Lehi People
Lehi’s own bold, professional bullfighter
Between bull riding, barrel racing and team roping at a rodeo, there is another exciting sport that combines showy outfits with a hearty amount of danger: bullfighting. Don’t get caught up with the name; rodeo bullfighting doesn’t involve animal cruelty, and no blood is shed—at least no bull’s blood—but it’s a risky sport that has turned into one of the wildest events at the rodeo.
Lehi’s own Kade Evans is a professional bullfighter who feels he has learned valuable lessons from the sport, and he wouldn’t trade those lessons for anything.
While the crowd sits in the stands and watches the bulls and the riders, in the arena’s dirt, bullfighters are looking at the bulls and their riders for a different reason: it is their job to protect the cowboy.
“Bullfighters are there to distract the bull, whose attention is solely focused on chasing after its former rider,” said Evans.
Bullfighting was influenced by Spanish bullfighters and has become a long-standing tradition at the rodeo. Bullfighting has evolved into a dangerous sport with an all-American, cruelty-free twist. The sport broke out in the 1980s and is a separate classification from a Rodeo Clown. The Rodeo Clown is there to entertain and make the crowd laugh. Bullfighters’ role is not a humorous one, as they intentionally put themselves right into the bull’s path as they strut, show off and tease the beast into aiming itself straight at them and charging so the cowboy can safely leave the arena.
“Bullfighters put themselves purposely in harm’s way to keep a bull rider safe,” says Evans. “That can be nerve-racking at times.”
Evans grew up in Lehi. He is the son of Annelise and Rick Evans, who Evans says are his biggest supporters. Evans grew up with rodeo, his dad competed in both team roping and as a calf roper. Evans’ dad encouraged him to participate in junior rodeo, which he enjoyed, but Evans also loved baseball and excelled in the sport.
Evans had opportunities to play baseball at a collegiate level, but after high school baseball, he had to choose between baseball and rodeo.
“Although cleats are cheaper than horses, I still decided to go back to rodeo. I became a bullfighter, and I’ve never regretted my decision,” said Evans. “Rodeo is where my heart is. My dad is my inspiration for the love of rodeo.”
The bravery of the bullfighter is next-level, and the energy and genuine fear in the arena can be thrilling for many.
“Quite often, I feel intimidated by a bull. Honestly, if you aren’t intimidated once in a while by a bull, then there is a problem; you will just get yourself hurt,” said Evans.
The bold bullfighters can suffer severe injuries from being rammed by bull horns or stomped on by heavy hooves. For Evans, it was “butting heads with a bull.”
“A few years ago, I was injured by a bull and ended up with 22 stitches in my eye. The bull and I literally butted heads, and the bull ended up winning. I actually finished that rodeo. It was the last night. I finished the bull riding event with a bandage on my eye that made me look like a pirate. I was holding my eye shut with one hand and using the other to taunt the bull. When we finished the event, I went to the hospital and got stitches.”
That wasn’t the first injury for Evans. Although he has been injured several times, his grit keeps him in the arena fighting bulls. Bulls are known for being unpredictable and aggressive. However, outside of rodeos, they can be calm and peaceful animals.
He added, “The bulls I have the most fun with are the ones that chase you around. It’s kind of boring if the crowd shows up to a rodeo and 15 bulls don’t have any hook and don’t chase the bullfighters. That may make for an easy paycheck, but it is way more fun if there’s excitement involved.”
Bullfighters look out for each other. They genuinely work together to protect the bull riders. Evans is encouraged and appreciative when he feels support and camaraderie from the bull riders. He thinks that they should always “work as a team.”
“I did a lot of high school rodeos when I first became a bullfighter. The best part of that experience was definitely when the parents of the high school riders would approach me after and thank me for keeping their kids safe and alive,” said Evans. “That really goes a long way in encouraging you to keep on fighting. When a cowboy comes up and says, ‘I appreciate you for keeping me safe,’ or, ‘Thanks for taking a hit for me,’ that is the most rewarding part of the sport.”
Evans has been a bullfighter for 10 years and has participated in the rodeo circuit every one of those years.
Evans said, “I use the off-season to rejuvenate and get ready for the summer. I need that time to get back to being healthy. … After 20 rodeos, I’m pretty worn out. When the summer rodeo season is over, I’m mentally and physically drained and need the off-season time to feel stronger and healthier,” said Evans.
His preparation to bullfight each year includes spending time at the gym, improving his footwork, and finding practice pens that bullriders use to fight off-season. Evans feels his biggest accomplishment is being chosen for this year’s circuit finals rodeo.
“I made the circuit finals this year, which is a big deal for cowboys. For bullfighters, It means that the top 12 bullriders in the circuit voted me as one of the best to protect them,” said Evans. “I feel like I’ve accomplished something because the Wilderness Circuit is one of the best in the nation. For those bull riders to support me and feel that my bullfighting offers them great protection is humbling.”
Evans has traveled across the country as a bullfighter. His favorite rodeo is in Bigfork, Montana, but his heart still lies with Utah’s highly competitive rodeo scene.
“It is such a beautiful place. The people and rodeo committee are amazing and supportive of the bullfighters,” said Evans. “The state of Utah, I feel, is the area that brings the best cowboys. As a whole, Utah has a bunch of great ropers and saddle bronc competitors, and, overall, Utah produces a lot of good cowboys that compete at the national finals rodeo in December every year. Cowboys from Utah are a talented bunch.”
Evans’ bullfighter hero is Dusty Tuckness, who Evans believes to be the “best of the best.”
“I had the opportunity to meet him when I first became a pro bullfighter, and I was able to speak with him. He shared a lot of insight about bullfighting and other things,” said Evans. “I just found out that Dusty Tuckness will also be fighting in the circuit finals, and I’m so excited to work alongside him.”
The career of a bullfighter can last for many years, but many bullfighters only last a few years in the industry. Evans feels that bullfighting will be a part of his long-term future.
“I’ve heard that, for bullfighters, there comes a time when you’ll ‘just know’ you are done. I haven’t got that feeling yet. I don’t know when retirement will be, but I hope to keep doing what I love for a long time,” said Evans.
After 10 years of bullfighting, the most impactful life lesson Evans has learned is how far respect can take a person.
“Learning how to respect an animal that doesn’t respect you is important. That sheds a new light on the term of respect. You are giving respect to something that is probably never going to respect you back, and that is humbling. Applying that same respect to people in my life has made a difference and is important for me,” said Evans.
The next time you attend a rodeo and find yourself feeling nervous for the bull riders and cheering for the barrel racers, remember to give heed to one of the wildest events at the rodeo: bullfighting, the sport where people risk their lives to keep the cowboys safe.
