Denny Flynn

Event: Bull Riding (Retired)

By Maureen Panno

When one thinks of world records, the Guinness book may come to mind, but on a more basic level, there isn't a single sport that hasn't got its very own set of world records. Rodeo is certainly no exception.

Denny Flynn, a native of Charleston, Arkansas, rode a bull named Red Lightning for a score of 98 points on September 2, 1979, in Palestine, Illinois. It was a record that stood until Wade Leslie, of Central Point, Oregon, achieved 100 points for a bull ride in 1991. These two men have never been surpassed in bull riding history.

Denny says, "Red Lightning was just an incredible bull. He was the Bucking Bull of the Year the year before I rode him in Palestine. I'd ridden him before. He was having an exceptional day and I was able to stay on him."

He has no hard feelings toward Wade for breaking his record. "There's no film footage of my ride, but there is of Wade's. I feel sorry for that boy. The commentators are always picking his ride to pieces. The sand was deep and the bulls weren't bucking all that high because of it. Yet the scores were 94-95, 97. Wade's bull was a spinning top and he had a great ride. The judges knew they had to give him better than a 97."

Denny retired from bull riding in 1986, at the age of 35. Like a lot of former bull riders, he conducted bull riding schools, teaching kids how to ride, but stopped doing that after awhile. "People want their kids to learn to ride, then when the kid gets hurt, they turn around and sue you. I mean, it's a dangerous sport! What do they expect?"

Once again, the adage of it's not if you get hurt, it's when and how bad holds true. Denny is living proof of just how bad somebody can get hurt in bull riding and live to talk about it. He was a regular contestant at the National Finals Rodeo ever since he broke into the pros in 1974. In 1975, he was fifth in the world when he was gored by a bull during a ride. "Back then, they didn't have the rule about filing down the horns."

They also didn't have the protective vests that the riders wear now. The vests weren't invented until after Lane Frost died in the Cheyenne, Wyoming arena during the "Daddy of 'em all." Cody Lambert, one of Frost's travelling partners, was instrumental in making the vests mandatory equipment.

"I got thrown up in the air and came down, belly first, on the horn. The thing went in ten inches and missed my heart by half an inch. That injury dropped me down to 16th place and you have to be 15th or better to get to the finals. I came back and was on a roll, made it to that year's NFR, rode 9 out of 10 of my bulls, won the title."

Now that a lot of bull riders have taken to wearing helmets to protect their heads and faces, Denny feels that kids just learning to ride should wear them as standard equipment. "For now, they should be optional, but for the calf and steer riders just coming up, it should be mandatory to wear them. They'd be used to them. The bad thing is, you don't have any peripheral vision with a helmet. I'd cut some of it back a bit, but that's me."

He gives some tips on bull riding. "A lot of people concentrate on the waist up, how their seated, so on. They don't pay particular attention to their feet. I would wrap my legs around the bull and hang on with my feet. If you just try to use a rope and your hand, it's not going to work too well. You learn to "read" the bulls, get in a rhythm with them, watch their front feet. Even if you wear a helmet, you can still see the front feet, see how the bull is planting them, that'll tell you what it's going to do. Don't go by what their head is doing, because a bull can throw his head one way and his body a different way, so don't get fooled by watching his head. Even when a bull spins, they'll plant their front feet three times in one revolution."

Denny has always given back to rodeo and bull riding. He still lives in Charleston, Arkansas, where he was raised, and lives about ten miles or so down the road from his father. Together, they have a cow/calf operation that keeps them busy. He still helps out with bull riding schools, but no longer has one of his own.

"Everyone is into raising the best bucking bulls because that's where the money is. There's nothing for the kids to start out on or even practice on. At a Junior High School rodeo that I went to recently, these 6th, 7th, and 8th graders were getting on 1600-1800 pound Bodacious type bulls. These kids were just over matched. There needs to be a kid's camp or a national organization setting up bull riding that is size and age appropriate. If you have a little girl in T-ball, you don't bring in a pro pitcher to fire 'em across the plate at her."

Anybody at the PRCA reading this? Golden business opportunity knocking here. Makes great sense.

In 2002, Denny was awarded the Professional Bull Riders Ring of Honor. Picture a Super Bowl ring for bull riding. "I retired before that organization was started and I was sure tickled to get that ring. I keep it in a trophy case and only bring it out to wear at the NFR or big doings like that. It's not something you can wear every day."

He reminisces about his 98 point ride and his favorite bull, Red Lightning, saying fondly, "I retired in March of '86, and they retired Red Lightning September of '88. The Palestine rodeo committee had a promotion for his retirement, they were going to retire him from that arena. They wanted me to ride him one last time, so I did. Mind, I hadn't been on a bull for 18 months, and I thought maybe I should practice a little first. But then I thought, no, I might get hurt, or be too sore to ride him, so I just went to Palestine. They wanted me to get bucked off, let the bull win his last ride, but I said, nope, if I'm riding him, I'm going to ride him. Red Lightning gave his usual outstanding all even though he was old and slow. They retired us together that night as a set. The Palestine rodeo committee was always really good to me and that was just such a sweet deal."

Career Highlights

World Record Bull Ride in 1979, rodeo Red Lightning for 98 points in Palestine, IL, record still holds 2nd place

Background

Denny Flynn

Personal Information:

Born: 1951
Titles Won: 1
WNFR Qualifications: 1974 to 1986
Residence: Charleston, AR