Jan. 12--Reese Cates can't really put into words what it feels like to be on one of the 2,000-pound bulls he rides for a living. You can tell, though, that it's fun.
"You can never explain the adrenaline rush to the normal person, how extreme the sport is," said Cates, whose father and grandfather also were professional riders. "You can watch and talk about it and listen to others talk about it, but the average person can't understand."
One thing people can understand is that there is training involved, even for a rodeo cowboy. Mixed martial arts workouts are part of his routine, and he watches what he eats. He doesn't have any diet restrictions but stays away from "fried foods and the white bread. ... And Cokes."
There is also practice, though that has slowed a bit in his advanced age of 25. "When I was 18, 19, 20, it was nothing to get on 10 bulls during the week for practice," he said. "When I got older and had injuries I had to adjust. Now I'm a little more picky on the bulls I get on for practice, about the conditions. Another thing I've learned, once you've been competing at this level you realize it's not really that much physical. Once you're here and proven you belong, it becomes 95 percent mental."
As for those injuries, "shoulders are the pretty big one. Groin injuries, pulling and tearing them. I've seen a lot of guys have issues with their hips and knees. For me, shoulders and groin."
Cates is back on the circuit after missing much of 2014 with a shoulder injury that required stabilization surgery. It sidelined him for 24 weeks and kept him out of 10 Built Ford Tough Series events.
"That wasn't the first time I've had to sit out six months," Cates said of the shoulder surgery. "It sucks. All your buddies are on the road having a good time and you're stuck at home."
