B.J. Schumacher would have endured a subpar performance for once this week if not for one spur and his bell ringers.

Instead, the Hillsboro, Wis., native is wondering what's in store for him in Pecos, Texas today.

Everything was fairly routine — even mundane — as he rode Space Cowboy during the opening bull-riding session of the 60th annual Rodeo de Santa Fe on Wednesday. The bull was rather lethargic as it unsuccessfully tried to buck Schumacher off before he reached the 8-second count he needed to score points at Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds.

When it came time for Schumacher to cleanly dismount his ride, his right spur got in the way. It was caught in the rope that held his bell ringers, which are attached to the rope that cowboys use to ride the steer.

Schumacher was flat on his back, trying to free his foot while also dancing away from Space Cowboy's bucking hind legs.

"His legs were over here and then he was over here," Schumacher said, as he demonstrated how close the bull came to trampling each of his legs.

But Schumacher had a friend and a soothing voice in rodeo clown Quirt Hunt. As Schumacher began to feel panic overtaking his senses, Hunt let him know that the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed.

"The bull was real weak, so I knew he probably wouldn't hurt him," Hunt said. "Cowboys kinda get disoriented on the ground, because they don't know what's going on, and they're trying to get off. So, I was just saying, 'Calm down, B.J. I got you.' "

The words rang true when Schumacher finally got his spur untangled and he quickly scurried away.

So, too, did the bull as it raced back into the stockyard pin with the rest of his kind. Schumacher's score — a 70 — became secondary to another close call for the 13th-ranked bull rider in the standings of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Tuesday found Schumacher, the 2006 National Finals Rodeo bull-riding champion, flat on his back with a bull on top of him at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo. His ride was a carbon copy of what he endured in Santa Fe — until the very end.

"He rose up and fell on top of me," Schumacher said. "It looked worse than it was, because my (right) leg was cushioned between the opening there between his shoulder and his ribs."

Schumacher escaped unharmed, but he managed only a 72 for the hair-raising adventure, which was well short of the top six payoff finish that all riders seek.

The good news for Schumacher after his recent performances was that he finally had a night to himself during a busy part in his schedule.

After a third place in last week's Lincoln County Rodeo Days in Merrill, Wis., Schumacher flew to Reno, then got up at 4:30 a.m. to catch a flight to Albuquerque. He took a shuttle to Santa Fe and his hotel. Before he knew it, he was off to the rodeo.

With an evening to himself, Schumacher felt it was time to ditch his traveling companion, Fred Boettcher.

"I think its time for me to get away from Fred for a while," Schumacher said within earshot of Boettcher.

"Hey, I'm going with you," Boettcher shot back.

Boettcher also will be with Schumacher when the pair start the drive to Pecos, and Schumacher will hope for a better outcome than the last two days.

"Sometimes, you get a bad bull, and then you're trying to hang on to a good one," Schumacher said. "But the more times you go, the more likely it is you're going to make money."