Thank you, Brian Foster: Bull riding will be included in my future

Palm Coast Observer
Sports

Let’s be honest. In the world of bull riding, fans want to see one of two things happen during the most entertaining eight seconds of sports, so I’ve been told: a rider conquer the bull, or the bull conquer the rider. This past weekend at the Brian Earl Foster Invitational, my first show of the like, I got to see both, and I’m hungry for more.

My friends in Bunnell, the Calugars, often entice me to ride their horses, to which I always remind them of Christopher Reeves’ accident. Yeah, I know that it’s a punkish copout, but it works for me. And, if I fear what might happen on a horse, I can only imagine sitting atop a 2,000-pound bull that is trying to do all in its power to get me off and remind me to use my brain in the future.

As I was passing the bulls in the bullpen, a lady walked up to one of them and patted him on the back. The bull kicked the bar with such force that I thought I went to the bathroom in my panta. After collecting myself, I enjoyed every bit of the show. I loved the opening prayer, the introductions, the rodeo clown’s comedy, along with the announcer’s wit, the eight-second wars and the intermission period, which allowed for hosts John and Danielle Copsy to honor our little local heroes who are battling cancer, with new cowboy hats and crowd ovations.

For the majority of my life, I considered everything I didn’t understand or wasn’t familiar with stupid. But in these last years, I’ve sought to engage in other cultures and partake in new adventures. I’m glad I did, and I have cowboy Brian Earl Foster to thank for leading me to bull riding.

Foster, a Bunnell native, died in a car crash in 1997, and the Copsys have hosted this event for the last seven years. According to his friends and those who knew him, Foster left an amazing legacy; he cared for others and loved rodeo. Because of that life, others have come together to honor him with this annual event, and I’ve become a fan of that which he loved.

Click here for the Brian Earl Foster Invitational photo gallery: http://www.palmcoastobserver.com/photo-gallery/photo-gallery-bunnell-hosts-annual-bull-riding-event-memory-hometown-hero