How to Make a Rodeo Bull Dummy
If you're a novice bull rider and need a safe way to learn how to ride, consider training on a DIY bucking barrel. The best part of a bucking barrel is it doesn't have horns. Professional bull riders recommend this as a safe way to learn the basics of bull riding before you go pro. The bucking barrel can only get a rider so far; at some point a real bull has to come into the mix, but a bucking barrel is a good place to start.
Things You'll Need
- 55 gallon plastic barrel
- 4 wood posts, 4 by 4 by 10
- Post hole diggers
- 8 bags of 60 lb concrete mix
- 40 gallons of water
- 8 eye bolts, 1/2 inch by 6 inch
- 16 washers, 1/2 inch by 1 inch
- Drill
- Wrenches
- 1/2 inch drill bit
- 4 large springs
- 30 ft sisal rope, 5/8 inch diameter
- Razor knife
Instructions
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1
Drill 4 holes in the plastic barrel half way down from the top. Cut a hole in the middle of top and bottom of the barrel large enough to reach your arm in to get to the back of the eye bolts. Install the eye bolts in the holes in the barrel. Each eye bolt should have a washer on each side of the barrel. Tighten the nuts on the eye bolts with a wrench, holding a screwdriver in the eye of the bolt to prevent it from spinning.
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2
Dig 4 post holes about 4 feet deep and 18 inches in diameter, at the corners of a 6-foot square. Install the posts in the holes, bracing the posts to ensure they are plumb. Pour one bag of concrete in the hole around the post and add 5 gallons of water. Dump another bag of concrete in the hole and another 5 gallons of water. Allow the concrete to cure for 24 hours, then back fill the holes with dirt.
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3
Drill 1 hole, 1/2 inch through each post, 6 feet from the ground. Install the eye bolts the same way they were installed in the barrel, each eye bolt will have a washer on each side of the post. Tighten bolts with a wrench or socket and use a screw driver in the eye to make sure the eye bolts do not turn while tightening. Tighten the bolts until the washers have sunk into the post and become flush with the face of the wood.
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4
Cut 4 lengths of rope, 2 feet long. Tie one end of each piece to the eye bolts on the barrel and the other end of each to one end of the spring. Make sure all knots are double knots.
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5
Cut the remaining rope into 4 equal lengths. Tie one end of each length to the spring tied to the barrel. Insert the other end through the eye bolts on the posts. Pull all the ropes equally until the bottom side of the barrel is 2 feet off the ground. Tie a double knot in the rope on the opposite side of the eye bolt. Cut off the remaining rope, 1 foot beyond the knots.
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Tips & Warnings
Use springs from a spring rocking horse or porch swing; the larger the springs, the harder the barrel will buck.
The total rope needed is determined by the spacing of the posts.
Tie a bull rope around the barrel like a real bull for better practice.
Get four people to shake the ropes to add movement to the ride.
Make sure all knots are tight prior to riding the barrel.
Rope should be a minimum of 5/8 inch thick.
