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TAMPA — Krystal Jones walked through the door in tight jeans and brown suede boots to the song I'm a Cowboy.
At 10:50 p.m. Thursday, she became a statistic. A good one.
She became the millionth paying customer of the Dallas Bull in east Tampa, one of the Southeast's largest country bars. Club owners Dave Theal and Lewis Surratt surprised her with their own "redneck celebration'' — horn blasts, confetti and "moonshine."
"Is this a big deal?'' she asked, unsure what was going on.
Theal and Surratt whisked her to the back living room where they gave her the prize: free admission for her and a guest for a year, free parking by the front door and two free tickets to every concert in 2012.
"Oh, wow. That's awesome,'' she said. "I had no idea. All of a sudden the flashes kept going off.''
Jones, 38, wasn't planning to go to the Bull on Thursday night. Usually, she and her daughter, 20-year-old Leigha Jones, go to Boots N Buckles Saloon in Lakeland, where they live.
But Krystal was off work as a lawyer's assistant the next day because of Christmas. A night of line dancing with her daughter in Tampa seemed the perfect way to kick off the holiday weekend.
The Dallas Bull started counting to 1 million in May 2006 when its new location opened along U.S. 301 at Sabal Industrial Boulevard. The figure reflects only paying customers at the door. Military, police officers and firefighters get in for free.
The club expected to hit the million mark during the Dec. 17 Gloriana concert but fell slightly short. Anticipation grew Thursday as the count narrowed to less than 700 by 9 p.m.
As the line grew outside, Theal stood at the door with a clicker in his hand. Inside, the crowd was two-stepping on the dance floor when the horn went off.
Surratt marked the milestone with a few shots of "moonshine" with the winner.
"You ready?'' he asked, pouring the lime-flavored, 160 proof spirit from a mason jar.
Jones threw two back, then headed for pictures on the mechanical bull.
Her daughter posted their good fortune on Facebook.
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