Little Yellow Jacket

Little Yellow Jacket (1996-present) is a three-time Professional Bull Riders (PBR) "Bull of the Year", winning the title in consecutive years from 2002-2004. His three consecutive titles has made him unmatched by any bull in the distinguished history of the PBR. He is the son of Yellow Jacket and the grandson of Wrangler Rivets.

PBR career

Little Yellow Jacket made his debut in the PBR in the year 1999, and went to his first PBR World Finals that year. In 2001, Little Yellow Jacket was the runner-up for PBR "Bull of the Year," coming in second to that year's champion, Dillinger. The next year (2002), Little Yellow Jacket stepped up his game and collected his first ever championship after Dillinger was forced to retire with a leg injury. “Bull of the Year," is decided by the voting of the top 45 bull riders in the PBR at the end of the season, and for the next three years, Little Yellow Jacket was unmatched by any other bull.

At the end of his final championship year (2004), Little Yellow Jacket had comprised a record of being ridden only 11 times out of 76 attempts. The riders that had managed to stay on for the full eight seconds recorded an average score of 93 out of 100. Little Yellow Jacket ranks second on the all time list of PBR bulls for the average bull score (23.05 of 25) during a mounted ride.

He finished his career in strong fashion as he ranked among the top ten bulls in 2005.

For his PBR career, Little Yellow Jacket has recorded a ridden rate of only 15.6% (14 in 90 attempts). The average buck off time on Little Yellow Jacket for any rider is a little over 2.5 seconds.

Little Yellow Jacket has a trademark for being highly athletic and smart. When released from the chute, Little Yellow Jacket usually exploded with great speed and spun to the left, occasionally to the right, kicking high in the air. Even though riders could usually predict what Little Yellow Jacket was going to do, most were unable to complete the eight seconds.

Historic rides

On April 24, 2004 at the Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho, former World Champion bull rider Michael Gaffney scored an amazing 96.5 points on Little Yellow Jacket to tie the record score in PBR history. However, perhaps Little Yellow Jacket's most famous ride took place at the World Arena in Colorado Springs in 2003. Chris Shivers, the 2000 PBR World Champion, had a chance to ride him for $1,000,000. Shivers did not last long on the back of Little Yellow Jacket as the bull burst from chute jumping and dipping causing Shivers to lean forward out of balance and get bucked off in less than 2 seconds. For bucking off Shivers, Little Yellow Jacket's owners won $50,000. The final time Little Yellow Jacket ever performed was in the short-go round of the 2005 PBR World Finals, where he bucked off Mexican rider Gerardo Venegas.

Physical attributes

Little Yellow Jacket has a unique look to him that makes him easily identifiable from other bulls. This dark red Brangus bull weighs in at about 1,750 pounds (790 kg) and has distinctive downward-curving left horn.

Personality

LYJ was well-known for his in-arena personality. After bucking off a cowboy, he would usually give a stare or pose (as if he were to acknowledge the crowd) and then walk out of the arena.

Retirement

In 2006, Little Yellow Jacket was inducted into the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame along with eight other inductees that include other people, places and events. Little Yellow Jacket is the only animal to ever be inducted to the Hall of Fame while still alive. His owners, a partnership of Joe and Nevada Berger, Bernie Taupin, and Tom Teague, retired him in 2006. Today, Little Yellow Jacket can be found living out the rest of his life as a stud bull at a ranch in North Dakota. Few bulls in history have ever traveled as many miles as Little Yellow Jacket, and few bulls have done more for the PBR. Hopefully, his sons will be able to continue on the great legacy that Little Yellow Jacket has made for himself.

Escape

In Park Rapids, Minnesota, on July 3, 2007 for the first time in PBR history, "Little Yellow Jacket" escaped from his trailer while being led into the arena to be presented to the fans, as this was happening he got loose from the wranglers and started running around the parking lot. He made his glorious lap around the lot then went right back into his trailer.

References

• PBRnow.
• ProBullStats
• KXMC News Site.