Adventures From the Bull Pen

With summer in full swing you might be thinking the title of this post means I have taken on the job of a relief pitcher for the major leagues. While I did play a full summer of tee-ball when I was six, the bullpen I am referring to happens to be a cattle yard.

We recently went north to pick up a bull that our renter had purchased and wound up on a runaway thrill ride. After showing up at the farm, we were escorted into a lot containing what the herdsman said was four bulls. Devin had already purchased one of them and we were looking for another to replace our old bull.

When the bulls were shooed out of the barn they were a little feisty. One of them slipped on the concrete coming out, and then they went and settled into the south corner. I was standing on the opposite side of the lot against one of the built in hay feeds in the old barn. When the guys tried to sort the bulls so we could look them over, the one that slipped on the concrete bolted. He headed for the other southern most corner and not seeing the exit he was looking for, headed straight for me.

I decided after the fact that he must not like girls because he passed by several large male specimens in favor of little old me. I flattened myself against the wooden slatted feeder as images of hoof prints danced in my head. Scott told me later that you could not have gotten a hand between the bull’s side and my ribs. Thank God, he went on by me on his race to the back of the barn. After letting out a shriek, I hoped inside the massive feeder with only seconds to spare as he hit the back wall of the barn, spun around, and tried at me again. Not seeing me, he turned on the boys and the chase was on. Eventually they were able to lock him in a pen away from everyone else and Scott suggested that it was time for me to leave the lot. I told him I would like very much to do that, but I was shaking so hard I do not know if I could have climbed over the fence. After a few minutes, my heart finally stopped racing and I was able to make my exit.

Growing up on cattle farm my entire life, I have been in some sticky situations before, but this is one of the scariest I can remember. Thankfully, Devin decided that he did not want to purchase that particular bull for his cows and they allowed him to trade for another, which is great because I am certain if they had brought him to the farm they may have lost their free hired hand, me!