While her friends are chilling, 13-year-old Bonnie competes in one of the most dangerous sports in the world
While bull riding may be one of the most dangerous sports in the world, 13-year-old Bonnie Milgate, from Mareeba isn’t worried about climbing over a few hundred kilogram bulls and surviving a lifetime.
Key points:
- In children riding a bull under the age of 14 riding a mini bull
- Riders aged 14 to 18 ride a junior bull selected for its temperament and size
- All riders under the age of 18 must wear a full-face helmet and protective vest
Bonnie, who attends Saint Stephens in Mareeba, has been riding a bull competitively for the past 12 months and first became interested in bull riding after seeing her brother and father compete.
“I grew up watching my brother do it, which inspired me to try it and it was a lot of fun,” she said.
“I really enjoy the adrenaline and when you ride [to the minimum riding] that time was like no other.”
Bonnie is often the only female competitor and over the last 12 months she has ridden in more than 15 competitions.
In bull riding there is no women’s division, so regardless of your gender, everyone competes with everyone else.
“When you’re the only girl you get a lot of cheers from the audience and it’s an amazing feeling,” Bonnie said.
“It’s fun to be able to go out and show the kids how it’s done.
“It’s always been a men’s sport; girls weren’t supported when they tried it.
Currently Bonnie is riding in the mini bull show but one day she hopes to go professional and ride in the open show.
“I want to go as far as I can. That includes riding as a professional here in Australia as well as overseas.” he says.
Family business
Bonnie is following in the footsteps of her father Kyle Milgate, who is also her coach and coach, and despite the high risk of injury, Bonnie says she loves the sport.
“We had a little training bull at home and dad showed me some moves and how to defend,” says Bonnie.
Mr Milgate said despite the danger he would not stop his daughter from doing what she wanted to do.
“I didn’t encourage him to ride a bull; he saw us training at home one day and said he wanted to ride one of our junior bulls and he surprised us all with his style,” he said.
“He has ridden [to] several times and he really impressed us.”
The most dangerous sport in the world
Mr Milgate said he and Bonnie were fully aware of the dangers of sport.
“The potential is there but there’s no point worrying about something that might not happen,” he said.
Chief executive of the Australian Bushman’s Campdraft Rodeo Association (ABCDA) Craig Young admits bull riding can be a dangerous sport but believes all safety precautions are being followed.
“All contestants under 18 years old are required to wear full face helmets, safety vests and PPE (personal protective equipment),” he said.
“They ride specially selected miniature bulls. At full maturity, they must not be taller than 1.2 meters at the hips.
“They must not exceed a certain weight and their temperament is paramount. The stock is very well selected for the age group.”
When Bonnie arrives at school the Monday after the competition, the girls at her school often talk about what they do over the weekend, which may include shopping or going to parties.
“When I told them I was riding the bull over the weekend they were all a little bit shocked, they all wondered how I did it,” said Bonnie.
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