Harley Schofield reveals why he fights 800kg bulls in his free time

It’s a quick-footed art not for the faint-hearted but North Qld father of two Harley Schofield says putting his body in the way of 800kg beasts makes him ‘feel on top of the world’.

Rodeo protection athlete Harley Schofield says he steps in front of bulls weighing more than half a tonne because it is his passion. Picture: Redhot Photography, Heidi Petith

As a day job he is a miner but on his days off, he readily jumps in front of 600 to 800kg bulls that have no qualms about trampling his body.

Nowadays known as a protection athlete rather than a rodeo clown, Harley Schofield is what you might label an adrenaline junkie.

His miner mates think he is a “crazy b*****d” but the 32-year-old workshop leading hand disagrees, saying he was just following his passion.

The dad of two grew up in Seaforth, a coastal town northeast of Mackay where he went from jumping dirt bikes to hunting wild boars to flipping wakeboards.

But it was after trying his hand at riding bulls that he “sort of stumbled” into bull fighting.

‘THE FIRST BULL I HAD TO FIGHT, I GOT COMPLETELY NAILED’

To learn the ropes of the quick-footed art, Mr Schofield enrolled in the Dan Roberts protection athlete school at Middlemount.

“The first bull I had to step around and fight, I got completely nailed,” he said.

“I got up and thought, ‘Oh that was cool, let’s go again.’”

Rodeo protection athlete Harley Schofield says he steps in front of bulls weighing more than half a tonne because it is his passion. Picture: Redhot Photography

He said every bull had its own temperament. It was the protection athlete’s role to grab their attention and get into the bull’s “bubble”.

“(At the school), you learn how to try and control a bull to be able to manoeuvre it away from the rider safely and to get ourselves out of danger basically,” he said.

“Over the years you learn how a bull holds themselves, same as a person.

“Like you walk into a bar and see someone that doesn't look that friendly, you can sort of judge it I guess.

“Every bull you can get around but you’ve got to be on your toes and be prepared.”

‘THE RIDERS ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE BULL, I’M NOT’

Mr Schofield said being in the pit gave him a front-row seat to watch the action with the riders in more peril than him.

“They’re the ones who are tied to a bull,” he said.

“They’re sort of at the mercy of the bull. I’m not.

“There’s moments where (the riders) are hung, and they might be hung for a bit, but you don’t think that you can’t get them out.

“You just go in there and try again.”

Rodeo protection athlete Harley Schofield says the riders face more danger than him. Picture: Redhot Photography

He said the biggest bull he had faced was about 800kg although it was the mini-bulls that “were quick to teach you a lesson if you became complacent.

“They might be small but they can hurt just as bad,” he said.

‘YOU FEEL ON TOP OF THE WORLD WHEN EVERYONE GETS AWAY SAFE’

Mr Schofield said the best moments were when you could predict the rider was “going to get smashed” but you could “step through, get the bull’s attention, step away and get out”.

“You feel on top of the world I guess because you made that good move, everyone gets away safe and no one’s hurt. You’ve done your job.”

Mr Schofield’s proven his merits at the job having earned Central Rodeo Cowboys Association Bullfighter of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

Traditionally known as rodeo clowns, the title has been changed to protection athlete to better reflect the role. Harley Schofield has proven to be one of the best in the game. Picture: Redhot Photography

But even he, having worked 30 rodeos, came off second best to the bulls at times.

Along with a torn MCL in his knee, he has broken two transverse processes in his spine.

“I didn’t really come good for probably three months,” he said.

Megan Schofield, of Marian, with son William, 1, at the inaugural Dittmann Bucking Bulls and Bull Pit Bull Bash in August, 2021, to support Harley Schofield who travels Queensland for his role as a rodeo protection athlete. Picture: Heidi Petith

His firstborn child, William, was then just a newborn.

Mr Schofield’s wife Megan, son William, and daughter Molly, are his biggest supporters, travelling to rodeos across Queensland to cheer him on from the sidelines.

“We try to turn them into a family holiday whenever we have a rodeo, and make it into a lifestyle,“ he said.

“Meg gets nervous every time I step into the arena.

“But William loves it. He beats his chest and says ‘I do.’

“But he’s more about riding the bulls rather than wanting to fight them.”