ARARAT — Bull riding is no joke.

Nothing Fancy Farm’s Kevin Dalton will tell you that up front.

Dalton had his hip crushed while helping a young rider during a practice session earlier this year and has been out of commission since.

With no insurance and a stack of medical bills, the tight-knit community that is local bull riding came together Saturday to help raise money for one of it’s own.

Dalton’s parents own and operate Nothing Fancy and have held annual bull riding events for many years.

With a good turnout for Saturday’s show, Dalton thanked all those who came to support him and his family.

“I appreciate all of them coming out,” Dalton said.

Eastern Mesquite’s Don Jones said Saturday’s showing and the support from the entire community comes with being part of a family who share a passion for the rodeo.

“We’ve got to look out after our own,” Jones said. “Kevin hadn’t even made it to surgery and I’d had six people call me about doing benefits for him.”

The competition was open, with anyone who dared to try their luck at taming a two-ton bull able to do so.

Ex-Marine and Mount Airy native R.C. Dalton, one of several professional riders to come out in support, said anyone can try, but they better be absolutely sure of themselves before they get in the ring.

“If you’re a man and have your stuff together, bear down, strap down and cowboy up,” Dalton said.

The 6-foot 4-inch, 275-pound Dalton said bull riding isn’t about strength, but about the ability to anticipate the bull’s movements and stay focused.

“You ain’t going to muscle a bull,” he said. “ I’m a big boy myself and you can get by with small bulls but you’re not going to muscle something that weighs 2,000 pounds. It’s basically technique and balance. It’s a mind game with you and the bull. The way I look at it is my bull is my dancing partner and in order to dance you’ve got to be in rhythm together. If you can match him jump for jump or spin for spin then you won’t buck off.”

Jones, who has been around bull riding for longer than most of the riders have been alive, said these cowboys aren’t just weekend warriors.

“The boys who get hurt are the ones who go put their arms around some girl after it and say “I did this all for you,” Jones said. “The boys who win money at this are the ones who go work out in a gym four or five times a week.”

Kevin Dalton hasn’t ridden competitively since 2003 when he had his face crushed by a bull. But even after his most recent injury he said he will be back ready to help anyone who cares to get involved with the sport he and his family love.

“I will help anybody who wants to learn,” he said. “It’s not about if you’re going to get hurt, it’s about how bad. But if anyone wanted to come out I would help them as much as I could. It’s just how I grew up.”