Bulls, not riders, under steroids cloud in bull riding

[shain from kane]

By Josh Peter, Yahoo! Sports
October 2, 2007
http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=jo-bullsteroids100107&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

The steroids scandals have claimed the latest and perhaps most unlikely suspect yet.

The sport of bull riding may start drug testing some of its athletes – not the riders, the bulls.

As if the four-legged beasts that weigh up to 2,200 pounds don't have enough testosterone, some bull owners allegedly are injecting the animals with anabolic steroids.
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Gary Warner, a prominent veterinarian in the world of bull riding, said he recently received calls from two bull owners asking him to look into the possibility of drug testing what some in the industry refer to as "the bovine athletes." Warner intends to bring the matter up for discussion at this month's World Finals in Las Vegas.
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"When you got a 2-year-old bull or a 3-year-old bull looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger, there is some form of steroid there," he said.
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The practice dates back at least to the late 1990s, when Nelson said steroid use was so rampant he decided to give it a try. He said his bulls became more aggressive and muscular but also developed side effects. For some, hair color changed. Others grew sterile, jeopardizing their value as potential breeders.
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Despite what steroids might do for major-league sluggers and NFL linebackers, Warner said he sees no competitive advantage by pumping bulls full of steroids. Yes, he said, steroids promote muscle gain, but only if you work out.

"The case in point is, gee, we're not sticking a bull underneath the weight rack and doing 700-pound squats," Warner said.
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But suspicions of drug use heightened in 2004 when someone found empty syringes outside the pen that housed the bulls during the Professional Bull Riders World Finals in Las Vegas.
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The root of alleged cheating in bull riding is – what else? – money. This year ABBI will pay out more than $1.6 million in competitions for bulls between ages 2 and 4.
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"How can I make my bull perform better than it's already performing?" Carrillo said. "The first thing that comes to mind is steroids. They think steroids will make a bull jump over the moon.
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He paused momentarily as he considered bigger, faster and meaner bulls tossing cowboys into the air.

"I think they need to give the riders some steroids to help them hang on," he said.

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This article is comedy gold. Have fun with it.