Back on top, Sparks ready to defend title

Thursday, Dec. 5, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Every time a bullfighter steps into an arena, he takes risks. Big risks.

Climbing into an arena with an angry bull for the sole purpose of taunting him for 40 to 70 seconds, just to earn a few bucks is, by just about anyone's standards, plain crazy.

But for Texarkana, Texas, native Ronny Sparks, darting within inches of a bull's horns, dodging its thrusts and avoiding the bull's charges are all in a day's work. And in 1995 nobody did it better than Sparks, who captured his third Wrangler World Bullfight title in four years, during four days of championship competition in December at the '95 National Finals Rodeo.

In '94, Sparks finished second to veteran bullfighter Rob Smets, who recovered from a broken neck in 1992 to win his fifth bullfighting championship. Smets is the only bullfighter with a bigger collection of bullfighting titles than Sparks.

To ensure 1995 wouldn't be a replay of '94, Sparks entered the Wrangler Bullfight Finals in first place. In 28 rounds of regular-season competition, Sparks had earned $22,200 -- just $1,267 more than his closest competitor, Mike Matt of Cut Bank, Mont.

"The only thing I know is I didn't want this one to slip away like that one did last year," Sparks said. "You know you go in there every night trying to win the round, but really the philosophy I was looking for was to be consistent -- come out here and place in every round and place high enough, so if you have to take charge and do something, you can. You're not too far out of range."

He did just that. He placed in every round, pocketing $25,697 at the Finals, boosting his season earnings to $47,897.

Sparks' most dynamic performance took place in the third round.

"That was the key fight to put me in position to sure enough win it again," said Sparks, whose twin brother, Donny, finished third in the world standings.

In the third round, Ronny Sparks tied for first with Greg Rumohr, the 1990 Wrangler World Champion Bullfighter from Cleburne, Texas. Sparks racked up 85 points against Frank Borba's fighting bull Rookie, who was named fighting bull of the year in 1993 and '94.

"I knew when I drew him that he was a good enough bull for me to win a round on, much less the world," Sparks said. Rumohr and Sparks tied again the fourth round, but Sparks' lead was big enough for him to win the world title.