By all accounts Chad Berger is a mild-mannered man—a gentleman’s gentleman, if you will.

But the reigning Stock Contractor of the Year has heard about all he can handle when it comes to Tom Teague and others talking about Bones.

“I’m just tired of hearing ‘Bones this, Bones that,’” said Berger, in an interview broadcast on NBC during Round 1 of the Express Classic in Oklahoma City.

“Don’t get me wrong, Bones is a good bull, but I have a bull, Big Tex, that I think is just as good.”

Berger first alluded to his frustration last week in Florida, when he said he might be willing to put his bull up against Bones for $10,000.

At the time, Berger said he didn’t have as much money as Teague, but this week the South Dakota contractor offered to put up $25,000. Asked if he would accept the challenge, Teague said, “No, I’m not.

“Let’s make it $50,000.”

“Let’s do it,” agreed Berger, who will haul Big Tex to St. Louis in two weeks to meet Bones in the first-ever bull-versus-bull challenge, in which the bovine with the highest bull score wins $50,000 from his competitor’s owner.

Unlike the past two challenges, in which Bones faced Guilherme Marchi and then J.B. Mauney in a one-shot out separate from the event, this particular bull challenge will pit Bones against Big Tex in the short go of the Enterprise Rent-a-Car Invitational.

“Both those are great bulls,” said Ty Murray, shortly after the challenge was agreed to. “It depends on who they draw.”

The championship round takes place in St. Louis at the Scottrade Center – home of the St. Louis Blues of the NHL – on Sunday, March 1, and will be broadcast on Versus beginning at 8 p.m. EST.

The three-day Enterprise Rent-a-Car Invitational event takes place Feb. 27 and 28, and concludes on March 1.

— by Keith Ryan Cartwright