Wallis, Texas
Words & photos by Ivan McClellan
After a long and successful career as a bull rider, Dennis Davis found himself in need of a job. He started working as an inventory control manager at a plastic cooler company, using spreadsheets to track merchandise around the country. The work was satisfying enough and paid well, but Dennis felt the unrelenting call to return to his passion, bulls. When he got the opportunity to lease a large ranch from a retiring stock contractor, he jumped at the chance to raise his own herd.
Dennis now runs Dennis Davis Bucking Bulls a large operation that trains competitive bulls and leases them
to rodeos around the country. He approaches bull training with the same data head spreadsheets that he
used in his past job. Documenting every nuance of each bull’s performance, he determines what needs work. The thing that separates Dennis from other contractors is his humane connection to his bulls. He walks among the herd gently patting the animals on the head and calling them by name. He got emotional, telling me about a bull that split his lip after running into a gate. A vital part of training is to ensure the animals are prepared for the stresses of competition. “You can tell a bull that isn’t well trained because they get in the arena, run around scared, and don’t know what to do.” Dennis cares about his herd, and that care is demonstrated in everything he does.
