Unride-a-bull

Victoria Sun

Thursday, Oct. 25, 2001 | 11:26 a.m.

Freddy Cordell talks about Jack Daniel's Happy Hour as if he were a proud father talking about his son.

"This bull was 2 years old when I took him to Salinas, Calif., to the rodeo and I saw right there what we had," Cordell, the owner of Jack Daniel's Happy Hour, said. "That was a two-day trip, a long haul for a 2-year-old bull.

"He handled it."

And he has handled every bull rider since.

Forty-five of the top professional bull riders will be competing at the $1.75 million Professional Bull Riders Bud Light Cup World Championships starting tonight at 6:30 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Riders including Bud Light Cup Points standings leader and money leader Adriano Moraes, seven-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Champion All-Around Cowboy Ty Murray and Justin McBride, who is third in Bud Light Cup Point Standings, which determines the Bud Light Cup World Champion.

But even with the top riders in town, Jack Daniel's Happy Hour will be a main attraction.

The bull is 19-0 in Bud Light Cup competitions.

Adam Carillo will be the first bull rider to test him on Friday night.

J.W. Hart came the closest to riding him, lasting 7.2 seconds before being tossed. Riders must stay on the bull for eight seconds to record a score.

"He's just a good bucker," Cordell said. "A good, honest bucker.

"He don't have no bad trips or nothing. Cowboys like to go on him. One of them thinks they're going to ride him one of these days."

Cordell laughed at his last sentence, then thought about the possibility.

"There's not a bull that can't be rode," he said. "One time or another they're going to get rode. I don't know when his time is coming."

1997 PBR Bud Light Cup World Champion Michael Gaffney had his shot in his hometown of Albuquerque, N.M., in March.

"He left the chute really good, did his typical turn to the right and kind of had me behind," Gaffney said. "I was somewhat clinching because it was a short go-round and trying a little too hard maybe instead of relaxing.

"I maybe overdid it and ended up away from my hand and behind the action. He bucked me off maybe six seconds into the ride and it cost me winning the bull ride."

While Gaffney's place in the event was secure, rookie Cory Rasch barely made it.

Rasch, of Clarksville, Tenn., shattered his elbow in Phoenix back in March. He was out four months and after he came back, he separated his shoulder three events before coming here, forcing him to wait and see if he would qualify.

With $25,556.64, he ranks 45th on the money list, making him the final qualifier.

"Everything worked out," Rasch said, smiling. "I was lucky."