T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
NO CLOWNING AROUND BY RACHAEL CHERRY
The atmosphere is buzzing with excitement. It is that hand-on-your-heart, American flag experience. It is beautiful horses, cowboy hats, boots and shiny buckles. It is the dirt arena and the announcer introducing events and contestants. Even the smell signals that you are about to see something spectacular. The stands are full of rodeo fans who have come to participate in a piece of southern culture. One of the most exciting, and by far, the most dangerous rodeo events is bull riding. The rider climbs in the pen to mount 1500 pounds of fierce, aggressive, unpredictability. He grips the rope, tucks his chin and gives the nod to pull the gate. You can feel the heart-pounding excitement as the bull bucks and twists, trying to rid himself of his unwelcome passenger. The rage and rancor do not subside when the rider, finally flung from his host, hits the ground. Now come the hooves and horns. Possibly the only thing scarier than being on the back of a bucking bull is being under one, and that is where this story begins because this tale is not about a bull rider. Heck, it’s not even about the bull. This is a story of heroism, skill and death-defying courage mixed with a dash of downright crazy. Because, when everyone else is keeping as much distance and fencing as possible between themselves and that raging bull, there is one who runs right in to save the day—the bullfighter.
Texarkana native, Tanner Zarnetski, knows a thing or two about bulls. He has been riding them or charging toward them to rescue other riders for more than 20 years. Tanner started out riding bulls as a kid, but he soon discovered he was “better at fighting bulls than riding them.” He explained, “At eleven years old, I began investing in what I wanted to do. My mom would take me to rodeos, and if I won, I would use that money for fuel and entry fees for the next one [rodeo].” When he was not riding bulls, he began to show a knack for helping other riders escape danger by commanding the bulls’ attention. “I had buddies paying me five dollars every time they got on a bull just to help protect them.” Tanner recollects he was even compensated for his efforts with pearl snap western shirts. By the time he was 17, Tanner had made a name for himself in the local rodeo circuit and was contacted by Felton Jackson of Hope, Arkansas, about fighting bulls for the Arkansas Rodeo Association. His response “Let’s do this!” For the next three years, Tanner continued to spend his weekends both riding bulls and fighting them. As a young husband and father, he came to realize the high cost associated with competing in rodeos, but he loved the sport. Tanner learned while bull riding only rewards the winners, bullfighting pays the bills. Tanner walked away from bull riding permanently at the age of 20. Since then, he has been a regular bullfighter on the Professional Rodeo circuit.
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C OMM U N I T Y & C U L T U R E
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