It took &uot;Eight Seconds&uot; for Lee Mizell of Natchez to realize he wanted to be a bull rider.

&uot;My mom rented ‘Eight Seconds,’ which is the true story of (bull rider) Lane Frost,&uot; Mizell said. &uot;It inspired me a lot.&uot;

Mizell, 16, has been riding bulls for about a year.

&uot;I’ve always loved the country and horses,&uot;&160;he said. &uot;I’ve always been an outdoor fanatic.&uot;

Mizell brought up the subject to his parents, Ronnie and Patti Mizell, about taking up the sport.

&uot;At first we told him when he turned 18 we would talk about it,&uot; Ronnie said. &uot;But then we realized how serious he was about it and decided it would be better to get him started then.&uot;

Mizell attended a school in Liberty to learn the ropes of bull riding.

&uot;I had never been on a bull, so when we got there and saw the bull I was going to ride acting up in the chute, my eyes got real big,&uot; Mizell said. &uot;But after I got on him it wasn’t that bad I made it for eight seconds. I figured then I might can do this.&uot;

With the help of his father, Mizell built a bucking barrel using a spring spring and came up with a contraption that would somehow simulate some of the movements of a bull. His father plans on making an even better practice bull in the near future.

&uot;But it can’t compare to a 1,600-pound bull,&uot;&160;Mizell said.

Mizell, who competes in Little Britches, Louisiana High School, Mid-South and in the Junior Bull Riders Association, also attended a training school in Arkansas.

&uot;But everyone has to form their own style,&uot; he said. &uot;There are like 500 different styles. I try to stay up and over the front of the bull.&uot;

Mizell said half of riding a bull is mental.

&uot;I imagine myself riding a bull over and over before I get on him,&uot;&160;Mizell said. &uot;Then when I know which one I’m going to ride, I imagine myself on him and try to picture what he might do.&uot;

Mizell said while his is competing against other riders, it’s actually a friendly competition.

&uot;Everybody helps each other out when they need it,&uot; he said. &uot;Nobody likes to see anybody else get thrown. You want to win by having the best ride.&uot;

See Mizell, 3B

Mizell, a junior at Adams County Christian School, carries a 3.6 grade point average.

&uot;I’ve really started studying harder,&uot; he said. &uot;I want to be a professional bull rider, but I&160;have to have my education to fall back on.&uot;

Mizell said he has talked with Jonesville, La.’s Chris Shivers, who is considered one of the top bull riders in the nation.

&uot;I see how big he’s gotten and the money he makes and think about him being from the little town of Jonesville,&uot; Mizell said.

Mizell said being a bull rider takes a lot of dedication.

&uot;I work out about three times a week and two other days I’m doing gymnastics to try and stay limber,&uot; he said. &uot;You have to be committed.&uot;

And Mizell said some of his friends do think he’s crazy for competing in such a dangerous sport.

&uot;But a lot of people think it’s cool,&uot; he said.

Mizell said the worst he’s been hurt riding a bull is when a bull’s horn went under his helmet and gouged him in the throat, bruising his larnyx.

&uot;He was acting up when I put the rope on him,&uot;&160;Mizell said. &uot;He moved real quick and jerked me down and slapped my face. Then he came back and caught me under my helmet in the throat behind my chords. I couldn’t eat anything for a week.&uot;

But Mizell said that didn’t discourage him a bit.

&uot;I&160;still wanted to do it,&uot; he said. &uot;I think I’ve made a lot of improvement.&uot;

Mizell has yet to score in an event, but has not competed in many.

His next event will be part of the Louisana High School Rodeo circuit Feb. 12-13 in Jonesville, La. That event was orgiginally scheduled for Alexandria, La.

Mizell said he wishes there were still competitions held in Natchez, but with the horse barns being sold to the Natchez-Adams School District, th

Mizell has to go 80 miles one way to Greensburg, La., to practice.

&uot;It takes a lot of traveling and gets expensive,&uot; Mizell said. &uot;I have to go to south Louisiana to places like Lake Charles, Leesville and DeRidder to compete.&uot;

Mizell said the bulls are drawn from a lot and no one knows which bull they will ride until then.

Next comes the ride itself, for what he hopes will be at least eight seconds.

&uot;I want to do it professionally,&uot; he said. &uot;I’m hoping to get a scholarship and that way I can continue my education and have something to fall back on.&uot;

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