Injuries can't keep bull rider down

BY PAT BUTLER - PBUTLER@VICAD.COM
March 08, 2009 - From the moment he rode his first steer at the age of 6, Victoria's Brian Herman knew what he wanted to do with his life.
But even he couldn't have guessed that it would last this long.
At 38, Herman is the grand old man of the Professional Bull Riders circuit. He has had more than $800,000 in winnings since the PBR kicked off in 1993 and as soon as he's back on his feet again, the soft-spoken bull rider plans to chase that ellusive championship for as long as he can hold on.
"I'll be competing again in six weeks," Herman said this week from his Victoria home after having surgery to repair a broken leg, his most recent injury. "It's not soon enough, but it's going to have to work."
Getting back up is something Herman has likely done more times than any other rider in the history of the PBR, which consists of the world's top 45 bull riders.
Typically, a professional bull rider's career ends in his 20s, which is of little surprise in a sport where men are required to hold on to a 1,500-pound bucking bull for eight seconds to even have a chance of scoring.
Herman said his devotion to training, athletic ability and good genes have all contributed to his survival in a sport that takes a toll on even the luckiest of riders.
"I'm feeling good," Herman said just days before a bull would stomp on his leg and give him a toss after an 88-point ride at the Glendale Invitational. "I've had injuries in the past, but everything is holding up."
The PBR was formed in 1993 by 15 bull riders who broke away from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
Herman was among the first to be eligible to compete in the PBR when he was 25 years old, an age when most pro bull riders are ready to hang it up.
The fact that he is still competing amazes longtime friend Joaquin Garza, who was 27 when he retired from bull riding.
"It's a testament to his stamina, no doubt," said Garza, who broke two femurs when he was bull riding. "His continued desire to ride the bull is amazing to me."
Herman has paid a price for his longevity.
Three vertabrate in his neck are fused. He has a metal plate in his face after an eye socket and nose were broken. An elbow is permanently out of alignment after being dislocated. A knee has been reconstructed.
It's a list of injuries that Herman mostly shrugs off as part of the job. His wife, Monica, has a different perspective even though she accepts the dangers of her husband's job.
"When he broke his neck, that was the scariest. There's also been those times when he had a concussion, and he has been knocked silly," said Monica, who prefers to watch Brian on tape rather than on live television.
Herman broke his left fibula on Feb. 22 at the Glendale (Ariz.) Invitational. He had just dismounted the bull cleanly after scoring 88 points, a high score in the PBR.
Then the bull made one more move, giving Herman a kick and a toss.
"When you land in front of a bull, he's going to go after you," said Herman, who had pins put in his leg earlier this week. "He wasn't serious. He was just trying to throw me a bit."
Herman played football, baseball and other sports when he was growing up in Victoria. But due to his size - he's 5-foot-5 and around 150 pounds - and love of the sport, the man known as "Pee Wee" set his sights on a career as a professional bull rider.
Herman, who has finished as high as 10th in the PBR's season standings, is confident that he will be back in the saddle again to pursue his final frontier.
"The PBR is getting more mainstream every year," he said. "I want to be part of it, and I still want to win a world championship."

I am not very familiar with the sport of bull riding so I thought this would be an interesting story to write about. After reading this article about Victoria’s Herman I was very inspired by his dedication to the sport of bull riding. The fact that Herman rode his first bull at the age of six and is still riding today at the age of 38 amazes me. Bull riding is a very dangerous sport that takes such a toll on the body that most people stop when they are in their 20’s due to all the injuries these riders sustain. I have the upmost respect for Herman due to the fact that he has had so many serious injuries and he still is riding bulls at his age. I would have called it quits after a broken neck but it did not faze Herman, he just let his body recover and got right back into it. In most of the popular sports like basketball, football and baseball if an athlete sustained injuries like Herman has had there careers would be done; his just shows Herman’s love for the sport.