Spotting

[rodeogal10077]

Alright, so I'm just curious. The wreck with Chris Shivers last weekend made me wonder about riders spotting eachother while in the chutes.
I notice that sometimes the spotter is really careful with holding onto the rider in the chute in case something happens, but sometimes it seems pretty casual with the spotter not even ready to hold the rider in case of a problem.
I've wondered what's normally supposed to be done while the rider is preparing in the chutes?

[rossco4worldchamp]

I'm glad you asked, because I've wondered the same thing. Like when Ross Coleman got his face broken by the chute when a bull bucked and smashed it. Some spotters are reat and you can tell have a solid grip on the rider, some hover their hands over them and then some riders don't seem to have any one person looking out for them.

Good question!

[WI8SecFan]

First let me start out by saying that in Chris's wreck the spotter did nothing wrong and there is nothing that any other spotter would have done that would have caused a different outcome. In Chris's wreck he had nodded his head and the gate was being cracked.

Spotting a rider really depends on the rider and the bull. Usually there is always someone standing on the backside of the chute that is serving as a spotter. In an ideal situation the spotter would keep a firm hand on the rider to keep him from being thrown forward or slipping under the bull if the bull makes a sudden move in the chute. If the bull is a known problem in the chute you almost always see this occur. However, there are several things that can impact this. First if the rope is being pulled on the back side of the chute it maybe a little harder for the spotter to stay in position (between the rope being pulled and the flank man there is only so much space). Also remember that during this time the rider is getting his rope set and moving up on the rope so he has to have some flexibility of movement. Many guys prefer not to have anything that might keep them from moving or being able to nod the second they are ready in the chutes.

The bottom line is the chutes are small and tight. Put a 1500 animal in it and try to crawl on his back, if the bull decides to buck the force is hard to stop no matter what. Spotters have done a great job (Ednei ride is a perfect example) and prevented many incidents, however they can not prevent everything and can not be blamed when accidents do happen.

Hopefully that helps answer your question a little bit. Others may have some additional insight.

[sistersue]

I've also noticed that some riders (like Mike Lee) get all perturbed when a spotter is hanging on to their vest. I've seen Mike Lee push the spotter's hand away. But after what happened with Ross, I would think that would have been a wake up call for everyone.