Bucking a trend, Koch tries bull riding

CONCORD - High School Football practice began on Monday, but one local running back/linebacker wanted to ride out the summer in style.

Ethan Koch is a rising senior at Hartington-Newcastle, and at the Dixon County Fair on Saturday he competed in the bull riding competition for the first time ever. Koch had never been on a bull before.

“I have never once sat on a bull,” said Koch. The closest thing I have to experience is a mechanical bull.”

Koch did not have much time to mentally prepare for it either. He decided the night before and he wasn’t even sure if he could still sign up.

I asked my buddy Kyle Smith if I could take his place since he had been hurting for the last couple days or weeks with a deep bone bruise on his elbow,” said Koch. “Kyle said ‘if you ride I will bring you all my gear to do it.’  I called the contractor the next day and signed up that morning.

Koch did not have time to overthink his decision, and that may have helped him during the competition. Koch rode two different bulls, lasting around 6.5 seconds on the first tide and around four seconds on the second. Not bad for a rookie.

“I have never once sat on a bull,” said Koch. “The closest thing I have to experience is a mechanical bull.”

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