Homegrown cowboy will fight bulls at the California Rodeo Salinas

SALINAS, CALIF. (KION-TV)-- Josh Daries will get a chance to fight bulls at his Field of Dreams in a couple of weeks. The Salinas native will be standing toe to toe with the bulls for the first time at the California Rodeo Salinas.

Daries graduated from North Monterey County High School in 2007 and went on to Featherriver College
and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He has been a contestant of the PRCA since 2007 and started fighting PRCA Rodeos in 2015.

Bullfighters keep the bull riders safe when they buck off the bull or complete their rides. The bullfighters have the specific task of getting in between the bull and the contestant.

Daries has fought the bulls before in Salinas. He participated in the 2017 PBR event, but this will be the first time competing in the PRCA. He will be fighting the bulls at the PRCA Xtreme Bulls event on Wednesday, July 20, and they will be fighting the bulls on July 21 thru 25. He will debut
with his fellow cowboy protectors Tim O’Connor and Dave Murdoch.

“The excitement and adrenaline rush you feel stepping into this famous arena where so many legendary bulls, bull riders, and bullfighters have stepped foot in is unreal," Daries said. "Getting to play such an important part in my hometown rodeo is a dream."

The Daries family has long ties with the California Rodeo Salinas. His mom Tina won

the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Barrel Racing at the California Rodeo. She was seven months pregnant with Josh when she won the event. His uncle Joe Baumgartner piqued Josh's interest in riding bulls and inspired his start in bullfighting. Baumgartner got inducted into the California Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2021 for his fighting efforts at the rodeo for over a decade.

The California Rodeo Salinas is on July 21 thru 24 at the Salinas Sports Complex.