Chicken on a Chain. Code Blue. Voodoo Child. Big Tex.

The bulls are more famous than their owners, but Jeff Robinson and Chad Berger are both well-known for regularly providing the Built Ford Tough Series with short-round quality bulls on a near-weekly basis.

This weekend, though, the two stock contractors are changing roles and producing a pair of Touring Pro events.

Robinson, who produced last week’s event in Ft. Pierce, Fla., will again be in the Sunshine State, producing a two-day event in Fort Myers beginning Friday night. Berger is hosting a two-day event in Bismarck, N.D.

“It’s a lot different than just hauling bulls,” Robinson said.

“This is probably my roughest week of the year,” added Berger, who is producing his event for the 10th year. “When you produce an event, there are just so many things you have to cover and make sure everything is done right. Going to the PBR all you have to do is make sure your bulls are healthy and get them in the chutes and flank them. It’s relatively easy, if you know what you’re doing.”

Robinson agreed, “You have to make sure everybody is where they need to be.”

The North Carolina native used to produce a series of events throughout the year before focusing on his career as a stock contractor. As he put it, “I was lucky enough to transition the other way and just got spoiled.”

He’s focusing on bucking some of his younger bulls this weekend in Fort Myers. Robinson said his more famous bulls are “kind of on vacation,” but he plans to haul them to Pennsylvania the week of Independence Day for another Touring Pro event in preparation for the BFTS event in Tulsa.

Berger said he’s looking forward to bucking Code Blue this weekend in North Dakota.

“He’s had quite a rest,” Berger said, “and so we’re excited to see him in Bismarck.”

Robinson and Berger both chuckled at the notion that the BFTS is on a break. In fact, Berger said he’s hauling bulls to at least 10 Touring Pro events this summer, from Oregon to Minnesota.

“We don’t get much of a break,” he said.

NEWS and NOTES

Summer School: Earlier this week, Chad Berger brought Wiley Petersen to North Dakota to host a two-day bull riding clinic. They had 39 students and bucked “about 100 bulls here in the last two days,” he said.

“I feel it’s important to get these young kids started. They’re the future of the sport that I love more than anything. If I can get some of these kids to take an interest, well, they’re the next ones we’ll see at the PBR.”

— by Keith Ryan Cartwright