Professional bull riding requires strength, flexibility, and calmness to stay eight seconds

Bull riders Qynn Andersen and Kurt Shephard in action on the rodeo circuit, aiming for an eight-second ride. (Supplied: PBR)

Breathing deeply and stretching into yoga poses is not the type of training you would expect from a bull rider.

But in this punishing sport, Kurt Shephard says most professional bull riders like him incorporate yoga, pilates, and stretching into their workouts.