The Story Behind the Bull Ride Mania Logo (http://www.bullridemania.com)
The Bullride Mania logo was developed by the bullfighter, Steve Harpster.
Steve broke both legs getting a bullrider free from a bull. While Steve was "laid up", Dave Martin asked him to design and draw the logo. The only specs were draw the bull to be "evil, wicked, mean and nasty".
When Steve was asked what his fee was, his reply was 12 free tickets to the first ever Bullride Mania.
As a four year old pre-schooler, Dave's parents took him to see Tommy Steiner's Rodeo at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Arena in Harrisburg, PA. When the rodeo bug bit the lad, it bit hard. All through school, Dave was possessed with rodeo. While other boys were thinking about Boy Scouts, baseball or girls, Dave was thinking about Brahma bulls and bucking horses. At sixteen, Dave began a ten-year career as a rodeo contestant, competing in bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, as well as his favorite event, Bullriding.
In 1971, Dave started a business of leasing bulls to rodeos on the eastern seaboard. This business expanded until Dave finally produced his first sanctioned rodeo in 1975, in Hanover, PA.
This year, Dave Martin's Championship Rodeos will produce Bullride Manias in six different states (Schedule).
Some of the highlights of Dave's 30 years of producing rodeos include:
- Best Bucking Bull at the International Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, OK, two times!
- Producing a High School Rodeo for the Commonwealth of PA at the annual Farm Show that was voted #1 in the nation.
- Providing bulls for nationally-televised rodeo telecasts.
Dave and his son Casey reside in Gettysburg, PA where the company is based on a six hundred acre ranch along US Rt. 15. Casey competes in rodeo as a Steer Wrestler and attends the Savannah, GA College of Arts & Design, as well as being the show's official photographer. Dave's late son Jesse was ranked among the top twenty bull riders in the nation during his senior year of high school.
When not on the rodeo road, Dave works as a car auctioneer in several northeastern states. Dave Martin's rodeo career spans three decades. Passionately devoted to producing the best shows in the Northeast, he supervises, consults, choreographs, and oversees new, innovative, and many times unexpected ideas for the shows that entertain over 250,000 fans annually. Each animal is an important member of the family. The "Fly-By-Night Crew" lives, travels, and works together caring for the animals, which is not only a twenty-four-hour-a-day commitment, but a way of life.
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Statement of Principles
Dave Martin Championship Rodeo has an ethical responsibility to handle livestock properly. We also recognize that contributions of sound animal handling practices to the profitability of our company. Our company has a history of concern for animal welfare. We will continue to monitor animal welfare improvements as they become available, and to implement those that have application to our equipment and facilities. We have dedicated ourselves to the highest standards of animal care and to full compliance with the human regulations of the association that sanction our shows. |
Addressed to Various Animal Rights Activist Groups
As you may know I am the livestock contractor and producer for many rodeos and bullridings. It is my understanding that you folks may be considering organized opposition to my shows by various means. I realize that it is difficult for either you or I to approach these matters in a dispassionate fashion. In that regard, we welcome any objective, informed and responsible view of our activities.
On the other hand, we will not tolerate the type of inaccurate, blatantly uninformed, or ignorant false statements that properly characterize the publicity, which is sometimes generated in these situations. We will not condone any mass interference with the scheduling of our shows, and we shall seek injunctive relief and/or money damages from any individual or organization, which intentionally interfere with our lawful business.