Caught on video: Bull charges cyclists during California race
VIDEO: Bull charges bicyclist
Cyclists participating in a Central California bike ride notorious for its difficult terrain may have gotten more than they bargained for on February 12, when a territorial bull found its way onto the race path and began charging at cyclists. Credit: ELEVENGEAR via Storyful
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The bicycle ride was hard enough already.
And then add in getting charged by a bull.
At least two videos have surfaced showing a bull in Bakersfield, Calif., charging a bicyclist, participating in the Rock Cobbler, an 80-mile course described as a "stupidly hard (bike) ride bordering on a race," according to the website.
Richard Pepper, who shot one of the videos on Feb. 12, captured the moment a bull charged at a bicyclist, who didn't slow down or swerve on his path, but kept moving in the direction of the large animal, which butted its head twice at the rider, who fell off his bike.
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Pepper told Storyful when he got to this part of the trail, there were already about 15 riders stopped because of the bull.
"More racers were coming in from behind. Some tried to be opportunistic by going around the bull," he said. "Some got through. The bull charged and struck three riders total."
A Twitter user named Remko Rinkema took video of the bicyclists from behind, which shows the bull running alongside them. He wrote that watching the experience was "terrifying." He said that multiple cyclists were charged.
Despite the high drama, there were no serious injuries.
Sam Ames, the self-described Chief Excitement Officer of the Rock Cobbler, posted a video update to Instagram saying: "Everybody’s good. They were all back here drinking beer."
This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.