It’s at Skinnys Bar & Grill on U.S. 19 in Hudson.
Lots of folks know the mechanical bull from the 1980 John Travolta movie, “Urban Cowboy.” We think the mechanical bull might even have moved the plot along in that movie -- something about the Travolta character’s rival teaching Travolta’s love interest, played by Debra Winger, how to ride a mechanical bull. But we really can’t remember, and we’re not going to watch the movie just to find out. What we do know is that mechanical bulls have managed to survive, sort of like an endangered species. One has turned up at Skinnys Bar & Grill at 13228 U.S. Highway 19 in Hudson. It’s the only one in Pasco County. According to the owner’s son, Richard Sullivan, this past Saturday (Feb. 12) marked the second time the mechanical bull was featured as part of a special Country-Western night at the popular hang-out. At the mechanical bull’s first appearance, on what would have been the first Country-Western night, 100 consent forms were signed in four hours. That’s 25 an hour, or a little less than one every two minutes. Or… Well you get the idea. It costs $3 to ride the bull. So, in no time Skinnys should recoup its investment of roughly $5,000 (They did some bargaining to buy the bull, much like an old-timey cowboy would. The seller originally wanted $14,000). And they’ve done a few other things to give the place a saloon feel, like installing swinging doors to a patio that leads out back. So go to Skinnys, and get your hee-haw on.