Bull riders bring high-octane entertainment
Think of it as Vince McMahon meets Jesse James and his bull riding cousins.
An all-world entertainment magnate coming together with the toughest cowboys from Canada, the United States, Brazil and Australia.
Only instead of bringing you an action-packed, yet choreographed show, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) trade in the script for up to eight seconds of riveting action atop an unruly 2,000-pound bull that is hoping to throw you as far as possible.
Toss in some pyrotechnics, pounding music and you've got the high-octane PBR show that's coming to the MTS Centre tomorrow and Saturday.
"It's two hours of intense, bull riding action," said Cody Snyder, a World Champion bull rider who retired in 1993 and is now the event producer for PBR. "You can't script this, this is real. When these guys bleed or these guys get hauled out in the ambulance, it's real. When they get taken to the hospital, they're hurt. There is nothing fake about this.
"These guys don't go on strike. They show up and they're laying their lives on the line every time they nod their head."
However, the PBR story itself still has its share of Hollywood to it.
Back in 1992, a group of 20 riders came up with $1,000 each in an effort to break away from the rodeo scene.
Since bull riding was the main event of most rodeos, the riders felt they deserved a little more of the limelight.
"That's why the bull riding was at the end, everybody would leave if it was at the start," said Snyder, who has been involved with the PBR since Day 1. "We knew we had a saleable product."
What was seen as a bit of a gamble at the time has proven to be a sound investment.
And before you even think of dismissing the PBR as just another fringe sport from the south, consider this:
In 1994, the total annual prize money awarded was $660,000 and 10 years later -- thanks to corporate sponsors and TV getting on board -- purses had increased to more than $9.5 million. This year's prize money tops $11 million.
The PBR also has ratings in the U.S. the NHL would love to approach.
"The brand is extremely popular in the U.S. and it's growing in Canada," said PBR Canada media relations director Rhonda Snyder, noting there could be as many as 12 events held in Canada this year, culminating with the PBR Canada finals in late November. "It's not a country-hick thing either. It's an extreme sport -- a rock 'n' roll rodeo -- and people will be blown away once they're there."
The PBR, which is billed as the toughest sport on dirt, hasn't been to Winnipeg since holding a show at the Arena in 1997.
"The calibre of athletes and bull riders themselves, have stepped it up a notch and there's a lot more really good bulls than there was," said Snyder. "With the TV exposure that the PBR has worldwide, it's brought the prize money up to a level you never thought would probably happen this soon.
"It's exploding. Every year it's getting bigger and bigger. It's the fastest growing sport in North America. It's huge. The PBR patterns itself after what NASCAR has done. I don't know if it can get that big, but the sky seems to be the limit right now."
