When you’ve deadlifted over 900lbs and gone skydiving, you’d think few things in life could rattle you. But for strength sports icon Larry Wheels, mounting a live bull for the first time proved to be a whole new kind of challenge.
In a recent YouTube video filmed at Pale Horse Ranch in Texas, Wheels—known for his incredible feats in powerlifting and bodybuilding—stepped far outside his comfort zone to try bull riding. It was a dramatic departure from his usual world of gyms and platforms, and one that came with serious risks.
“I’ve only ridden a horse once, and a camel once,” he admits. “I’ve never ridden a bull. I’ve done skydiving. I’ve lifted 900lb. But I have to say this is probably the most nervous I’ve ever been.”
The video follows Wheels through a structured four-step introduction to bull riding: learning the ropes (literally) on a stationary dummy, testing technique on a barrel, suiting up with safety gear, and then climbing atop an actual bucking bull.
And the crew at the ranch certainly didn’t help ease Wheels’ concerns – sharing tales of broken ribs, surgical procedures, and smashed noses.
Pale Horse Ranch owner and veteran rider guides Larry through the prep, offering insights into bull riding culture, technique, and—most importantly—safety. From leather vests that disperse impact to chaps that help prevent goring, every piece of gear is explained and put to the test.
The bulls themselves have personalities too. Princess, Larry’s first bull, is described as so gentle that a wedding party once used him for photos. Ricardo, his second mount, earns his name for being “a bit of a d**k.” Even among bulls, there’s a learning curve.
Larry’s first ride ends quickly but safely, with Princess giving him a slow but exhilarating introduction.
“That was a rush,” he says, heart still pounding. “That was supposedly a level one bull — super slow — and they kept emphasizing how slow it was. So I was expecting it to stroll on out and… if that’s a stroll, I really know what to expect to feel with this next bull that pro riders run. So definitely a lot more nervous now.”
Then came Ricardo… and it was a matter of seconds before Larry was thrown to the ground and feeling the pain.
“Look, I’m just happy to be in one piece. That was a night and day difference from the first bull. I got thrown off in not even two seconds. One buck and I was flying,” Larry recalls. The difference in force and speed caught him off guard, and he suspects he pulled something in his groin on the dismount – something Wheels attributed to 20 hours of driving and a lack of stretching.
Despite the injury, Wheels highlighted how bull riding is as much of a mental battle as much as the physical one, as one of the younger bull riders told him: “Everyone has that thought of fear in there, and it’s not of getting hurt. It’s a ‘what if’, like, ‘What could happen if I get out on him and I go over the front of him? What could happen if I get tossed under him? Am I going to break my legs again?’
“It’s once I start thinking about that, you’ve already lost.”
“That’s deep,” Larry replied. “And I can relate to that on some level. I’ve done powerlifting for a decade. I’ve gone under weight that have crushed me many times and you can never worry about what could go wrong before you get up to the bar, right? And I spend weeks if not months visualizing myself completing the lift successfully. So I built up confidence leading up to that moment.”
While Wheels won’t be quitting the gym for the rodeo circuit anytime soon, the experience left its mark.
“Safe to say, I will not be pursuing bull riding as a profession,” Larry said. “I got to experience two bulls […] The second one was actually… the proper experience,” he says. “And I’m more than satisfied with that.”
Larry later took to Facebook to describe the experience as “the scariest thing he has ever done”, and his fans also couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing, with one YouTube user writing: “Never in my life i would have imagined larry to do this!”
A second commented: “Larry Wheels riding a bull was something nobody asked for but everyone needed.”
Adrenaline, injury, and introspection — all packed into one unforgettable ride.
