Cord McCoy had heard that twins Dayna and Madison Eilert might be the best women to have ever ridden bulls. He saw it for himself, which is why he wanted them to be part of the Oklahoma City ProRodeo presented by Tractor Supply Co., set for Friday-Sunday at OG&E Coliseum at the OKC Fair Park.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF EILERT TWINS SOCIAL MEDIA)

 

Eilert twins to help bring an adrenaline rush to OKC rodeo

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rodeo is already an entertaining piece of Americana, but there are times a spark of enthusiasm just ignites the overall experience.

Dayna and Madison Eilert are going to make it happen when they compete at the Oklahoma City ProRodeo presented by Tractor Supply Co. is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23-Saturday, Jan. 24, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, at OG&E Coliseum inside OKC Fair Park in Oklahoma City.

The bull-riding twins will be featured in a woman-vs.-beast showcase of athletic talent, and their involvement will certainly be a spectacle of women’s toughness in a sport typically dominated by men. Tickets are available at www.McCoyRodeo.com.

“I had heard about these bull-riding cowgirls, so I started to follow them,” said Cord McCoy, the rodeo’s producer who co-owns McCoy Rodeo with his wife, Sara. “I heard a famous bull rider say they are the best female bull riders he’d ever seen, and there are two of them.”

McCoy had to check it out for himself. He caught the competitors at an event, watched them ride and offered them a shot to show off their talents.

“I just asked, ‘How would you like to ride in your first PRCA rodeo in Oklahoma City?’ ” McCoy said. “They both lit up and said, ‘Yes.’

“History is going to be made in the brand-new building in Oklahoma City.”

The Eilerts were just looking for some fun as 12-year-old girls. They climbed on the backs of bucking steers for the first time with no equipment. They weren’t even wearing gloves, which is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to having the right grip on a rope that’s wrapped around the bovine’s chest.

Why do such a thing?

They were just looking for that surge of adrenaline that drives all athletes toward extreme sports. It’s that rush of chemicals through the body that happens at a skateboard park or speeding down a snowy mountain. It’s the feeling motocross racers have flying through the air from one jump to another.

“I’ve spent my life in rodeo, and I never expected to see girls ride bulls that well, much less them being twins,” McCoy said. “This hasn’t been seen on a stage like this, so it’s exciting to bring another facet of rodeo to the fans here in Oklahoma.”

Adrenaline is what bull riders feel when they wrap their hands to 1,600 pounds of bucking bovine flesh. McCoy has experienced it. He rode bulls for a couple decades, earning IPRA world championships, then qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo and the PBR World Finals. Haing young ladies excel at bull riding is another level of McCoy producing an event for all fans to enjoy.

Rodeo is like other professional sports in that its equal parts competition and entertainment. In addition to seeing some of the biggest stars in the game, ticket-buyers will be in awe at the overall production. It starts with announcer Brandon McLagan and sound director Mark Evans, who establish the tone with the sounds electrifying OG&E Coliseum.

That energy is then passed on to the cowboys, cowgirls, pickup men, bullfighters and other aspects of each of the three shows. Whether it’s the Eilert twins riding bulls or Dusti Dickerson displaying her trick-riding talent and her ability to maneuver two-, four- and six-horse teams while standing astride two of them in Roman riding.

“In my opinion, there are trick riders, then there’s Dusti,” McLagan said. “She is wide-open from the time she comes in that gate to the time she leaves. There’s a reason she’s performed at the NFR. The girl does an outstanding job, and she’s just a great entertainer.”

So is the Oklahoma City ProRodeo presented by Tractor Supply Co., which will be adding a bit of flair to an already entertaining experience.