Baa Baa Buckaroos continue Mutton Bustin’ tradition at Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Be one with the sheep.
This is no Zen mantra. It is the guidance repeated to four-to-nine-year-old mutton busters, who clutch head down — and sometimes reverse-facing — to the woolen backs of galloping sheep for sport.
Mutton Bustin’, a common rodeo event where children ride sheep for as long and as far as possible, is a decades-old mainstay at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, and is widely hailed as one of the most popular events.
“I think Mutton Bustin’ is one of those naturally charismatic events where when you see it, you love,” said Rick Gillit, one of the lead organizers and a 14-year Mutton Bustin’ volunteer.
“You want to root for every single kid, and you hope every single kid does well.”
The Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo recently finished its July 9 – July 13 run and will not return again until July 2025. However, registrations to qualify for the Colorado Mutton Bustin’ Championships at the National Western Complex in Denver this October are still open.
Before the scheduled 7 p.m. feature rodeo began (aside from noontime Friday and Saturday matinees), hundreds of fans gathered outside of the Norris Penrose Event Center — the primary arena for the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo — to cheer the Mutton Bustin’ contest.
The small, dirt-filled Mutton Bustin’ pen, which resembles a miniature rodeo arena, is located in the Fan Zone, where any passers-by who are between four and nine years-old, weigh less than 50 pounds and have their parent’s approval can pay to participate in the event — though parents frequently seem more enthusiastic than the kids.
Unlike “bronc” or bull riding, where riders need to stay on an animal for a certain amount of time, mutton bustin’ scores riders based on the distance they manage to stay atop the sheep.
“We were fortunate this year to have a rider go all the way down [the pen], all the way back, and then halfway down again,” said Gillit, “and that’s when they actually had to get somebody to pull the kid off.”
Mutton Bustin’ has been featured at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo for about 20 years, according to Gillit. Families wanted their kids to be more directly involved in the activities, he said, and before long the rodeo brought out some sheep for the brave few willing to mount them.
That was Kenlee Carlson’s goal. The young mutton buster, who traveled all the way from Minnesota to attend the PIkes Peak or Bust Rodeo, hoped to perform on the big stage alongside her father, who was competing in Steer Wrestling that evening.
Carlson did not end up qualifying, but she enjoyed the experience.
“It kind of hurt back here, but it was fun,” said Carlson, pointing to her backside.
Henlee Barker, a Colorado Springs native who at seven years old has already competed in three Mutton Bustin’ events, says it is the thrill that keeps bringing her back.
“It’s fun,” said Barker. “Fun and crazy.”
There are competing theories as to the precise origins of Mutton Busting (which is almost always written as the shortened “Mutton Bustin’”). Some credit Canadian rodeo legend Jack Daines, while others trace the sport back to Texas in the early 1980s.
However, it is more than likely that kindergarteners have been climbing atop sheep for decades, and they continue to do so at individual Mutton Bustin’ competitions at rodeos across the country.
There is not presently an official Mutton Bustin’ league or circuit. However, Mutton Bustin’ is included in Colorado Springs’ Rocky Mountain State Games, and the top three riders win Gold, Silver, or Bronze Rocky Mountain State Games medals.
That is, at rodeos not located in New York City or in Alameda County in California.
New York City removed the sport from competition in 2012, and Alameda County (which includes the cities of Oakland and Berkeley) followed suit in 2019, with critics citing safety concerns for both the animals and the children.
The ASPCA argues that “sheep riding” (mutton busting), along with other “children's rodeo events” like “goat tying” and “calf riding,” “do not promote humane care and respect for the animals.”
Mutton Bustin’ was banned at rodeos in New Zealand — a country with more sheep than people — after the New Zealand Veterinary Association stated that riders were too heavy for the sheep.
Though riders are dressed in fitted helmets with facemasks and protective vests, they are not strapped to the sheep. Kids often take pretty rough tumbles off the animals, which other opponents say lead to “broken bones, head injuries and abrasions.”
Such injury claims are disputed by other medical professionals, some acknowledging the inherent dangers of the activity but adding that most injuries are “pretty benign.”
Supporters counter that the event builds toughness, confidence and pride, and allows kids to not only compete, but compete in an arena where girls frequently outperform the boys.
Gillit understands the hesitancy some may have with the sport, particularly those who come from places where the “rodeo experience” is not as prominent.
However, Gillit believes that if people watch the event, they may come to appreciate the “uplifting experience” and the unifying properties of Mutton Bustin’.
He noted that of the often hundreds of young participants that compete across the four-day Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, many come from out of state and even out of the country.
“We’ve had Switzerland, we’ve had Zimbabwe… Australia, Mexico, Canada,” said Gillit. “And especially in other countries where they don’t have rodeo, this is a big deal.”
“They don't know what to expect… so being able to bring a worldwide community together, and to watch something that is really uplifting is a pretty fun time.”
The sheep typically come from the same ranch in Dodge, Kansas. Each is numbered, and this year there were 66 in attendance.
Gillit said that Mutton Bustin’ is taking advantage of the sheep’s “herd mentality.” When released from their cage (regardless of whether a toddler is attached to their back or not), the sheep will move to join the others, who wait together at the end of the pen.
He noted that they make sure each child is under 50 pounds to keep from hurting the animals.
Loyal volunteers, which included “local realtors, doctors and insurance guys” according to Gillit, help ensure that the event continues each year.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic when the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo was forced to hang up its saddle, Mutton Bustin’ still took place under controlled conditions.
“The kids were stuck inside, and we wanted them to be able to do something,” said Gillit. “We were able to call on our volunteers… and we were able to put on Mutton Bustin’ for two days at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.”
Mutton Bustin’ is more than just participatory: it’s a competitive training ground.
“This is like early stage training for the actual rodeo,” said Gillit. “You conquer that fear of getting on something early.”
That competitive spirit is fostered within the orange fences of the Mutton Bustin’ pen. The top seven riders from each day have the chance to compete on the grand stage during the evening rodeo in the Norris Penrose Event Center.
As the sun dipped below the mountain, seven young competitors — led by young cowgirls in bright pink outfits — entered the packed arena, which likely held upwards of 10,000 spectators based on typical attendance numbers.
Volunteers, now dressed in bright yellow shirts with “Sheep Wrangler” written across the back, helped each rider mount their sheep.
And one by one, each young mutton buster clung on to their respective animals to the crescendoing cheers shaking the bleachers.
Three riders placed, each walking out with a trophy nearly as tall as them, and nearly as wide as their smiles.
“When you get a kid on the sheep, for the majority of them, it’s their first time. And when you see that excitement in any kid… you want to be part of that,” said Gillit.
“And when you go into the main arena, and they get those trophies, and they’re screaming… that’s just pretty awesome to see.”