Bucking good time
Cowboys star Kyle Feldt and prominent Townsville businessman Mitch James are high-profile bucking bull owners. They share why they are looking forward to seeing their bulls take part in the PBR Monster Energy Tour Grand Finals in Townsville on November 25
He’smade plenty of game-winning moves on the football field, now North Queensland Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt hopes to see similar success at the PBR Monster Energy Tour Grand Finals.
Feldt is the part owner of Feldt Jacket, a bucking bull from the MJ Bucking Bulls team owned by Townsville local and CEO of Paradise Outdoor Advertising, Mitch James. Feldt Jacket will cap off a stellar first year on tour with his Grand Finals debut at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre on November 25 and 26.
“It started out with us having dinner and a few drinks one night when Mitch started telling me about starting up MJ Bucking Bulls,” Feldt explains.
“Then he asked me if I’d like to have a share in a bull.
“So, of course I said, ‘oh yeah’ as you do when you get a little bit loose.
“Eight weeks later, he calls me to tell me he has a bull calf from Little Yellow Jacket and all I had to do was come up with a name.”
Little Yellow Jacket was an American bucking bull and three-time PBR World Champion Bull, winning the title for three consecutive years from 2002 to 2004.
“We had to try and keep the ‘Jacket’ part in there and we came up with Feldt Jacket, which is kind of corny but it works and he’s turned out to be quite a good bull!”
For James, Feldt Jacket joins a consistently strong team of bulls that has been building over the year at MJ Bucking Bulls.
“The Keliher and MJ partnership have 12 solid performing bulls in their pen and have been crowned Bull of the Event a few times this year with Mystery, Ambush, Ranga and Feldt Jacket,” he says.
“Seven of our high performers, including Feldt Jacket, will be making their way to the PBR Grand Finals.”
While the stable of bucking bulls continues to perform well on the dirt, outside of the arena James’ other venture Beast Mode Bucking Sales, an online platform for breeders to buy and sell premium bucking genetics, has generated over $100,000 worth of sales since its inception.
“I’m really keen to see the sport grow and the platform was built to allow the industry to have a professional real time website to sell their genetics to the market,” James says.
“Breeding wise, MJ Bucking Bulls has continued to deliver some of the best genetics in the world right here in Australia. Anyone, like myself, passionate about the sport can get involved with the best of the best bloodlines.
“We’ve partnered with both Australia’s and America’s top breeders which allows us to get access to the hottest, latest genetics. Over the past four years, we’ve selected the cream of the crop which has given us some amazing depth.”
While high-profile bucking bull ownership might be a new concept in Australia, where celebrities and businesses often are stakeholders in racing horses, James says it’s commonplace in the States.
“A lot of high-profile people are partners in bulls, such as UFC boss Dana White, comedian Larry the Cable Guy, Judge Judy and NFL hero Jared Allen,” James continues.
“Kyle and I have been buddies for years and he’s always been interested in the sport.
“I’m also partnered in a bull with (former Cowboys player) Josh Mcgguire called Loose Moose (after Mcguire’s nickname, ‘Moose’).”
The PBR Monster Energy Tour Grand Finals in Townsville will also be the first time Feldt will get to see his namesake in action.
“I haven’t been able to see him live.
“The last time he bucked was during the last week of footy and that was the one he won as well, it’ll be good to see him live in action for the first time in Townsville,” Feldt says.
Feldt Jacket remains unridden, meaning no rider has covered the bull for the full eight seconds, on the Monster Energy Tour and could prove to be a difficult opponent for riders in Townsville.
The race for the national title is being hotly contested between Koumala young- gun Qynn Andersen, former champion Cody Heffernan and four-time and current National Champion, Aaron Kleier.
The Clermont based Kleier is aiming for an unprecedented fifth consecutive title, a feat not achieved by any rider in PBR history.
Having missed the last few events in the lead up to Townsville, Kleier will have his work cut out for him with Andersen and Heffernan seemingly coming into form at the right stage of the season.
PBR Australia presents the PBR Monster Energy Tour Grand Finals at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre, November 25 and 26. Limited tickets available at www.pbraustralia.com.au