The hefty black bull was always going to hold a place in rodeo history. He was, after all, the last bull the great J.B. Mauney ever rode, and it was a ride that didn’t last long; the bull, Arctic Assassin, bucked him off within seconds last September, and Mauney broke his neck, an injury that ended the famed $7 million cowboy’s career.
But that alone isn’t the reason Arctic Assassin rapidly became one of the most well-known bulls in America in recent weeks.
No, Arctic didn’t just retire Mauney.
He retired with him.
That detail was one of several nuggets we covered in our wide-ranging feature and interview with Mauney earlier this month. In fact, when we arrived at Mauney’s XV Ranch near Stephenville, Arctic, 11, greeted us at the front gate.
Mauney described the old bull as a “big ol’ pet” and “dog gentle,” capable of being scratched and petted without worry.
Mauney proved his point. He walked us over to the pasture where he keeps Arctic and Baxter, another retired bucking bull. While we cautiously tip-toed along the fence line, Mauney walked right up to Arctic.
“Which side?” Mauney asked him. “This side?”
Mauney then began petting the hulking bull like a dog.
“This is the one that ended it,” Mauney said. “The bull I was on when I broke my neck.”