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Rodeo sports are known for riding and taming dangerous bulls and horses. This prevents a lot of people from not encouraging their kids to play the sport unless they’re also rodeos. However, a veteran bull breeder is making the sport safer for kids by offering a safe yet competitive option.

Adrian Roots is a bull-breeder hailing from Australia. He has come up with a fresh take on the meaning of rodeo sports to make things safe for kids. While the idea was a mere seed in the beginning, it has now developed into a strong tree. Roots revealed that the secret to his success lies in the distinct breed of bulls he chose for his venture.

A strong, fat, but small solution for rodeo sports

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Adrian Roots uses a strong, fat, but small solution for the predicament faced by parents. While several automated rodeo practicing gears are available everywhere, they don’t really prepare someone for the actual sport. Roots attacked the problem at its roots and introduced miniature bulls for the little rodeo enthusiasts. The Australian has been breeding mini bulls with his wife since 2012. He said that he took inspiration from some of his friends who live in the US. Roots and his wife breed locally available miniature breeds of belted Galloways, mini-Herefords, Dexters, and lowlines. These mini bulls pack a solid punch and are just 1.2 meters high.

The business of the Roots has paid high dividends. The couple initially thought that six or eight bulls would suffice for their small business. However, they were forced to buy a semi-trailer as they now have over 100 bulls. Several people wonder if these mini bulls are baby bulls. Roots said, “They’re not a young bucking bull; a miniature bull is a miniature breed.” Roots also ensures that his bulls don’t just fulfill a utility, but appeal to its target audience as well.

The Roots noticed that the miniature bulls mostly have a black fur coat. They solved this problem by breeding bulls of different fur colors and now have several hues available for kids. This makes his bulls look cool while also keeping the ride safe. This small innovation helps to “keep the kids coming through,” said the breeder. Roots started this business to increase access to rodeo sports for kids. However, he also had a secondary objective in mind.

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Enhancing the vitality of the riders

Roots aims to allow kids to step into the rodeo world in a graded manner. He is aware of the challenges young rodeos used to face whenever they needed to practice. Roots emphasized the roughness that junior riders get introduced to right from the get-go. This resulted in a lot of instances where a young rodeo would lose control and get severely injured. 

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“We’ve got to tone it back for our kids to make sure when they get to this type of event when they’re 18, that they’re still healthy enough to ride them,” emphasized Roots. Thankfully, Roots’ business idea has gained a lot of popularity. Several new facilities are now using mini bulls across Australia to keep things safe for a junior rodeo.

WATCH STORY – Five Years After a Brutal Injury, 35-Year-Old Rodeo Returns to Bull-Riding to Live His Passion