August 28, 2023 |
Photo – Bull rider at 2023 Saratoga BullFest – Courtesy Saratoga Lion’s Club Facebook
After taking last year off, the Saratoga Bullfest returned to the Buck Springs Arena on Saturday night. The crowd that turned out was large and enthusiastic for the return for the 27th running of the popular event.
Despite suffering a broken collarbone while riding a bull named Roboto, Clayton Savage, from Banner, Wyoming, came away the winner of the 2023 Saratoga Bullfest with a score of 85.
High fuel costs and the all-round bad economy forced local event organizers to cancel the bull riding competition last year. This year, 23 bull riders battled one another on animals from four different bull raising contractors. Only four riders managed to stay atop the bucking bulls for the required eight seconds needed to earn a score. Riders were assigned a rating from zero to 100, with 100 being the highest score possible, by a panel of three judges. Savage earned his 85-point run while riding Roboto. Savage broke his collarbone when he hit the ground after he was finally thrown from the animal. Savage also won the event in 2019.
Only one person has ever earned a perfect score in a bull riding competition. In 1991, Wayne Leslie from Oregon, took home the only 100 in professional bull riding history during an event in his home state.
At the 2023 Saratoga Bullfest, every competitor rode their assigned bull once. The top ten riders moved to the final round where the fiercest bulls were waiting. Only four riders managed to stay on their animals for the required eight seconds needed for a score. The remaining roster was filled by the riders that stayed seated the longest. Savage wasn’t able to compete in the final round due to his broken collarbone.
No rider scored any points in the final round. With every competitor being thrown before eight seconds, the judges used the previous round’s scores to determine the winner. Clayton Savage’s first round score secured him the victory at the 2023 Saratoga Bullfest.
