MVI_2985

The Maitland Mercury

Lachlan Richardson talks about his chances at next month's PBR finals

Transcript

00:00Spell it. L-A-C-H-L-A-N-R-I-C-H-A-R-D-S-O-N.

00:11Excellent. Can you give us a bit of your background? Where are you from?

00:18Originally from Gressford, New South Wales, and then yeah, since then I've married not far from Townsville, so I live up here now.

00:26From my understanding, this entire season you've been leading the way up until the last week in the Kai.

00:31Can you give me a bit of an update on how your season's been and how you're feeling heading into the Grand Final?

00:37Yeah, my season's been good. I've been first or second for most of the year and I'm feeling really good.

00:44My head especially, that's the main thing in this sport. The body will let you down, but I'm feeling good.

00:50A couple of weeks off before Temworth and Townsville, so yeah, feeling really good.

00:55Are you going to use Temworth as your opportunity to sort of claim the lead back from Boston?

01:01I'm always chasing that number one spot and yeah, if I do, I do.

01:06But yeah, that's the goal. I've got to go there and do my job and it's something I've been working at my whole life.

01:11So yeah, just keep chipping away and being positive and it'll work out the way it should.

01:19I guess for people who don't know a lot about professional bull riding, what kind of toll does it take on your body?

01:24What does your training look like? Just give us a bit of insight into that.

01:28I mean, there is some bull riders that just show up and get on and that works when you're 20.

01:33I know that for a fact, but I mean, since I was 10 years old, I've trained every single day.

01:39And you know, I think the older you get, there's a lot more mental training coming to it and a lot more probably recovery sessions.

01:48A lot more strap and tape when you get to the bull ride, but yeah, it's not your average sport, I guess.

01:54You get knocked around, but that's definitely, yeah, I think you've got to accept that when you sign up for it.

01:59And it's some hella good memories along the way.

02:04You've said you've been training since you were 10. Is that when you first jumped on a bull?

02:08Yeah, I was 10 and had some pretty good guidance. Not much background in bull riding, but two older brothers had a go too.

02:16Yeah, stressed mum for a while, but we've been working at it ever since then.

02:21We were pretty close to home back then, but yeah, we soon got going and got used to it.

02:27Worked out at the airports anyway.

02:29Can you tell us about the bulls that you ride as well?

02:32Yeah, well, they do a computer tour every weekend, so you've got different bulls.

02:36But throughout the year, I've either been on or seen probably all the bulls that will be at Townsville.

02:43So, yeah, there is a thing. You can study the bulls, but you've got to prepare for every type of bull.

02:50And they've got minds of their own, so at the end of the day, it's a new challenge each day, that's for sure.

02:56I guess there's a feeling for yourself, but also, I guess, in competitors that you may have heard from,

03:02really coming down to the crunch part of the season, obviously at Tamworth,

03:06and then only three weeks away now from the Grand Final here in Townsville.

03:10Yeah, it's a very important time of the year, but that's a part of it. I love it.

03:16And the best man will win at the end of the day.

03:19But yeah, I think I look back and that's what I've been working at since I was a child.

03:24The work I do today might not be what gets me there, but I think if I'm consistent the whole time,

03:30I'll keep getting consistent results.

03:32What does it mean, I guess, to be coming back to Townsville? It's obviously the Grand Finale,

03:36but is it sort of one of your favourite stops of the competition series?

03:42Yeah, no, Townsville is my favourite, yeah. I don't have to get on a damn flight.

03:47But no, even when I live down south, Townsville's, you know, you've got your best bulls

03:53and some international riders and everyone comes together and it is.

03:57It's the Grand Finals, the best of the best, so you don't get any better all year

04:01and they always pack this place out, so it's going to be good again this year.

04:05What's that atmosphere like for the Grand Finals?

04:08It's always, I don't know, I can block pretty things out pretty good, but I mean, it pumps you up

04:13and yeah, it's as good as you'll go. They're all in pretty close to you here,

04:17so it's always good and yeah, they get right behind you.

04:20And pretty significant prize money this year. What would it mean to you to win that?

04:25Probably a happy wife, I suppose. No, yeah, it means a lot.

04:30I don't, you know, you're not going to get rich off bull riding.

04:33It's a great, yeah, there's a lot of money in it and it's better than ever,

04:38but yeah, I don't do it just for that, but it's definitely a hell of a help.

04:44You just told me a little bit earlier, I guess, some of the appeal or I guess interest in bull riding,

04:50but what would you say to people who just think that people like yourself

04:54and your competitors are just a bit crazy?

04:57From the back of a beast for hopefully eight seconds.

05:00They're probably pretty true, I suppose, but no, I don't know.

05:05Most people do think you're crazy, but you know, I'd rather do that any day

05:09than jump out of a plane or something silly, but yeah, it's a crazy sport.

05:13It's tough on the body, tough on your family at home, but it's a way of life

05:18and if you're, I don't know, it's pretty addictive too.

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