Mechanical Bulls Throughout Culture and History

February 16, 2023

The taming and riding of bulls as a sport or form of contest dates all the way back to antiquity with Minoan Greek culture. Mechanical bull riding doesn’t have quite as extensive a history as regular bull riding, but it does have its own unique and rich history. At Buckin’ Wild, we consider ourselves experts on everything mechanical bulls and wanted to talk about the history of mechanical bulls and how they have impacted our culture.

The Original Mechanical Bulls

When most people think of the word mechanical, they think of all of the modern machines we have today outfitted with electrical components, but the word mechanical actually just implies that there are working parts of a machine, and all of the original machines were non-electrical. The first mechanical bulls worked by a system of ropes and pulleys and were usually only used for practice by bull riders.

The Invention of the Electric Mechanical Bull

The very first mechanical bull introduced was a bucking bronco by the name of “Ride Em’ Cowboy”. It debuted in the 1930s at Bertrand Island Amusement Park in New Jersey. Since they were introduced, mechanical bulls have been used by both bull riders for practice purposes and by all kinds of people for entertainment purposes. Their popularity really started to pick up in the 50s and 60s, with another big uptick in popularity to be found later in the 80s as well, largely due to the popularity of a single movie.

Mechanical Bull Influence on Cinema

Culture is comprised of a great many elements and is constantly changing. Since their inception, movies have been an important part of American and world culture. There are movies that revolve around so many different varieties of topics, including mechanical bull riding. One of the most popular movies ever to feature a mechanical bull is 1980’s Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta and Debra Winger.

Besides Urban Cowboy, mechanical bulls have also been featured in many Hollywood movies. The movie Stir Crazy starring the late great Gene Wilder is one of them. In the movie, Wilder has an extremely humorous scene where he attempts to ride the bull. Another movie that had a big mechanical bull riding scene was Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle from 2003, starring Lucy Liu, Drew Barrymore, and Cameron Diaz. In the film, Diaz’s character rides a mechanical bull with the intent to draw the intention of the crowd, while her fellow angels are able to complete their spy mission.

Rent a Mechanical Bull from an Experienced and Trusted Maryland Mechanical Bull Rental Company

Do you have an event coming up where you’re looking to entertain guests? Whether it’s a wedding, birthday party, retirement party, or any kind of event, a mechanical bull may be just what you’re looking for. Most Maryland mechanical bull rental companies have different models and options you can choose from, meaning you’ll be able to find the perfect rental for your event. At Buckin’ Wild, we’ve been helping out Marylanders with our mechanical bull rental services for years. Reach out to us at 717-989-5744 or send us a message online.

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