"I think our normal bullfighters aren't here this weekend," I said. "Well, except Tanner, and he's the one who got Casey cut free -andhe was in the stands! Tanner managed to make it over the rail, into the arena, and onto the bull's side before the three men working tonight could even slow the animal down. To me,that says plenty - and now a rider is dead. The rest of us are worried we might be next."
"Were you close with Casey?" a different man asked.
I chuckled once at that. "I wouldn't describe our relationship that way. Casey was my competition. He also didn't exactly like me, and I would never call him a friend. He was still a fellow rider - just like all the rest of these men here, and I don't want to see any of them hurt, let alone killed."
"So, is this why the cowboys aren't riding tonight?" another man asked.
I adjusted my hat again. "Sir, the first rider of the night - a guy named Jason - experienced a situation too close to what killed Casey. Now, some of these men might consider risking their lives for a little money, but to most of us?" I shook my head. "The safety isn't there. How many thousands of dollars would it take for you to risk your ability to walk? To move your arms? Multiple surgeries, concussions, broken bones, ruptured organs, and as we now have seen, death. It's all on the table when you climb on an animal that weighs up to a ton."
"And I'm not doing it!" Djalu Fox said as he moved in beside me. "Those of us from Australia talked about it, and we will not ride again until the wolf pack is back."
"The who?" the woman asked, because that was our name for them, not an official one.
"That's the nickname of the main team of bullfighters," I explained. "Jorge, Isaac, and Tanner. They wear red, yellow, and purple. Anyone who watches the videos of our past shows will be able to spot them by the jerseys they wear. More importantly, by the wrecks they prevented. And while the fans might enjoy watching us crash and burn, that's only fun when we get up afterwards."
"And," Gustavo said, moving in to stand on my other side, opposite Djalu, "it still hurts. Brazil, like Australia, has decidedwe will not ride until our normal safety team is back. The number of injuries we've had since the event in Des Moines, when the safety team was switched out, is more than triple what we're used to."
"And that is too much," I said. "But these men are tough. That's why this is the Tough Enough series. The PBR advertises this sport as the toughest on dirt, and it's not an exaggeration. Each and every one of the men here tonight has earned his way here by riding long enough to earn the points to qualify for this level of bull riding. They've all taken their knocks, but on the Tough Enough series, we see the best bulls, the toughest judging, and the most dangerous rides. The least we can expect is to also have the best bullfighters out there to protect us when everything goes wrong."
"And it will go wrong," Djalu said. "On the back of a bull, eight seconds is a long, long time."
"Plus," Tim Moore said, moving a little closer, "each accident makes the next ride harder. Cody here has been riding on her off-hand because of it. Most of us can't do that. Instead, we try to ignore the pain. We struggle not to get addicted to pain medicines or alcohol as we heal up. Those bullfighters are worth their weight in gold."
"So is this a boycott to force the PBR to get them back?" a man asked.
"No, sir," I said. "This? It's a strike. We are making our demands publicly. We arenotgoing to allow this sport to use us up and discard us. We are not here simply to make money for the organization. Our goal is to prove ourselves, and yes, to get paid doing it, but also to make it home in one piece when we're done. If football, soccer, and even tennis have safety requirements, then we expect the same for ourselves. The animals deserve men who understand them, and we expect a safety team that's skilled at keeping both us and our bovine partners healthy."
"Well said," Djalu told me. "I mean, you're right, but I probably would've had a lot more colorful language."
I chuckled at him, but the reporters weren't even close to done. "So, does this mean all of you think Casey Davis's death could've been prevented?"
I just lifted a hand. "That's not a fair question to ask. First, because no one wants to be sued for defamation. Second, because we all do love this sport. Third? There's no way to know. We weren't on the bull. We weren't on the dirt trying to turn it. In a split second, everything could go wrong, and I think all of us know it, but right now, we do not feel safe. Send the current bullfighters to training or something. Bring the old team back. Add more bullfighters and outriders. We don't care what they try, but until the PBR triessomething?" I shook my head.
"Miss Jennings?" the woman asked.
"Just Cody," I corrected.
"Yeah, because around here, she's just one of the guys," Djalu said, flashing me a smile.
So the reporter tried again. "Cody, why isn't this wolf pack working currently?"
I was going to give her a very correct answer, but I didn't get the chance. Jackson chose that moment to push in, slipping between me and Djalu so he could lean in toward her microphone.
"Tanner's suspended, and the other two wouldn't work without him. And why is he suspended?"
I quickly shot him a warning look, but while his eyes flicked over to me, he didn't slow down.
"The PBR isn't saying!" he spat, letting all of his anger show. "Oh, Cody will try to downplay it because she doesn't want to show her favoritism. I mean, she's dating the guy, but is that why he's suspended? She's making history, and we all know she's one of the best riders here - "
"Jackson..." I begged.
"He's not wrong," Gustavo said. "You are good, and Tanner is your boyfriend, right?"
"Yeah," I mumbled.
Then he tossed an arm over my shoulder. "So trust us when we say there's something hinky about him getting suspended. Combine that with what happened last night? Well, if the PBR wants to play games, we'll show them how that will end."
"No safety, no rides!" someone chanted behind me.
