Jack Brentzel has suffered bruised legs, a broken wrist and has been thrown too many times to count.
But that hasn’t stopped the Greensburg Salem High School sophomore from pursuing his passion for competitive bull riding.
Brentzel, 16, has been at it for 10 years, perfecting his skill at hanging on to the backs of increasingly larger bucking bovines.
Earlier this month he finished first in his age class in bull riding at the Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Competing against about 30 other teens from around the country, Canada and Australia, Brentzel claimed a prize package including a trophy buckle, a beverage cooler, some riding gear and $5,900 in cash.
In November, he placed second against nine other nonprofessionals of all ages in the Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association national finals in Lexington, Va. He completed a series of competitions that netted him more than $2,000 in prize money.
“That was a little extra oomph before he went to Las Vegas,” his mother, Ashley, said of his resulting confidence level.
“It boosted it,” he agreed.
Brentzel became hooked on bull riding at a young age, when his family attended a rodeo near Acme.
“I grew up with horses,” he said. “I went to a rodeo and I saw (bull riding). It made me want to try it. I really liked it, and I just kept on doing it.”
Brentzel’s mother was mistaken in her initial belief that he would quickly turn his back on the bulls and confine himself to riding horses
“When he first started, I thought it was a phase — he’ll try it once or twice,” she said.
Now, she’s fully supportive of her son’s choice of the physically rough sport.
“He has continued to push himself harder every time he does it,” she said. “It’s part of who he is.”
As Brentzel grew older, he graduated from riding a calf to sitting astride a steer. At 14, he tightened his grip for the first time on a full-grown bull, at a youth rodeo.
“It was a lot different,” he said of the animal. “It was a lot more powerful, a lot bigger and a lot faster.”
Brentzel gets in some basic practice at his family’s Salem farm. He will sit atop either a stationary 50-gallon plastic barrel propped up on wooden legs or another “drop” barrel that his father, Zach, tips back and forth like a see-saw.
“It helps with my muscle memory and the moves I should make,” Brentzel said.
But he tries to ride as many real bulls as he can when striving to advance in competitive circles.
During summer months, he participates in events regularly, riding three or four bulls each weekend. Some competitions are in Pennsylvania; others are as far away as Kentucky or North Carolina.
“I try to ride as many bulls as possible, and I try to win as many things as I can,” he said.
At the national finals event in Las Vegas, a rider must stay on a bull for eight seconds to successfully complete each in a series of rounds. Cumulative points are awarded — for the difficulty the particular bull poses and for the rider’s ability to control it.
Riders are matched with bulls through the luck of the draw.
A broken wrist has been Brentzel’s worst injury so far — suffered in a fall from a bull as it left the holding chute.
“The bull came out and it kicked up, and I kind of got set to the side,” Brentzel said. “When I was falling off, I stuck my arm out to save myself.”
But his wrist didn’t withstand the impact.
“He had to go to the hospital for that one,” his mother said. “He wanted to ride while he was still in a cast.”
Before beginning a bull ride, Brentzel dons protective gear — including a hockey helmet and titanium mask, meant to reduce the risk of facial injuries or a concussion.
He also wears a padded leather vest and special spurs, lacking sharp points — to help his legs in gripping the bull, not for goading the animal.
One of his arms is fastened on a rope fitted around the bull while his free arm helps him keep his body aligned with the twisting, turning animal.
Brentzel clears his mind of any distractions to prepare for a competition.
“I just don’t think about anything,” he said.
Brentzel’s mother makes sure he attends bull riding clinics led by experienced professionals.
“I knew that injuries were part of it,” she said of the sport. “We know other people have been more severely injured.”
Still, she said, “Every single time he gets on a bull, I say a prayer.”
Brentzel said one of the things that keeps him coming back to test his mettle against yet another bull is the excitement and energy rush of the ride.
“It’s the adrenaline,” he said.
He’s also formed friendships with other bull riders from across the country.
“They all cheer each other on,” his mother said. “There’s a great amount of camaraderie.”
In school, Brentzel is enrolled in the welding program at Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center. Outside of the classroom, when he’s not holding on to the back of a bull, he might be found working on the farm, hunting or fishing.
When he turns 18, Brentzel hopes to make his mark in the adult bull riding division at the National Finals Rodeo.
His ultimate dream is to turn pro and compete in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
“I would consider myself a cowboy,” he said.