be calving
10 cows, and she’s hoping the
Sisters Rodeo grounds will
see some up-and-coming stars
continuing their education on
how to navigate the chutes
and get rid of the dummies on
the next training day.