DECATUR, Texas (September 22, 2010) - On any given day, you’re likely to find Mike Lee at a practice pen.
But you’re not likely to find the 2004 World Champion on the back of bull. Instead, the 27-year-old is more likely to be practicing on a cutting horse or a colt.
“I put a horse in the bucking chute and work on my start,” Lee said. “Basically we call it getting tapped off. If things start right, it sure is easier to keep it right.”
Lee, who is ranked 5th in the world standings, said the confidence that comes from a good start can carry a bull rider through almost any adversity.
This year, he’s riding 50.6 percent of his bulls – a complete turnaround from a year ago, when he labored through the Built Ford Tough Series with a paltry 37.7 percent average for the season.
“Bull riding is about getting in trouble, staying relaxed and moving back to the middle,” he explained. “Going back to the middle, hunting the middle. Don’t worry about the big things. Just keep it simple.”
Too often riders, including Lee, can get caught up in worrying about whether a free arm is too high, or if legs are too straight, They might lean forward too far, and have their backs too stiff.
He added, “You can do something wrong starting, and it’ll mess your whole ride up.”
After finishing outside of the Top 20 for only the second time in his nine-year career, Lee found his way back to the middle two months into the 2010 season.
In the past 20 events, he’s had eight Top 10 finishes, including an event win in Des Moines, Iowa.
“You learn from your mistakes,” said Lee, who is the only rider in PBR history to win the World Finals event average and the world title in the same year. “You (have) a decision to make, when times are hard you have a decision to make whether you’re going to be a spoiled brat and feel sorry for yourself, or you’re going to learn from it, grow from it and become stronger and better when you come out of it. That’s what bull riding is all about.”
“In bull riding,” he continued, “some of the best bull riders in the world are riding 60 percent, so you have to deal with defeat. The way a man deals with defeat determines whether he’s consistent or not.”
After two tough weekends, Lee was third in Springfield, Mo., and his 800 points were enough to push him up four spots in the world standings.
He’s still 2,729 points behind Austin Meier, who is atop the standings for the third time this year, but Lee has firsthand experience in coming from behind. He managed one of the biggest point swings in history when he scored a record-seeing 4,821.57 points at the Finals in 2004.
But when he arrives at the arena, he’s not thinking about the standings.
His only concern is getting out of the chute and hunting the middle.
“Bull riding is not about thinking,” Lee said. “It’s not about your brain. It’s better off that you’re dumb when you come here, because all you need to do is work on your reactions. If you can shut that brain off, that is the key to becoming a great bull rider.
“If I’m practicing all the time, I don’t have to think about it. I just do it.
