Man vs. beast: Bull, horse riders to compete at DuPage County Fair Rodeo

Just how long is eight seconds? It all depends on where you're sitting.

From the comfort — and safety — of the Grandstand Arena seating at the DuPage County Fair, eight seconds passes in a snap.

For a competitor in the fair's rodeo — clinging to a grip on the back of a bucking bronco or bull — eight seconds can feel like an eternity.

Eight seconds.

Riders will do their best to hold on for eight seconds during rodeo competitions at 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at the fair grounds in Wheaton.

“Eight seconds is longer than you'd think when trying to ride a bull,” said Mike Latting, president of Latting Rodeo Productions, which works with fair organizers to put a little Wild West in the Western suburbs.

Bull riders will compete for prize money and a shot at the national competition — and they have just eight seconds to prove themselves.

Latting, whose father started the Latting Rodeo 52 years ago, grew up in the rodeo culture and started his career by riding calves when he was 6.

The trick to staying on a bucking bull is reacting as quickly as the bull can move and having counter moves for the animal's bucking ability, he said.

“It's all about being at the right spot at the right time,” Latting said.

What does it take to become a rodeo champ? Well, for one thing, it takes intense training, he said. Training can include rodeo schools, where trainees learn the ins and outs of every event in the rodeo.

“You need to be athletic. You need to have training to compete well,” Latting said. “Not just anybody can wake up and say, ‘I want to do this.'”

But one of the most important things a rodeo competitor needs, Latting says, is “a winner's heart.”

“Having a winner's heart means being able to do whatever it takes to be successful,” he said. “That means you train harder than the next guy, you dedicate yourself to learning what it takes to get better. You eat, sleep and drink that competitive event that you're in 24/7.”

The sport, of course, is dangerous, Latting said. The bull can buck off a rider, then turn back and trample the fallen contestant. That element of danger is part of the draw for fans, he said.

“People like to see a 140-pound guy go head-to-head to head with an animal that weighs close to 2,000 pounds,” he said.

But the rodeo does everything possible to keep riders safe. The rodeo clowns are key, Latting said. One clown is there just for entertainment, while the other protects riders by distracting the bull.

Latting hasn't seen many injuries in his time as president of Latting Rodeo, but people do get thrown off the animals regularly. “People get bucked off all the time,” he said. “It's a rough way of life. You get bucked off, get up, get out of the way (of the bull).”

This doesn't necessarily hurt the rider physically ­— though it can hurt their pride. But as Latting says, there's always “another rodeo somewhere” for those who make this their living.

“Everybody's trying to be successful,” he said. “But you have to shake it off, try to correct it the next time.”