Rodeo: more than bull riding

Outreach program to help fight bullying

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY). Rodeo fever is in the air in the Desert Southwest and rodeo fans are eager to see their favourite event. Whether you're a fan of the excitement of barrel racing, the intensity of bull riding or the antics of the rodeo clowns, the rodeo has something for everyone.

Although the athletes make the events looks easy; it's far from it. Some of the challenges however, even leave the arena; hence James B. Rolle Elementary. The stage was set for rodeo clown Back Flip Johnny and with the aid of his team they took on an animal of a different breed, bullies. Bully Stoppers is an outreach program aimed at targeting children at a young age.

The presentation mixes humour with real life examples and ways to deal with it, safely. Child Trends is a research organization who has reported that bullying increases by age groups with the highest number of cases coming from teenagers ages 14 to 17. Back Flip Johnny says that by targeting them and this point in their lives they may either report bullying or recognize that they're a bully themselves and correct their behavior.