Like Superman, Todd Anderson has two separate and seemingly contradictory identities.
Anderson, an accountant in Bellevue, doesn't have a unitard of blue spandex in his closet, but he does own a cowboy hat. And, come April 15, he spends a lot of his time on a horse barreling down on a steer, roping it as fast as he can in a rodeo sport called roping.
Anderson used to also ride bulls but decided to stick to roping after a bull stepped on and broke his leg and ankle. It wasn't his first bull-riding injury, but he decided it would be his last.
It may seem odd for an accountant to be a bull rider and roper, but Anderson, 46, was a rodeo jock long before he was an accountant. He grew up in Pocatello, entering his first roping competition at age 13 with his dad. In team roping, the first roper is referred to as the "header" and ropes the front of the steer, usually around the horns. The second is the "heeler" and ropes the steer by its hind feet.
"Most people that know me are surprised I'm a CPA [certified public accountant]," Anderson said.
At 15, Anderson drove to Hailey for his first bull-riding competition without his dad there for support. And his first time alone wasn't on a small stage. Hailey's Days of the Old West Rodeo is the Colosseum of rodeos in the Intermountain Professional Rodeo Association. The association's rodeos cover southern Idaho, most areas of Utah and western Wyoming. Hailey's annual Fourth of July rodeo consistently draws a crowd of 8,000 to 9,000 over the three-day affair. This year, more than 300 contestants have applied, coming from all over the western United States to compete in calf tie-down, steer wrestling, saddle bronc or bareback riding, barrel racing, bull riding and team roping.
Anderson was the first bull rider out of the gate that night in 1979. Thirty one years later, Anderson still remembers the ride and his placing. He said the bull put up a good ride and he thought he did well. By the end of the night, he placed sixth.
"The crowd there is so loud, you can't hear the whistle blow when you're supposed to get off," he said. "It's amazing."
Anderson spent the summers of his youth hopping from rodeo to rodeo, with Hailey always being the highlight rodeo, as well as the toughest competition.
"It's the one that everybody goes for, for sure," he said. "You've got to be real good to win anything."
He said, at one time, he competed in the Hailey rodeo six years in a row and never won a cent. But it's always worth it. And other rodeo contestants agree, evident in the fact that they've named Hailey's rodeo the best in the Intermountain Professional Rodeo Association for the last five years.
The Hailey rodeo has earned its reputation, having returned every Fourth of July since 1947, according to Kelly Heuett of the Sawtooth Rangers Riding Club, which sponsors the rodeo.
"You can always hear the cheers and yells of previous years while working on repairs at the rodeo grounds," Heuett said. "Hopefully, that isn't lost with the new arena."
This Independence Day weekend will be the last rodeo for the longtime stomping grounds. A new facility will soon be built on the site.
And experienced riders aren't the only ones taking center stage at the rodeo. Children try their hand at riding sheep bareback. But bull riding is always the main attraction.
"And they're not stupid creatures, by any means," Heuett said of the bulls. "The stupid ones are probably the ones riding on their backs. That's 2,000 pounds of spitfire and snot that doesn't want anything riding on its back."
For Anderson, the attraction of bull riding is its extremeness.
"Most sports, you get done and it stops," Anderson said. "With bulls, you still got to get away."
Who would've thought? An adrenaline-seeking accountant.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
Days of the Old West Rodeo
Hailey's Days of the Old West Rodeo will take place Friday, July 2 , through Sunday, July 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hailey Rodeo Grounds, just off Main Street across from the post office. Tickets can be purchased at Atkinsons' Market or the gate. Tickets are $15 for reserved seating, $10 for general admission adults, and $5 for general admission children under 12. July 2 is family night, with children under 12 entering for free as long as an adult accompanies them. For more information, call 720-6674.
Bulls aren’t the only riding challenge at the Hailey Days of the Old West Rodeo. Bucking broncos provide plenty of excitement.
Photo by Mountain Express
