In 1976, Gene Melton tied a PRCA record that had stood for 21 years.

He was at a rodeo in Pecatonia, Ill., when he jumped from his horse and took down a steer in 2.4 seconds.

Jim Bynum and Todd Whatley had set the record back in 1955, and no one had come close until Melton and the late Carl Deaton tied it '76. In the years since, others have approached, but none have matched the mark.
 
Melton's record was set 35 years ago, and the veteran bull man has been working cattle and raising bucking bulls for 40 years.

But it wasn't until this year that he struck real bull-man paydirt, in the form of Asteroid.

"Well, we're way on another level now," Melton said.

"Over a period of time you always see there's a special bull out there, but this bull may be the top of the heap from the ones that I have had experience with. I've hauled a lot of good bulls, and I was fortunate enough to work for a guy way back when who was a bull man, and that's where I pretty much learned the ropes about these bucking bulls."

'We're way on another level now'

In 2000, Melton was hired by Howard and Shirley Talley to manage Circle T Ranch and Rodeo.

In just over a decade, he's made Circle T into a well-respected brand. At any given Built Ford Tough Series event, he'll bring the likes of Jack Daniel's After Party, Speckled Ivory, Bad Moon, Space Chimp and others who have made names for themselves.

And this year, the Louisiana ranch has been bringing Asteroid.

"You have to be real thankful, because that's what your ultimate goal is," said Melton of Asteroid. "When you're in the bull business, your goal is to have an animal like that. Some people will never have one. Circle T Ranch could have never had one, but you've always got to be in the position to take advantage of the situation if one comes by."

Melton said his bull rider son Cory, who's been working with him this year, first saw Asteroid perform at a PRCA rodeo. The younger Melton was convinced he could become a World Champion contender, and was determined to add him to the Circle T herd.

Helping at the ranch is Clyde "Cooter" LeGrand, and hauling the bulls to each event is Austin Meier's father Rex. Having a pair of ranch hands like LeGrand and Meier allows the Meltons to focus on the big picture.

"If I don't have but 18, 20 bulls on our truck, I brought the best ones I felt were going to work that week," Gene said. "If you only get to bring one here, bring your best one."

Clearly, their best is Asteroid.

But despite their efforts and expectations, the bull's first outing of 2011 was not that of a World Champion Bull contender. He was marked 39.5 points, and Elton Cide rode him for 76 points in Des Moines, Iowa.

It was one of those nights when everything went wrong from the moment the gate opened.

"We've been around bulls long enough to know things went wrong," Gene said. "That wasn't his deal, that wasn't his trip."

His next trip out he was marked 45.25 points, and he has never been lower than 44.75 points since. Three times Asteroid has been 46.5 points, and once - when Kasey Hayes bucked off of him in Milwaukee - he was marked 47.5 points.

He's bucked off Silvano Alves and Fabiano Vieira along with Meier, who is ranked fourth in world standings. Pistol Robinson is the only rider to have gotten on him twice. Neither attempt ended well.

Aside from Cide, Vieira is the only other rider to make the 8-second whistle on Asteroid.

The bull has established himself as one of the Top 2 title contenders, along with Bushwacker, who's been considered a contender since the first event in New York.
 
"It was just a matter of time," said Gene, who thought Asteroid showcased his potential in his second out, when he bucked off Robinson for the first time in Pueblo, Colo. "People see something and they believe what they saw."

Last week, in Charlotte, N.C., Melton said that while they did contemplate bucking Asteroid one more time in Columbus, Ohio, he's decided not to haul him again until they go out to Las Vegas.

'I'm not going to say which one's the best until it's over'

When asked about Asteroid's chances of winning, he said, "Any animal, any athlete, to win, has to have an exceptional time or perform to his best ability at that point.

"I know this bull is really going to come bucking."

Some believe a quicker buckoff will give an advantage to Asteroid over Bushwacker, who is said to take two or three jumps to completely unfold himself. Asteroid, on the other hand, explodes out of the chute.

But his biggest advantage is that unlike Bushwacker, he continues to perform even after the riders are bucked off, and that can influence judges.

"(The judges) didn't turn their heads (after the buckoff)," Gene said. "They're still looking. Yeah, I think that helps, but when you go up against a bull like Bushwacker - he's got the miles on him, he's got the reputation - there's no doubt about it, that's an exceptional bull.

"You're looking for something extra. What does this bull do extra that that bull didn't do? He comes bucking and keeps bucking, and that's what's kind of scary about him."

Determining the winner will come down to two outs at the Finals.

It will also come down to more than just Asteroid and Bushwacker. I'm a Gangster, who was injured in San Antonio but is expected to return for the Finals, had already established himself as a contender, and the riders have yet to vote on the finalists.

There will be a total of five or six bulls competing for the title.

Gene described I'm a Gangster as another special bull, and that he respects all the "top-of-the-line bulls." Gangster's style might be different than Asteroid's, but they produce the same results.

"I don't rule out any bulls. Everybody has their theory that maybe these two bulls are a step ahead. Who knows? I'm not going to say which one's the best until it's over."

Whether or not Asteroid wins the title, Gene said it's still been an exceptional year - one to remember - and he was quick to point out it's been a slow process that didn't happen overnight.

He's waited 40-plus years for this opportunity, but in the meantime he's not losing any sleep wondering how it'll ultimately play out at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"It's an exciting finish to what's been a long, drawn-out season," he said.

NEWS & NOTES

Heroes and Legends: Dozens of the biggest names in PBR history will come together on Oct. 25 at the Legends Reunion at the Built Ford Tough World Finals. Among those confirmed to attend are Larry Mahan and Myrtis Dightman, along with PBR World Champions Justin McBride and Adriano Moraes.

The reunion will also feature the Founders Forum hosted by Justin McKee, who will interview Ty Murray and Cody Lambert as well as other founding members.

But the attendees won't be limited to two-legged athletes. At the nearby South Point Equestrian Center, fans will find several great bulls from the past, including Bones, Mossy Oak Mudslinger, Camo, Big Bucks, Troubadour, Neon Nights, Red Alert, and Reindeer Dippin.

Details can be found here.

-by Keith Ryan Cartwright