Cattle are sturdy and surprisingly large animals, and in addition to helping humans carry heavy loads and plough the fields, they also fight quite fiercely. And Guizhou has such a "sacred cow" worth millions of dollars, who has fought countless battles in his life, and has almost no defeat in the southwest, which can be called the king of cattle!
The myth of undefeated, the birth of Yunnan
Optimus Prime, the king of the ox, weighs 900 kg, has a chest circumference of 230~235cm, not only has a terrifying tendon meat, but also has a pair of wide and sharp horns. Its best combat skills are big bumps, strong impacts, and cheek picking, and it has killed 4 bull kings and won more than 30 championships.
Optimus Prime was born in Xinjie, Baoshan, Yunnan, and there are two theories about its specific year, which are 1995 and 1998. When it was still a calf, it was brought to Luliang from Baoshan by cattle dealers in Luliang New Village, and after many changes of hands, it was finally sold to Songziyuan Village in Shilin County.
The young Optimus Prime showed no signs of becoming a generation of bull kings, and his owner often let him play with other calves in the village, and occasionally participated in village competitions during festivals, but Optimus Prime's performance was somewhat average.
According to the description of the cow friends in the same village, Optimus Prime at that time seemed quite ignorant on the field, almost did not understand the rules of the game, when attacked by other cows, Optimus Prime would neither fight back nor run away, so that the owner felt disappointed, and no longer deliberately cultivated.
In daily life, Optimus Prime is mainly responsible for pulling carts and farm work. Once, while working in the fields, it was temporarily left to graze in the mountains, but was unexpectedly attacked by a wild bison, which caused Optimus Prime to develop a deep fear of the bison for a long time.
Many people don't believe that a soft-tempered cow like Optimus Prime has the potential to become a fighting cow. But no one thought that the appearance of a person changed the trajectory of its "cow" life and became the "undefeated myth" in the hearts of countless cattle friends in the future.
Bole helped, and walked to the top
It turned out that during the Spring Festival in 2008, because he felt that the cow had grown up, the owner of the cow decided to let him participate in the traditional Spring Festival bullfighting event held by Xiaomizhi in the next village, hoping to test the bullfighting potential of Optimus Prime through actual combat. Optimus Prime encountered a veteran player in the first round and almost lost the battle.
However, it was this Zanniu's attack that inspired Optimus Prime's fighting spirit, causing him to display his amazing strength and successfully fight back to win the match. This victory greatly boosted Optimus Prime's self-confidence, and in the second round, it was even more imposing, rushing towards his opponent.
The slightly youthful Optimus Prime still won the second place in the second division group of the day with his outstanding performance. This thrilling match attracted the attention of a special guest at the table, who was Shi Youping, the master of the bull, and the nobleman of Optimus Prime.
Shi Youping took a fancy to this mighty bull at a glance, felt that it was a talented and manipulative, and finally persuaded the bull owner to buy Optimus Prime through many contacts and lobbying. It is said that the owner of the cow was reluctant to sell it at first, but Shi Youping offered a high price of 23,600 yuan and finally got his wish.
As the saying goes, "Maxima is always there, but Bole is not." After meeting Shi Youping, under his careful breeding and cultivation, Optimus Prime has since embarked on the road of "opening and hanging". In 2008, Optimus Prime appeared in the Stone Forest Scenic Area Stone Forest International Torch Festival Bull King Competition, which was broadcast live by Yunnan Satellite TV.
The competition selected 8 bull kings to compete, and because the participating cattle have a resounding name, the name "Optimus Prime" also came into being. And Optimus Prime lived up to the name given to it by its owner, and won the championship of this game with a superb fighting posture and an indomitable posture.
Since then, Optimus Prime has entered the attention of fans across the country, and everyone began to pay attention to this "dark horse" that suddenly killed the bloody road, and watched it become more and more courageous in bullfighting events across the country, winning countless championships and runners-up, and firmly sitting on the throne of the first bull king in mainland bullfighting.
Worth millions, old and strong
After years of fighting, the medals won by Optimus Prime are almost out of place, and its excellent record has naturally attracted a lot of attention. Shi Youping was repeatedly offered high prices to buy, and in 2012 he successfully completed the transaction at 720,000 yuan, the highest price for a bullfighting transaction that year.
Under the third master, the 16-year-old Optimus Prime is as majestic as it was back then. It is said that it will cost nearly 50,000 yuan just to invite it to play, and if it wins the championship, winning the prize of 100,000 yuan will not be a problem for Optimus Prime.
At its peak, Optimus Prime's worth even soared to 1.02 million yuan. You must know that an ordinary cultivated cattle is only tens of millions of yuan at most, which shows its strong combat power, high value, and status, which is a terrifying existence in the cattle world.
In 2016, Optimus Prime repelled the Bull King "Full Moon Scimitar", which became the most glorious moment of his bullfighting career in the middle and late stages. Since then, Optimus Prime has announced his retirement, but he often attends major bullfighting competitions as a "superstar senior" to heat up the atmosphere of the arena.
Until 6 p.m. on July 3, 2019, a generation of bull king Optimus Prime died of illness in Leli Bullfighting Town, Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province. At that time, it was already 24 years old, which is 90 years old when converted into human age, and it can be said that it is the end of its life when it has fought for 9 years and killed all sides.
After the death of these old bulls, most of them will be served on the table to make the most of them. But a brilliant powerhouse like Optimus Prime with countless fans will receive higher courtesy, such as cremation, monument erection, etc., which is related to the local folk bullfighting custom that has been popular for thousands of years.
Bullfighting is a traditional project of ethnic minorities in the southeast of mainland China, and it is also a pearl of traditional folk culture. Its historical origins can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms period, which was only a royal entertainment at first, and gradually entered the life of citizens during the Tang and Song dynasties.
On major holidays, people hold lively bullfights, which are shocking in terms of intensity and scale. Typically, only a sturdy buffalo is selected as a fighting cow, and domestic cattle are rarely considered.
Watching the bullfighting competition can awaken the blood in people's hearts, and it can also reflect the fierce and heroic side of mainland folk culture. Even now, as it gradually moves towards commercialization, people's heartfelt love for bullfighting will not easily change.
The legendary aura of Optimus Prime, the king of the bull, will not be diminished by its passing, but will shine more and more in the hearts of cattle fans. From it, we can feel the most primitive wildness, but also can experience the most powerful power of life, which makes people full of admiration, thank you for reading.