Bullfighters share their lives with Odessa students

By Ted Harbin
Posted Thursday, January 8, 2009

ODESSA, Texas - When they're not fighting bulls, Cory Wall and Joe Garretson love to teach the skills it takes to control the bucking bovines.

On Wednesday, Jan. 7, while in town competing in the Professional Bullfighters Daisy Protection Bullfight World Championships, the two talented athletes spent time teaching Odessa schoolchildren about their jobs, their passions and their lifestyle.

“We talked to them about what it’s like to follow your dreams,” said Garretson of Springfield, Mo. “We told them how difficult it is to climb into an arena with a 2,000-pound bull and do what we do.”

The Team Daisy bullfighters visited with seventh-grade athletes at Bowie Junior High School. They shared experiences and why it’s important to overcome adversities that come along the way.

“Far more than anything, I do this to put a smile on a kid’s face,” said Wall of Burlington, Colo.

Both Garretson and Wall enjoy taking time out of their busy schedules to reach young people. Each year, both teach bullfighting across the country for Sankey Rodeo Schools, helping up-and-comers to the sport learn the basics and more about the most exciting, most dangerous aspect in the general sport of rodeo.

While in Odessa for the World Championships, Team Daisy has also driven their pickup that was provided by All-American Dodge to the Music City Mall to be part of the kids’ rodeo. Besides the adrenaline-packed action of the protection-bullfighting competition, the one thing that means the most to Garretson and Wall are reaching out to others.

“It’s important to me to directly influence young people,” said Wall, 40. “I get to do this because Multi Chem has been a terrific partner and helps me get to events like this. It enables me to touch other people’s lives.

“In the world we live in, there are a lot of kids that don’t have the little things. It’s important that we pay attention to the kids and spend time with them.”

It’s all a matter of giving back, they say. It’s also a matter of doing what you think is right.

“This is important to us,” said Garretson, 36. “Cory and I both like teaching and being able to communicate with kids.”

It’s more than explaining the sport they love for these two cowboys. There are also life lessons they home will hopefully be beneficial to the youngsters.

“If they get to hear me a little bit, they get to find out I’m normal just like them,” Wall said. “If they set their goals, they can achieve them. They can overcome a lot and can do anything they set their minds to.

“I didn’t grow up in a rodeo family, and when I decided to be in rodeo, to be a bullfighter, I didn’t get any support. I do know, but at the time, they were more worried about me getting hurt. They know now that I can do this, and my family supports me.”