14-year-old takes on bullish challenge

Lane Allmond earns a score of 63 during a bull ride during a bull riding competition conducted by the Kansas Junior Bull Riders Association at the Fort Scott Fairgrounds June 27. (Submitted photo)

After more than two years of riding steers, 14-year-old Lane Allmond has taken on an even bigger challenge.

Following the example of some family members who are bull riders, this year Allmond decided to take up the sport too.

"My uncle Rick's boy rode bulls and his daughter's husband rode bulls," Allmond said. "I thought it was cool. I wanted to try it, and I liked it."

Allmond said during the time he was riding steers, he had been able to polish his talent while riding in Nevada, Mo., Uniontown and Fort Scott in fairs and youth rodeos.

"I rode three out of four steers," he said. "I got bucked off the fourth one."

So far this year, Allmond said he has ridden one out of two bulls and is looking forward to participating in various upcoming bull riding competitions. Allmond added he enjoys riding bulls because it is different from the activities most people enjoy doing.

"I just try to focus, try to stay on and try to make a good ride and not get bucked off," he said. "It's something not a bunch of people like to do, and I like to stand out," Allmond said. "I would call it a passion."

According to Allmond, a friend of his has a barrel bull that he has been using to prepare for his bull riding competitions. However, he is in the process of constructing a barrel bull to use at his own house. In addition, he is creating an exercise routine in order to help him train for upcoming events.

"We're making a barrel bull at my house and we're going to make certain work-outs to do like run and stuff like jumping rope and sit ups everyday," he said.

For Allmond, riding bulls is not a passing phase, but rather an adventure that he hopes will eventually help him make his way into the Professional Bull Riders.

"I want to go to college and do it in college and try to move up from there," he said.

According to Allmond, family support is helping him to perfect his bull riding skills as his dad, Robert, and Uncle Rick Klumpp are coaching him on techniques and the rest of his family offers encouragement and support.

"I have my whole family pretty much," he said. "They support me and say if I ever want to quit, they wouldn't care because they want me to be happy. They want me to do what I think I should do. They think it is really cool that I do it (ride bulls)."

Although bull riding is a new experience for Allmond, he said he will continue to perfect the skill and hopefully someday make it a profession.