Both cowboys and the animals they ride are athletes in the wild sport of rodeo. The bulls used in bull riding are 10 times heavier than the cowboys, and when things go wrong, the cowboy might be fatally injured. However, both the cowboy and the bull may claim the title of world champion if they are victorious in the rodeo arena. Smooth Operator was one of these bulls. He was the best bull in the PBR in 2019 and 2020 when he also won the world championship.
The PBR took a break from the intense PBR Team Series to release a video on Smooth Operator, a bull who has won the world championship twice. The video quickly went viral because it proved that the bull, despite his early retirement, is still very much a part of the community’s fabric.
He is the S’moo’th Operator
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While Sade’s Smooth Operator is a worldwide phenomenon, the Smooth Operator bull is exclusively well-known to American rodeo grounds. The storied bull first competed in the Professional Bull Riders 2014 season and has had a roller coaster ride ever since. He won the world championship in 2019 and 2020, making those years particularly memorable. The unidentified cowboy was flung off the bull in style in the opening moments of the Instagram video, and Smooth Operator showed no compassion as he dragged the cowboy over the ground after he had fallen.
Following the buck-off, the video zooms up on the world champion bull to show off his expressive face. The video then cuts to an unidentified cowboy attempting to tame the bull, but he quickly gets struck on the hump and falls off. Another cowboy has his hands trapped in the rope, causing him to become attached to the bull as Smooth Operator dances beside him, much to the alarm of the rodeo crew. The rest of the video shows numerous buck-offs from the famed bull, as well as some dramatic close-ups at the finale.
Even though the bull has been retired since the 2021 season, this video’s popularity shows that rodeo fans will never forget his buck-offs.
Never too far away from the rodeo fans
After PBR posted the clip about Smooth Operator, it quickly gained widespread attention. More than 100,000 people watched it in only a few hours, and the comments section went crazy as rodeo enthusiasts reminisced.
It’s been 2 years since Smooth Operator has been on the rodeo grounds, though fans still remember him as an “Absolutely legendary bull!” A cheeky fan comment read, “Should have named him rag doll cause that’s what he turns bull riders into.”
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An ironical comment was stated by a fan, as it read, “Things don’t go smooth when ur on smooth operator.” The beauty behind this gnarly sport is revealed in this comment, as it read, “If you are a true fan of the pbr you also root for the bulls as well as well as the rider and this bull is one of my favorites.”
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There will always be a place in rodeo history for the two-time world champion bull, Smooth Operator, whose grace and class made him an instant icon.
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