Tony Mendes was hopeful Charley's Nephew could develop into a John Elway-style athlete, a powerful competitor able to retire at the height of his career.
Now, it could be that Charley's Nephew is destined to be little more than a lunch special at Carl's Jr.
Mendes, a resident of Jensen, a small community near Vernal, is a world champion bull rider who makes his living on the rodeo circuit. He is mourning over injuries his 4-year-old bull suffered in September when authorities say a neighbor shot it repeatedly with a shotgun.
The neighbor, Devin Murray, 24, was charged last week in 8th District Court with second-degree felony criminal mischief stemming from the Sept. 15 shooting outside of Vernal. His court appearance is set for Nov. 13.
Uintah County Attorney JoAnn Stringham said that although the bull survived, the incident prompted the filing of the felony because of the amount of damage.
"It fit the elements of the crime — intentionally damaging the property of another with a value in excess of $5,000."
Mendes said he bought the bull two years ago at a nationally televised sale for $4,700 and since then has traveled the country with the animal for use in bull-riding competitions. He estimates the animal's value at well over $25,000 — maybe as much as $50,000 — but said the real loss is that it is no longer fit for competition.
"The bull is going to survive, but his potential to be an athlete; well, he is not going to be able to do that. He is not going to be able to buck."
Mendes, who did not witness the shooting, believes a feud with a neighbor prompted the attack after the bull somehow got loose.
Authorities say the bull was not threatening anyone, and before it could be retrieved by the Mendes family, it was shot as many as seven times, with three hits to the head. Mendes said both eyes suffered damage, and the bull may lose one.
"What makes me upset is that this bull had his whole life ahead of him, with several years left of being an athlete. It's like taking a Little Leaguer away from being able to play in the profession — you never know if he is going to be the next John Elway or not."
Mendes has been on the rodeo circuit for over a decade, earning the bull-riding Rookie of the Year title in 1996 from the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and qualifying for the world finals seven consecutive years.
Bulls, he said, are the tools of his trade.
"I make my living riding bulls, and aside from that, I raise them well. They are like my kids, and they are trained athletes that are valued. The fact that someone would do something like this to an animal, it's a twisted deal."
Mendes is hopeful the animal can be salvaged for breeding purposes, but if bulls become lazy or don't perform, he says "slaughter comes into play."
The criminal charge comes even as advocates are pushing Utah lawmakers to pass a law that would make egregious animal cruelty, such as torture, a third-degree felony. As it is, acts of violence against animals that are deemed "cruelty" under the law are misdemeanors.
Authorities say what happened to Charley's Nephew can be encompassed in a different statute that allows them to seek a stiffer penalty — criminal mischief as it applies to people's property.
"If someone destroyed your dog, obviously you love your dog, but your dog didn't have the value of this bull," Stringham said.
E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com