The Kaikoura bull fighter received a black eye, from a bull aptly named On Ice, at the 2023 National Finals Rodeo in Outram on Saturday.
It was a great day out, despite the black eye, Mr Armstrong said yesterday.
He described his role as protecting riders from injury when they had come off bulls.
"We distract the bull by moving and working as a team," Mr Armstrong said.
"It’s a sport I’d do year-round if I could," he said.
"I enjoy the fitness and the adrenaline pumps in the crucial moments and it teaches me to stay calm and make good decisions quickly.
"It’s definitely not everyone’s idea of fun, but it is mine and at the end of it all it’s about looking after those who are good enough to ride some amazing bulls."
Mr Armstrong said he went to every South Island rodeo this year and the Outram event was his first national finals.
He had learnt from some of the best bull fighters in the country, including officials at the Outram event Will Jamison and Glenn Taylor, he said.
It is the sixth time the Outram Rodeo Club has hosted the national finals.
