Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson was finally able to test his bull-riding mettle Friday for the sake of the Raccoon River Valley Trail’s Let’s Connect connector trail project.
Peterson planned to put his bullriding skills to the test last fall, but he cracked five ribs the weekend before when he was awkwardly thrown from a bucking bronco named Jawbreaker in a Nebraska rodeo.
Nothing daunted, Peterson tried his hand this time around at the Dallas County Fair Rodeo at the county fairgrounds in Adel, where he boldly mount — and blessedly dismounted — Mudslinger, a black bull with large horns who tips the scales at nearly one ton.
“He came up out of the shoot with way more force than a bucking horse,” Peterson said after his brief ride, which easily lasted one full second.
“You did a hell of a good job, Sven,” said Dallas County Fair Board member Matt “Fizz” Van Pelt, whose duties include managing the rodeo and the south arena of the fairgrounds.
Pledges for Peterson’s efforts on behalf of the connector trail can still be made for a set dollar amount. Pledge forms are available at the Perry City Hall, on the Let’s Connect website and in downloadable form right here.
Other exciting events in the 2.5-hour rodeo competition included bareback bronc riding, breakaway roping, bull riding, calf roping, cowgirl’s barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling and team roping.
The Dallas County Fair Rodeo is sanctioned by the Iowa Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Unied Rodeo Association. The rodeo continues Saturday night starting at 7:30 p.m.
