Submitted Photo Night Shift, a five year-old bull from Grassy Butte, will take center stage at the 2020 PBR World Finals, which will be held at AT&T Stadium in Texas from Nov. 12-15. Photo submitted by Andy Watson, Bull Stock Media.

Later this week, an athlete from Grassy Butte will travel to Arlington, Texas to compete in a major professional tournament. As it turns out, this athlete has four legs.

His name is Night Shift, and he is a bull that weighs approximately 1,700 pounds. Night Shift will take part in the Pro Bull Riders World Finals at AT&T Stadium from Nov. 12-15. Currently, the bull from North Dakota has a world standing of 29th according to the PBR, and maintains an 85 percent buckoff rate. After debuting on the PBR ranks in June 2019, Night Shift made his PBR World Finals debut as a four year-old that same year.

Some of Night Shift’s most noteable feats this year include a 45-point, 4.6-second buckoff of Gage Gay in Denver, Colorado, as well as a 45-point buckoff of two-time and reigning PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood in 6.05 seconds. With both efforts matching season high point totals, Night Shift’s triumph over Lockwood occurred at the Lincoln Invitational, a tourament held in Nebraska on Oct. 3 and 4. Also taking place last month, the rugged bull bucked off cowboy Chase Dougherty in 7.11 seconds to earn a 44.5-point bull score in Casper, Wyoming on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour.

Chaston Lee, who represents L&E Bucking Bulls and works as a stock contractor for Night Shift, says his prized animal will be in peak condition for this latest rodeo adventure. “He’s been on a steady exercise program since his last event, and he’s been well fed, so I’m expecting quite a show down in Texas,” Lee tells the Minot Daily News.

Since Night Shift’s last rodeo action in October, Lee says he expects even more from the horned beast in Texas as the breeding season was preventing the now five year-old bull from achieving his optimal weight a month ago. “I feel like he was losing too much weight out in the pasture, so I made a concerted effort to get his diet back on schedule,” Lee explains. “Since then, he’s put on about 75 to 100 pounds, and it looks to be good solid muscle weight, so I’m excited to see what he can do when it’s showtime.”

Despite having the ability to buck off even the most revered cowboys, Lee reveals Night Shift has a fairly mild mood most of the time when not in the midst of a competition. Normally a dosile creature while grazing and gentle to be around, Lee says all that changes when the animal faces off against a rugged rider. “When he gets to the arena, he’s pretty calm and collected until it’s go time. Then once the ride is over, he just goes back to normal again. When he’s back home in his pen, he’s so quiet sometimes you won’t even know he’s there.” Night Shift’s handler says.

Lee, who has been raising bulls for about eight years, shares that he takes about three to five bulls to each event. Working as a dispatcher for Mann Energy to earn his main source of income, the stock contractor says his love for handling animals is the main reason for entering Night Shift into the upcoming PBR competition. “It’s basically a hobby to me because I don’t have 30 bulls that I’m doing this with. I just love caring for, feeding and training the animals. I started off just buying a few rodeo cows here and there, one thing led to another and here we are,” the rancher adds.