PBR Loses Mick E Mouse (aka Press Release of the Day)

Rodeo is a sore point with many animal lovers, and for myself, I can’t watch calf roping. But those who love to watch bull riding — one of the few animal sports where the non-human animal tends to win, a lot — will tell you that the bulls are well-cared for atheletes.

This press releasse about Mick E Mouse just … well … let me just cut to the chase on why this is a “press release of the day.”

To sum up: After a trip to Texas A&M and to a vet specialist diagnosed him with lypmphona, top bucking bull Mick E Mouse had to be put down (and that is sad). As Marlene Henry, the owner of the champion bull, puts it: “I don’t care if he was No. 1 in the PBR books, but he was to me. He can go to the rainbow bridges and be fat and sassy.

There is just something about bulls and rainbow bridges that makes me laugh a little.

PBR mourns loss of World Champion Bull contender Mick E Mouse 

PUEBLO, Colo. – PBR stock contractor Marlene Henry informed the PBR [Professional Bull Riders, not the beer] this afternoon [Aug. 11] that Mick E Mouse was put down today because of unforeseen medical complications.

Mick E Mouse suffered a slight fracture in his lower back during the event in Billings, Montana, earlier this year when he slipped as Nathan Schaper attempted to ride him during the 15/15 Bucking Battle. He was treated at Texas A&M for the injury and returned to his home – stock contractor Kevin Loudamy’s ranch in Brownsboro, Texas – to recover during the summer.

Henry expected Mick E Mouse to return to the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) last weekend in Biloxi, Mississippi, but irregularities in his behavior in July led Henry and Loudamy to seek an additional opinion about his condition from renowned veterinarian Dr. Gary Warner. During the examination, Dr. Warner discovered that the athlete had developed a lesion on his back.

“We suspect that Mick E had a lymphoma lesion within his lumbar spine that caused an inability to properly be able to use his rear limbs.” Dr. Warner explained. “We tried to treat him, but he wasn’t responding so it was time to make that decision. It was a great loss for the sport. I really loved that old bull.”

It was not an easy decision for Henry, but she wanted to ensure that her prized bovine athlete would not be suffering anymore.

“Mick E is no longer in pain,” Henry said. “I will say it has not been all bad. It has been the greatest ride ever. I don’t care if he was No. 1 in the PBR books, but he was to me. He can go to the rainbow bridges and be fat and sassy.”

2015 was the 7-year-old bovine athlete’s fourth season on the BFTS where he remained unridden in 34 outs. He gathered 40 outs over his entire career without a single bull rider conquering him, leading him to the possibility of reaching or even surpassing a PBR record set by Bushwacker back in 2013 of 42 consecutive BFTS buckoffs.

The 2015 PBR World Champion Bull contender managed to buck off riders such as 2013 PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney, 2014 PBR Rookie of the Year J.W. Harris, 2008 PBR World Champion Guilherme Marchi and current No. 3 rider in the PBR world standings Matt Triplett. He also posted the top bull score of the 2015 BFTS season with 47 points out of 50 in Anaheim, California, against Harris.

According to probullstats.com, Mick E Mouse has acquired an average bull score of 44.76 points. The rider who was closest to hitting the 8-second mark atop this unridden bovine was Harris during the 2014 BFTS event in Thackerville, Oklahoma, but Mick E Mouse successfully tossed him in 7.47 seconds.

“Mick E Mouse was an extraordinary animal athlete with an incredible story behind his rise to fame.” said PBR CEO Sean Gleason. “He was one of those special bulls with the raw talent and a never quit attitude that made him virtually impossible to ride. It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a remarkable bucking bull and the entire PBR organization is grieving with Ms. Henry and Mr. Loudamy as they have to deal with the loss.”