The heat was already sweltering at 10 a.m. July 12 when 11 Northeast Ohio children ranging in age from 5 to 9 began “Mutton Bustin’ School” at Creek Bend Ranch in Burbank, Wayne County.
Mutton bustin’ is an event in which children are strapped into a helmet and protective vest and ride sheep as if they are cowboys riding bulls.
“We’d like to give these kids a taste of what it’s like to be in the rodeo and bull riding,” said Eileen Thorsell, who with her family, including her husband, son and daughter, owns and operates the bull ranch as well as the Buckin’ Ohio rodeo featured there. “We love children and they’re very important to us, which is why we try so hard to make Buckin’ Ohio a family event.”
The school began with educating the children about sheep-riding safety while infusing fun facts such as: Sheep cannot feel pain; sheep like to travel in a group; and sheep are mentioned in the Bible more than 500 times.
From there the children went to practice their mutton bustin’ skills on hay bales. They were told to lie down on their stomachs and hug as tight as they could, while ranch hands shook and tipped the bale to try to give a realistic interpretation of how the sheep would react.
In addition to helping brace the children for what was to come, it stoked their anticipation.
After drawing names to determine the order, the children were lined up and outfitted with headgear and a protective vest.
The first boy, Colin Farver, 8, of Avon Lake, was lowered onto the sheep and after an enthusiastic yet shaky “Let’s do this,” the men opened the door and Colin and his mutton companion went flying into the ring.
The ride lasted all of five seconds before Colin was flung from the sheep’s back, but when the helmet came off the boy was grinning ear to ear and let out a loud “That was awesome!”
His grandmother, Barbara Wolff, laughed as well. She had seen mutton bustin’ out in Colorado and thought it would be fun for her grandson. “What an amazing thing for little boys to try,” she said. “Look at that smile. He was terrified at first but look at that.”
However, it wasn’t just for boys. Brooke Marty, 7, was the only girl among the 11 children, deeming herself a “cowgirl.” Even though she had one of the shorter runs on the sheep, she still had the same reaction as Colin, a loud, enthusiastic, giggly “That was awesome!”
In contrast, Joey Mack, 7, who like many others had donned cowboy boots and hat for the event, had one of the longest runs of the day, having participated in the mutton bustin’ school in the summer of 2013.
Another impressive ride was that of Ethan Ansel, 5, of Solon, who was one of the smallest members in the group. He rode the sheep for so long that he had to be pulled off it, being hoisted up by event coordinator Scott Russell while cheers rang out through the crowd.
And then third-generation rancher Ace Thorsell, 4, grandson of Eileen and Denny, took the stage and after a successful ride waved to the crowd just like a professional bull rider would.
Must run in the family.
For information on Mutton Bustin’ School or other events at Buckin’ Ohio, see http://buckinohioblog.com or email buckinohio@buckinohio.com.
Katie Nix can be reached at 330-996-3216 or knix@thebeaconjournal.com.