The Art of Something New: Try riding a mechanical bull

Have you ever been faced with the opportunity to ride a mechanical bull? If so, what did you do?

Mechanical bull riding is often seen on American TV. Scenes of tragic bachelorette parties appear onscreen, set in towns renowned for its gunslinger attitude and the love of cowboy hats. It is the epitome of country party culture which we could deem as exclusive; this goes to say, it is definitely not something you could find at your local bar. Fortunately for me, I recently found myself in a country-themed bar where those scenes on TV appeared before my eyes. It had everything from Taylor Swift’s music, cowboy hats, and even a party of bachelorettes dressed in pink sashays. I wish I was kidding. But most of all, a mechanical bull was gloriously set up at centre stage.

This sight pre-empts a thought process consisting of an internal argument between the fear of looking stupid, or the fear of missing out. At this point, I had only one drink, and was having a long overdue catch up with a friend, surrounded by people who remained from after-work drinks. This was certainly not the right time to do it, but I knew I would regret it upon leaving. Thankfully, people started taking the bull by the horns and began to go up there one after the other. So ultimately, what’s the difference if a stranger like me were to go up too?

I lasted a full 12 seconds.

While Auckland lacks the novelty of such entertainment, here are some alternate suggestions:

Dakota Bar / Wellington

This is an All-American themed bar based in the heart of Wellington’s party street – Courtenay Place. If you are ever in the city, I recommend this bar one hundred percent for a truly unique experience. The bull is available to the public for free, however, once the clock strikes 10pm for late-night partygoers, it gets packed away to make room on the dancefloor.

Bull for Hire

It is rare to find this entertainment freely in the country, however, there are plenty of companies who have them for hire. This is a bit costly, but whether it is for an event or a birthday, this will get everybody remembering it for years!

Here are some places for consideration:

• The Madd Fun Company
• Total Entertainment
• Promo King

New Zealand Rodeo Cowboys Association (NZRCA)

This is where to go if you ever want to see a live-action rodeo. There are clubs and events all over New Zealand and it is as easy as checking out their site to see when their next public event is. Unfortunately, they are currently on hiatus due to Covid-19 however, keep watch for their events of bareback, saddle-racing and of course, bull riding.