A ‘GENTLE GIANT’
Bill the Bull stars in an anti-bullying story for kids
There was no bill for “Bill the Bull.” And that’s no bull. What is “bull,” former professional bullfighter — or rodeo clown — Gary “Roach” Hedeman” told a couple of hundred Corrales Elementary students Tuesday afternoon, is that bulls react to the color red; that’s “an old wives’ tale.”
Hedeman and his 6-year-old, 1,800-pound Charolais bull Bill, in town in conjunction with his brother Tuff’s Championship Bull Riding event at Santa Ana Star Center today, visited Corrales Elementary to make three anti-bullying presentations.
He read them the six-minute tale of “Bill is No Bully,” written and illustrated by his wife, Cindy, basically a Western version of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” a betterknown, four-legged animal also bothered by bullies. Poor Bill was a bull who didn’t fit in with the other bulls because he wasn’t mean.
Born in Raton and a 25-year veteran of the rodeo and bullriding circuits, Hedeman said, “‘Bill is No Bully’ is a great tool to communicate with kids while at the same time increasing awareness about bullying in schools.”
When Hedeman finished reading the book, with its artwork done by Cindy projected on a wall, he asked the kids a few questions to be sure they understood his message.
What might seem disturbing was the revelation, when he asked how many of them had been bullied, more than a third of the students’ hands went up. Hedeman revealed he had also been bullied when he was in a Catholic boys school and had been the lone cowboy there.
“(Bullying’s) no fun; nobody likes it,” he said. “Just because you’re different doesn’t mean you should be picked on. … Don’t be scared to seek help.”
Then the students lined up outside to pet Bill, “a gentle giant,” Hedeman told them.
As she watched the line of students take turns petting Bill, school principal Tricia Steiner said that, when it comes to bullying, times have changed.
“When we were young, we dealt with it,” she said, recalling being a new student at a school in southern New Mexico and how she was treated. “I think we’ve all had (bullying) experiences.”
Steiner said she was hopeful her students, which include her own son, would get a positive message. “I think it is going to be really effective,” she said. “They’ll think back to when the bull came.”
She said Corrales Elementary was a good choice for the Hedemans: “It’s a rural community. I think the kids can relate.”