Wait Until You Hear What $40K Contract the Gov't Just Awarded During the Shutdown

UPDATE 10/10/13 -- The Utah National Guard has challenged this story, claiming the details are incorrect. Be sure to read our follow up report here.

--

The U.S. government may be in partial shutdown mode, but that hasn’t stopped it from awarding a contract worth $47,174 for a mechanical bull.

mechanicalbullsales.com photo

Yes, the government on October 7 awarded Mechanical Bull Sales Inc. of State College, Pa., a $40,000-plus for a mechanical bull for the Utah National Guard.

The request was put in on September 14.

The National Guard of Utah specified that the bull “needs to be durable and low maintenance,” according to a General Services Administration listing.

Luckily, the bull is expected to meet the state’s safety requirements.

“Our mechanical bulls are approved for use in all 50 states and Canada. This includes: Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California which have stringent safety requirements for amusement rides,” the Mechanical Bull Sales website reads.

Mechanical bulls are used regularly by the Utah National Guard as a recruitment tool at fairs and similar events, Lt. Col. Hank McIntire of the Utah National Guard told CNSNews.com.

“It draws attention to their message,” McIntire said.

He also said that the Utah National Guard has used a bull for years, adding that the last had broken down beyond repair.

Meanwhile, in another part of the government, approximately 7,000 employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration have been furloughed because of the partial government shutdown.

Here's the contract information:

--

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

Featured image Mechanical Bull Sales. This post has been updated.

[related]