Rodeo Veteran Faces Up To Young Buck

Newcastle Herald

Saturday May 23, 1998

By GILLIAN McNALLY

FRIENDS Brad Scott and Steve Thorne will become fierce rivals tonight when the Steel City Showdown kicks into action.

The bull riders will battle it out on the back of one-tonne beasts for the crown of the best cowboy in the country.

The pair are among 45 contenders riding in the Australian Professional Bull Riding Association's national finals at Newcastle Entertainment Centre tonight and tomorrow.

Scott, the highest point-scorer this season, and Thorne, the second-highest point scorer and 1997 national title-holder, are leading contenders for the title.

Winning would be a remarkable achievement for 27-year-old Kempsey cattle dealer Scott, who was nearly killed by an accident in the ring in America two years ago.

Scott was the victim of a violent attack by a bull. He was pronounced dead by doctors and paramedics three times after the accident.

His father Mr John Scott rushed overseas to find his son hooked up to a life-support system, suffering crushed lungs, five broken ribs, broken sternum and vertebrae, swelling and bleeding around the heart.

Scott fought to recover with the assistance of motivational and sports psychology experts and still dislikes talking about the accident.

`It was months before I competed again but I spent a lot of time making sure I was fit,' he said.

`Getting mentally fit was important, so when I went back to bull riding I was able to concentrate on the job I had to do, which was ride the bull I drew for eight seconds.'

Doctors put Scott's survival down to superb fitness and a self-designed protective vest he was wearing.

The vest has since proved popular on the Australian rodeo circuit and is being manufactured by Scott under the company name Bull Armour.

Scott's ambition is to return to America, where bull riding events attract prize money of more than $1million.

Mudgee bull rider and beef farmer Mr Steve Thorne, who turns 40 this year, is affectionately referred to by Scott as the `grandfather of the field'.

Thorne has notched up six Australian titles since starting out as a 5-year-old in semi-rural Liverpool. He trails Scott by a handful of points going into this weekend's contest.

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