Brian Flanders has done about everything in a rodeo arena, whether it’s riding bulls, roping livestock or wrestling animals.Age: 24
Born: April 26, 1985
Hometown: Amarillo, Texas
Brian Flanders has done about everything in a rodeo arena, whether it’s riding bulls, roping livestock or wrestling animals.
So why throw himself into the middle of a wreck time after time as a professional bullfighter?
“I love rodeo, and I actually stared when I was 13, but I didn’t get into it until I was 16 or 17,” Flanders said. “My dad told me to get out there. That first time I got hooked (by a bull), and I liked it.”
Although relatively young in his career, Flanders has been selected to fight bulls at association finals four times and has been selected as bullfighter of the year and bullfighter of the championship event. He recognizes past accomplishments are nice, but he’s trying to take care of business.
“I don’t want a 9-to-5 job, so this fits me perfectly,” he said of his career, which is just five years old. “You get to see a bunch of the countryside, and you’re your own boss. It’s a lot better than a regular job, and I have fun doing it.”
So what’s special about doing the work and doing the competition that is protection bullfighting?
“The job is protecting the cowboy and making sure he’s alright,” Flanders said. “The competition is good because you get a lot of exposure, which is what you need to go somewhere. It also makes you a more aggressive bullfighter, a better bullfighter.”