Trever Hamsher, co-owner of Hamsher Fighting Bulls, sits in the living room of his Prairie City home on Jan. 6, 2023.

PRAIRIE CITY — Hamsher Fighting Bulls owners Trever and Marley Hamsher, of Prairie City, just returned from the Bullfighters Only 2023 World Championship in Las Vegas after winning key honors, including Bull of the Year.

The Hamshers won Stock Contractor of the Year and their premier fighting bull Habanero was again crowned Bull of the Year for 2023.

“The Stock Contractor of the Year is based on the bullfighters’ opinion of whose animals they like the best in the league, and they can look for who has the most consistent set of bulls or the meanest set of bulls,” said Trever Hamsher.

Hamsher said the league has about six contractors who provide fighting bulls.

“We’re so blessed to have won,” he said. “It’s quite an honor because there’s a great group of contractors within Bullfighters Only.”

Hamsher Fighting Bulls provides stock for about 15 events a year and produces some shows of its own, including an annual appearance at the Grant County Fair. The company also sells both heifers and bulls to other breeders.

Habanero, who has been in freestyle bullfighting for the past seven years, also won last year’s crown for Bull of the Year. Professional bullfighter Luke Ballard, of Kansas, won the title of Bullfighters Only world champion on Habanero, Hamsher said.

“Before the bullfight that day, we announced it was going to be Habanero’s last bullfight,” Hamsher said. “He’s 12 years old now. We wanted to let him end on a high note.”

Unlike traditional Spanish bullfighting, there are no swords or capes in freestyle bullfighting, and the animal is not killed. Instead, the goal of the bullfighter is to dodge the charging animal using a variety of maneuvers.

In Bullfighters Only events, the fighter remains in the arena for at least 40 seconds and is given a minute to accumulate a maximum of 100 points.

“I would like to thank everyone that has supported us over the years, our friends and family, and everybody that believed in us,” Hamsher said. “I feel blessed to have a great group of people in our corner. We’d like to thank everyone that voted for (Habanero) in the BFO and for the opportunity to showcase our bulls.”