California is calling

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Beau Schueth jumps a bull during the Las Vegas Championship last December. He's been riding a hot streak this month. (TODD BREWER PHOTO)
Beau Schueth jumps a bull during the Las Vegas Championship last December. He’s been riding a hot streak this month. (TODD BREWER PHOTO)

Schueth riding a hot streak heading to historic bullfights in Salinas

SALINAS, Calif. – There is no hotter man on the Bullfighters Only tour than Nebraskan Beau Schueth.

He’s performed well at nearly every stop he’s made and is coming off first- and second-place finishes this past week. He won the title in Colorado Springs, Colo., then was the runner-up the next day in Fortuna, Calif. The weekend before, he won BFO-Vernal (Utah) and placed second at the Cowtown Invitational in Calgary, Alberta.

Now he’s going to put his streak to the test during one of the longest running freestyle bullfights in the country, held in conjunction with California Rodeo Salinas. The action takes place Thursday, July 20-Sunday, July 23.

“Ever since I started freestyling bulls, one of my goals is to fight in Salinas,” said Schueth, 25, of O’Neill, Neb.; this will be his first venture to one of the most storied complexes in the game. “For bullfighters, it’s a pretty historic bullfight and goes back to before bullfights were in the mainstream.”

Two decades ago, freestyle bullfighting was a big part of rodeo. When the Wrangler Bullfight Tour was disbanded in 2001, the sport virtually went underground, but California Rodeo Salinas has kept the tradition alive.

Bullfighters Only has created public demand for the sport. The bullfighters utilize their tremendous athleticism to try to outwit and outmaneuver equally athletic bulls, which are bred specifically for this type of fight.

While this is a new stop for the Nebraskan, it’s familiar ground for Toby Inman. The veteran has competed in Salinas a number of times, and he will return this week for the first time since 2010.

“I won it in 2009,” said Inman, 34, of Davis Junction, Ill. “It’s one of those shows you can’t really forget, and you meet so many great people there.”

There is a grand opportunity for each individual in the game to cash in. in the BFO, dollars equal championship points. The man with the most money won at the conclusion of the 2017 season will be crowned world champion. A lot could change in Salinas.

“It’s a big deal for me, especially coming back to bullfighting after taking several years off. I was lucky to even get in it this year, so I’m going to take it.” Inman said. “There are a lot of opportunities to win it and a lot of opportunities to let it slip through your fingertips.”

SALINAS CONTESTANTS
Beau Schueth
Weston Rutkowski
Toby Inman
Zach Flatt
Erick Schwindt
Cody Emerson

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