Arlington cowboy ready to defend his championship

By Ted Harbin
Posted Friday, August 22, 2008

DENTON, Texas – Lance McIlvain is excited to return to the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo.

A year ago, the Arlington, Texas, bullfighter teamed with partner Ross Hill of Muscle Shoals, Ala., to win the Miller Lite Bull BlowOut, the longest-running protection bullfight in the country. The tandem is ready to defend its title.

“This is a big deal for us,” said Hill, an eight-year veteran who, with McIlvain, finished last weekend’s Colby Yates Challenge bullfight in second place. “We went to that deal so we’d be ready to fight bulls at Denton.

“We also worked together at a rodeo in Mississippi the week before, which really helps us get ready for the Miller Lite deal.”

McIlvain is a second-generation bullfighter, whose father, Frank, has been a fixture at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo for 46 years. Lance’s brothers Chris and Frank Jr. have also fought bulls, and brothers Glen and Terry rode bulls – Glen is a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier.

“I’ve probably been doing this about nine or 10 years, and I’ve had my pro card for six years,” Lance said. “It ain’t a matter if you’re going to be around bulls in my family, it’s what you’re going to do. A bull rider gets one bull a night; I get 10 or 20 a night. I like mine better.”

McIlvain and Hill make up one of the eight two-man teams that will compete in the Miller Lite Bull BlowOut, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo. The competition is formatted to showcase the talents of the cowboys who put their bodies on the line to save cowboys during bull riding.

Judges will score each team on how well they do their jobs, their positioning and their aggressiveness in battling the bulls. The team with the highest point total at the end of the contest wins.

“Just through the protection tour, it has laid down a whole rule of laws for bullfighters,” Hill said. “It’s not just what you’re supposed to do. It’s helped protection 100 percent. I know my protection has gotten that much better.”