By Brent Langley
Chainsaw was not just a bucking bull. He was an Australian rodeo icon.
Unpredictable, athletic and almost impossible to ride, Chainsaw became one of the most feared and famous bulls in Australian rodeo history.
For years, hundreds of riders tried to conquer him. Only a handful ever lasted the full eight seconds. Then, on 30 May 1987 at Tamworth Rodeo, Dave Johnston made history with a 90-point ride on the previously unridden bull.
To some young bucks, he might be an older bloke getting in the way behind the chutes at one of the local rodeos.
But go back more than 30 years, and a young Dave Johnston had just pulled off one of the most remarkable rides in Australian rodeo history, a 90-point ride on the previously unridden bull Chainsaw.
Before Johnston’s success, hundreds of cowboy riders had attempted to ride Chainsaw, but none had managed to conquer him.
It was a ride that would put Davey Johnston into rodeo folklore. Even country singer Reg Poole would sing about that ride in a song he covered about the famous bull.
“You get these young boys behind the chutes who haven’t got a clue who he is and think what’s this idiot doing here sort of thing.”
“And I can’t stand that. He doesn’t see it, but I do,” said Trish Johnston, Dave’s wife of 33 years.
Trish speaks passionately about her husband, and perhaps even defensively, because she has seen first-hand the sacrifices he has made for a sport he loves.
In 1991, four years after that incredible ride on Chainsaw, a 34-year-old Johnston was tossing up the possibility of retirement. Fresh off a win at Mount Isa, he thought he would toss his hat in the ring again, this time at a rodeo at Sale in Gippsland, Victoria.
He drew a bull called Vibrator. That last ride would change his life forever.
Dave Johnston would spend that night clinging to life and the next two years trying to walk and talk again.
“The bull ripped me down and threw his head back at the time. His horn went into my mouth, knocked teeth out and up through the palate.”
The tip of the horn almost came back out through his forehead.
“They didn’t expect him to live,” said Trish.
Dave was in a coma for over a month following life-saving operations and, in time, showed signs of improvement.
What followed was two years of rehabilitation. Learning to walk and talk again. Getting to know his young family again. Not only did Dave have a young wife, but also a five-month-old daughter, Tayla.
Dave still struggles with short-term memory loss, but the back part of his brain remains intact. Enough to remember that famous win at Tamworth back in 1987, where he would ride the unrideable: Australia’s greatest bucking bull, Chainsaw.
This is the actual footage of Dave Johnston riding Chainsaw in 1987 at Tamworth Rodeo in front of 12,000 spectators. What a ride. He makes it look easy.
Dave said Chainsaw was a good bull that had been getting around for a while. Plenty of people had tried to ride him, and no one had made a successful ride on him at a rodeo.
“I used to watch him all the time because no one had rode him and I tried to work him out, and then I found out I’d ride him at Tamworth, which was a pretty big rodeo. Always pays good, gets a good crowd,” Dave said.
But what could Dave Johnston do differently that so many others had failed to do?
“I sort of figured on a plan on what he’d do and hope he’d do it, and lucky he did.”
“I got him started, and I thought this isn’t too tough, he’s not too bad, and he sort of settled into a pattern which made it easier.”
“Everything I did worked. It was just lucky. More luck than good management.”
Chainsaw was like no other. Completely unpredictable. Riders did not know if he was going to spin, lunge forward out of the chute, kick all four legs off to one side, or almost go into a barrel roll.
He had an athleticism that was way before his time, perhaps like watching some of the very best bulls of the PBR today.
“He could get up high. Flick his feet up higher than his backbone. Like a cat and still land on his feet.”
Chainsaw was bought by George Hempenstall out of the Homebush saleyards as a young calf in the early 1980s.
Chainsaw also acquired his famous ear tag number, 327, from Hempenstall after he simply got the number from his letterbox.
Chainsaw got his name as a young bull when, at George Hempenstall’s property, there were old timber yards. One day the young bull went a bit wild and tore the yards down. Hence the name Chainsaw.
They won’t dispute the showmanship of the bull and the way he ran around the arena fence after throwing a luckless rider to the ground. Most say that was how he celebrated, almost like a victory lap.
What differs with people, and the ones who knew him best, was his temperament. Some say he had a nasty streak. Others say he was gentle.
Dave Johnston has his own view.
“He wasn’t a bad bull but he wouldn’t run around you. Like if you were in front of him and he was going that way, he would go over the top of you.”
“He wasn’t nasty. Like some bulls will go hunting for you. He wasn’t like that.”
Chainsaw had an incredible personality that captivated everyone who saw him. He was more than just a champion. He was an icon in the sport.
Johnston is now 63 years of age and still carries some of the trauma from the horrific injuries he sustained almost 30 years ago, including poor vision, which makes him carry a walking cane wherever he goes.
But what remains is his witty sense of humour and positive attitude toward life. He loves talking to people and spending time with his grandchildren.
So, if you’re a young rider coming through and you see Davey Johnston around the yards or behind the chutes, don’t hesitate to have a chat.
You might learn something. Legends like that are not around forever.
Throughout his monumental rodeo career, Chainsaw stood out among other bulls for his unpredictability, athleticism and charisma.
His legacy is celebrated not only for his achievements, but also for the way he inspired songs, stories and admiration from the rodeo community.
Chainsaw was featured as a media personality, appearing on television, including A Current Affair and 60 Minutes, and in the XXXX Gold beer commercial. His fame extended to countless newspapers, making him a household name beyond the rodeo arena.
A documentary, Chainsaw: Bull Born Bad, celebrating Australia’s legendary rodeo bucking bull, was made in 1991.
VIDEO | Rewind: Take a look back at the career of Chainsaw, the meanest and most feared beast on the Queensland rodeo circuit. Only seven cowboys successfully rode the Brahman for eight seconds. Featuring the song “Chainsaw - the rankest bull on earth”, written and performed by Australian country music legend Tom McIvor and later performed by Reg Poole.
On Boxing Day 1996, the great Chainsaw was humanely put to sleep with an injection by local Yass vet Peter Gibb.
He passed away peacefully in his paddock on the outskirts of Yass after it appeared his tired old legs could not carry him anymore. In his final years, Chainsaw was enjoying retirement, living peacefully and honoured after his monumental rodeo career.
He was 15 years old. His passing was acknowledged during a rodeo at Port Macquarie when about 180 cowboys removed their hats and held a minute’s silence, such was the respect and admiration for this great bull.
Chainsaw won eight Bucking Bull of the Year awards from 1987 to 1994.
Chainsaw also acquired his ear tag #327 from Hempenstall after he simply got the number from his letterbox.
John Condon later bought Chainsaw off Hempenstall, as George was seeking to further his rodeo career in the United States. Rodeo great Garry McPhee was Chainsaw’s stock contractor, and McPhee trucked and promoted him at rodeos from way down south all the way up to northern Queensland and everywhere in between.
After 25 years, there has still never been a bucking bull that has reached the heights and accolades of Chainsaw, and we doubt there ever will be another in the future.
See also THE MAN WHO GAVE US CHAINSAW
So again, hats off to Chainsaw.
A champion bull and Australian icon that will never be forgotten.
Words: Brent Langley, chainsaw327.com.au
Originally published 28 June 2021.
