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During that time, the rider must keep one arm on the bull rope fastened around the animal’s chest and never strike the bull’s body with his free hand.

Mauney, center, rubs rosin into his bull rope before using it to ride in top level PBR competition, in Worcester, Mass., Jan. 13, 2007.

A deep pain threshold is just as valuable a skill as learning to attach the bull rope or pumping the hips during a ride.

Billy puts one leg over, lowers himself, gets on again, wraps his bull rope around using the split-finger wrap that eight-time world champion Donnie Gay himself once taught him.

Warm his collops wi’ the bull rope; he’s warmed my old mar.