Rodeo Fever at Oakland Heights Farm

8.00: For novices to the professional bull riding rodeo circuit, the fluorescent red numbers illuminated upon a billboard across from the grandstands are a mystery. For veteran cowboys and girls, though, the clock represents the ultimate countdown in the rodeo world. Eight seconds is the qualification time for bull riders who are competing in the explosive world of rodeo; eight seconds separates the courageous from the conquerors.

As the sun fades beyond the lush foliage of the trees lining the hills of Virginia’s piedmont region, a refreshing, late summer breeze wends its way amongst the hundreds of spectators gathered at Oakland Heights Farm, a horseback riding ranch that is host to tonight's Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association (SEBRA) competition. The excitement of the fans seems to rise on the back of the refreshing evening breeze, and the happy chatter of several generations of spectators – from wizened farmers sporting soft leather cowboy hats to ecstatic toddlers donning fringed jodhpurs and fresh white boots – grows to a pleasant hum. Every second Saturday, from May through September, the rodeo comes to town and Oakland Heights Farm is transformed from a tranquil horseman’s retreat to a lively country western festival.

Before the main event even begins, the crowd is treated to a full-spectrum sensory delight. As spectators absorb the beauty of the Lamb family farm, perched atop a small mount overlooking the estate’s rolling hillsides and the horse trails that disappear into the forested ascent of the Blue Ridge lowlands, they can savor the smell of down-home country cooking, which mingles with the earthiness of the pine and oak trees that ring the oval rodeo pen. Tender, slow-cooked pork barbeque is available for purchase from the white tented food stands located at the entrance to the venue. The sweet and savory aroma of the simmering, Southern specialty turns heads in the grandstand and tempts the palate of young and old alike. Not to be outdone by the temptations of the concession stands, a country music band has taken to a small stage, set up across the ring from the spectators. Playful guitar twangs and the crooning drawl of the band’s lead singer reverberate through the early evening air, as the toe-tapping harmonies bring a smile to the faces of the audience members.

Despite the thrill of the pre-festivities, the audience eagerly comes to attention when the master of ceremonies takes to the mike to announce the start of the evening’s main event. Riding is the name of the game at Oakland Heights Farm and tonight’s roster will feature three types: horse, sheep, and bull. Six adolescent girls seated atop six large ponies enter the ring to commence the evening’s show. Both horse and rider are festooned with pink paraphernalia: pink ribbons are braided into the trotting horses’ manes and tails to match the pink polo shirts and pink, pigtail pompoms of the riders. As Beach Boys anthems play in the background, the horses parade around the ring in choreographed fashion to form pinwheels and intersecting circles at increasing speeds. The crowd-pleasing routine is followed by a “mutton-busting” event, in which children, wearing protective helmets, lie upon the backs of mid-size lambs, holding on gamely while the animals prance around the ring. It is a competition of endurance, and whoever holds on longest takes home the $25 cash prize for the night.

Finally, the seminal event of the evening is announced: the bull-riding rodeo. A dozen competitors take a shot at fame as, one-by-one, the bulls they are straddling are loosed into the ring. The men determinedly use their legs to grip the sides of the bare-backed beasts and they hold fast with a single hand to a rope that serves as a makeshift bridle. Most of the riders last just 3, 4, 5 seconds atop the bucking bulls, before being thrown to the ground and scurrying agilely to the side of the ring and the safety of a metal fence that can easily be scaled by cowboy limbs. A few competitors reach, even surpass, the pivotal eight second mark and are rewarded by cheers from the enraptured crowd and by inclusion amongst the finalists for the competition. The judges give numerical marks, based upon the temperament of the bull and the form of the rider, to all those who meet the qualifying time. At the end of the rounds, a declaration is made: a young man from Lexington, KY is awarded the grand prize of $1,500 for his mastery of a speckled white bull with a particularly antagonistic temperament. Though the event is over, adrenaline continues to course through the audience members as they file out of the arena, comparing notes on the 1,000 pound stars of the rodeo and their brave riders. Everyone’s a satisfied customer after another unforgettable evening of good old-fashioned rodeo in historic Orange, VA.