Buck Up!

To some, the first Saturday in October may be about college football or the much-awaited return of fall weather.

But to the folks of Cut Off, that date means that it’s time to ride bulls.

Bucking on the Bayou will take place under the Cut Off Youth Center Pavilion on Saturday, Oct. 3. The annual bull riding competition honors the life of young cowboy Andy Dufrene, who was killed in a traffic accident in 2006.

The event was supposed to be a one-time thing to celebrate Dufrene’s life. It’s evolved and has become an annual mainstay that folks in the Houma-Thibodaux area look forward to each year.

“You hardly see bull riders in this area anymore,” Andy Dufrene’s father, Andrew, said. “You hate to say it like this, but they’re almost like a fading breed. But we focus this on the kids. You can’t take somebody that’s 20 years old, throw them on a bull and expect them to be a bull rider. That doesn’t happen. We start them young. It’s just like anything else. You work your way up.”

This rodeo does exactly that – it works its way up from young age groups all the way to the senior level of competition.

Andrew Dufrene said the rodeo features several children’s divisions, including a division that lets 1 year olds compete.

In that division, which features children from ages 1-4, a kid will sit on top a stick with a fake bull’s head attached to the end. From there, organizers gently buck the stick from side to side to test the infant’s balance and to teach him/her the basic techniques and principles at a young age.

“You can never start too young,” Dufrene said.

From there, the age groups become more sophisticated. Children ages 5-7 ride sheep, while those 8-11 ride calves. The bulls make their debut in the 15-17-year-old age group – the junior bull division.

After that, the seniors take the stage for the real thing. To compete in that event, one must be 18 or older.

Dufrene said he takes pride in the variety the rodeo presents, touting that very few events give so many people opportunities to compete. He believes the rodeo is unique in that every child who wins a category wins a belt buckle. The senior division riders are also competing for a cash prize.

“Everyone has an opportunity to win a buckle,” Dufrene said. “Every first-place winner gets that prize – just like they’d be a senior rider. That’s important to us.”

The event is fan-friendly, as well. Dufrene said the Cut Off Youth Center handles event concessions.

The event organizer said admission is $10 at the gate and just $5 for children.

He added that several top-flight riders from the area are slated to attend.

“There are some other rodeo events going on that weekend, so it’s been a little bit tough finding cowboys, but we have some very talented people who are going to come ride,” Dufrene said. “It’s an awesome event. We were only going to do it one year to honor Andy’s life. But since then, it’s sort-of taken on a life of its own. It’s a very special thing. We’re happy to put it on each year.”

Buck Up!