This is an accepted version of this page
122-641: Champions Awards Professional Bull Riders: Heroes and Legends Tours Statistics The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. ( PBR ) is an international professional bull riding organization headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas , United States. It is the largest bull riding league in the world, sanctioning hundreds of events every year in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. Over 800 bull riders from said countries, as well as others hold PBR memberships. The organization
244-532: A brand used to help identify it. A sufficient number of bulls, each judged to be of good strength, health, agility, and age, are selected to perform. The rider and bull are matched randomly before the competition, although starting in 2008, some ranked riders are allowed to choose their own bulls from a bull draft for selected rounds in PBR events. In more recent times, bulls must have the tips of their horns shaved off and filed down so they are not sharp. A rider mounts
366-403: A rope burn , riders must wear a protective glove , usually made of leather . It must be fastened to the rider's hand since the force the animal is able to exert could easily tear it away. The rider often applies rosin to the glove, which allows for additional grip. Cowboy boots are worn with blunted and loosely locked spurs help keep the rider balanced and is crucial piece of equipment to
488-442: A $ 1 million bonus. Chris Shivers was the first world champion to claim that bonus. Also in 2003, the PBR purchased Buckers, Inc.; an organization that documented bucking bulls' lineages and put on futurity events for young bulls that would potentially be used for professional rodeo or bull riding events. They renamed it as American Bucking Bull, Inc. (ABBI) and continued with its practices. The ABBI holds several futurity events in
610-700: A PBR sponsor since 2013, replaced Ford Trucks as the new Premier Series title sponsor; thus the Unleash the Beast Series (UTB) tour name replaced the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) tour name. That same year, the PBR celebrated its 25th championship season and awarded another $ 11 million in prize money, which included the bonus to the World Champion Bull Rider of $ 1 million and the $ 20,000 gold belt buckle. Ford would remain
732-724: A PBR sponsor through 2022. In mid-March 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic , several events were either canceled or rescheduled to later dates. In the spring, the PBR held three UTB events at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and all were closed to the public to avoid the spread of the virus. In the summer, the organization held the Monster Energy Team Challenge, a series of events in which several teams of four riders competed against each other, and each team
854-660: A bigger arena. They wanted to stay in Las Vegas, so the Thomas & Mack Center was the place to go. From 2004 through 2007, the first weekend of the World Finals was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center , followed by the next weekend taking place at the Thomas & Mack Center. In 2008 and 2009, both weekends of the World Finals took place at the Thomas & Mack Center. The World Finals remained at
976-406: A bold and wise businessman, quickly went to work. At the end of his first year, he turned things around; the World Finals paid out $ 1 million in 1996, and increased to $ 1.5 million in 1999. In 1996, the PBR made bull riding protective vests, which were introduced three years earlier, mandatory for all contestants at their events. The same was done for bull riders in all other organizations. After
1098-413: A bull and grips a flat braided rope. After they secure a good grip on the rope, the rider nods to signal they are ready. The bucking chute (a small enclosure which opens from the side) is opened and the bull storms out into the arena. The rider must attempt to stay on the bull for at least eight seconds, while only touching the bull with their riding hand. The other hand must remain free for the duration of
1220-661: A certain number of bulls at select Built Ford Tough Series events to try to earn money and points for their respective teams. At the beginning of the year, 22 bull teams chipped in $ 50,000 a piece for their opportunity to win their share of the $ 1.1 million total competition purse. Out of the 33 Built Ford Tough Series stops held that year, 17 were Bull Team Challenge events, including the PBR World Finals. Each stop had between five and eight bull teams that included five bulls, plus two alternates per team. Each team could only compete in five events. At each Bull Team Challenge stop,
1342-405: A chance to score highly. Both organizations award one bull an award for the best bull of the year, decided by bull scores in both buckoffs and successful qualified rides. The award brings prestige to the ranch at which the bull was raised. If a rider scores sufficiently low due to poor bull performance, the judges may offer the rider the option of a re-ride. By taking the option, the rider gives up
SECTION 10
#17327811658441464-403: A different style of movement than bucking horses . One move particular to bulls is a belly roll ("sunfishing"), in which the bull is completely off the ground and kicks either his hind feet or all four feet to the side in a twisting, rolling motion. Bulls also are more likely than horses to spin in tight, quick circles, and are less likely to run or to jump extremely high ("break in two"). For
1586-583: A few years of rivalry between BRO and PBR, the former organization officially went out of business in the spring of 1998. In 2001, one month after that year's World Finals, the PBR held the Bud Light World Challenge in Austin, Texas , which featured the top riders from the 2001 year-end world standings, as well as some international invitees. 2002 was the last year in which PBR bullfighters wore traditional make-up and baggy outfits. Since
1708-532: A hard financial hit in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; all scheduled events for the year were canceled due to pandemic restrictions and there were no events in 2021 due to continued restrictions. By 2022, things had returned to normal for the most part in the country, but there were still no PBR events. In the spring of 2023, a PBR event was held on Mexican soil for the first time since 2019. However, this would soon turn out to be PBR Mexico's final event and
1830-633: A hotel room in Scottsdale, Arizona . The bull riders all rode in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), the top rodeo organization in the world which had been around for many years, as well as Bull Riders Only (BRO), an all-bull riding organization that had been in existence for just one year. Each founder contributed $ 1,000 to forming the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. This group
1952-594: A perfect score is 100 points. In general, most professional riders score in the neighborhood of the mid-70s to the high 80s. Outside of the United States, bull riding traditions with varying rules and histories also exist in Canada, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa,
2074-516: A permanent part of his riding gear after this specific injury. Shivers announced that the 2012 PBR season would be his last. He retired after the World Finals that year. His final earnings during his 16-year PBR career total nearly 3.3 million dollars. He was inducted into the PBR's Ring of Honor in 2013. On May 30, 2015, Shivers came out of retirement for one more ride at "Unfinished Business" (a special event featuring several PBR legends coming out of retirement to attempt one final bull, held during
2196-400: A permanent part of their gear. However, by 2003, though still a minority, helmeted bull riders were more common than ever. Many were now riders that did not necessarily suffer serious injuries, but who grew up riding with them for the sake of extra safety. The number of contestants who rode with helmets grew throughout the rest of the 2000s, especially during the latter years of the decade. By
2318-687: A protective face mask underneath their cowboy hat or simply with their cowboy hat if so desired. In 2014, shortly before that year's World Finals, the PBR held an event at a beach in Huntington Beach, California , aptly titled "Bulls on the Beach", which featured the top 15 riders attempting to gain additional points towards the world standings. In April 2015, it was announced that events and talent management firm WME - IMG (now Endeavor ) would acquire PBR from Spire Capital Partners, reportedly paying around $ 100 million. In 2018, Monster Energy ,
2440-536: A protective face mask underneath their hat or simply with their hat if so desired. Public health researchers found evidence suggesting that bull riding helmets are protective, when riders wearing one particular type of helmet suffered approximately 50% fewer head and facial injuries. In 2004, at the 1st International Rodeo Research and Clinical Care Conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the licensed rodeo and bull riding medical personnel and clinicians recommended to
2562-536: A regular-sized championship belt buckle and money bonus. The team's ownership group also wins a money bonus. During the Team Series' inaugural 2022 season, the PBR awarded the MVP (the individual rider that scored the most points during the Team Series regular season) with a $ 50,000 bonus. Beginning in 2023, in addition to the award, the year-end MVP receives a 100,000 bonus. Since 2023, the PBR has also awarded an MVP of
SECTION 20
#17327811658442684-400: A score in the 90s exceptional. In the PBR, a ride is scored from 0-100 points in total. Up to 50 points is scored for the rider and 50 points for the bull. The rider only scores points if he successfully rides the bull for eight seconds. The bull is always given a score. Four judges award a score of up to 25 points each for the rider's performance, and four judges award up to 25 points each for
2806-438: A score, the rider must stay on top of the bull for eight seconds with the use of one hand gripped on a bull rope tied behind the bull's forelegs. Touching the bull or themselves with the free hand, or failing to reach the eight-second mark, results in a no-score ride. Depending on the bull riding organization and the contest, up to four judges might judge the rider and four judge the bull on their performance. For most organizations,
2928-474: A small series of events in 1993 with Bud Light as the primary sponsor, and had its first championship season in 1994 with the Bud Light Cup Series (BLC). The organization has since grown to include five tours in the United States which stage over 100 events every year. Prize money for contestants had exploded from over $ 330,000 in 1994 to over $ 11 million in 2008. The original CEO of the PBR
3050-406: A tendency to walk or run around the arena in a circle after bucking off their riders as a form of "victory lap" before exiting the arena. Many competitions have a format that involves multiple rounds, sometimes called "go-rounds". Generally, events span two to three nights. The rider is given a chance to ride one bull per night. The total points scored by the end of the event are recorded, and after
3172-674: A winged run, his saddled partner. But at the moment, his flanks being pierced by a cruel spear, he flares up with rage and gores his opponent head-on, exchanging injuries between the two in fierce combat. On his part, the robust rider settles the fight with the spear, and continues energetically throughout the rodeo taunting the bulls, until they, sweating exhaustedly, let go of their anger and calm down. Scottish noblewoman Frances Erskine Inglis, 1st Marquise of Calderón de la Barca witnessed Bull Riding while living in Mexico in 1839, and wrote about it in her book Life in Mexico (1843): The skill of
3294-438: A year while competing in either the PBR or PRCA circuits. There are approximately 200 rodeos and bushmen's carnivals held annually across Australia. At most of these events bull riding is one of the featured competitions. Initially bullocks and steers were used for roughriding events and these were owned by local graziers that lent them for these events. Nowadays bulls are used for the open events and stock contractors supply
3416-414: Is a large, open area that gives the bulls, bull riders, and bull fighters plenty of room to maneuver. The area is fenced, six to seven feet high or more, to protect the audience from escaped bulls. The fencing of the arena is metal fencing that has metal rods across it so that when the bulls buck and kick the fence they do not break the fence and end up in the crowd. There are generally exits on each corner of
3538-404: Is a soft cotton rope at least 5/8" in diameter and is used without extra padding like sheepskin or neoprene. It is tied around the bull's flank. Contrary to popular belief, the flank strap is not tied around the bull's testicles. This rope is to encourage the bull to use his hind legs more in a bucking motion, as this is a true test of a rider's skill in maintaining the ride. The flank strap causes
3660-616: Is based on previous performance. The Premier Series is where the best riders and bulls compete, and it culminates at the PBR World Finals at the end of the regular season where the world champion is crowned. Due to sponsorship changes, the Premier Series has had different titles throughout its history. It was known as the Bud Light Cup Series (BLC) from 1994 through 2002, the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) from 2003 through 2017, and since 2018 has been known as
3782-422: Is covered with a ballistic material called Spectra , similar to Kevlar . It is then covered up with leather, giving it a western look. Bull rider Cody Lambert was inspired to create a protective vest for fellow riders after witnessing the fatal injury of his friend and 1987 PRCA world champion bull rider, Lane Frost who died at the 1989 Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo. After successfully riding his bull during
Professional Bull Riders - Misplaced Pages Continue
3904-432: Is let loose to confront the bull being ridden: Sometimes a bull of great corpulence, remarkable in its strength, and a fury that threatens death, these people take out of the herd in order to saddle and ride it. A young man cinches his harness on his bristly back just like a horse, and surrounds his neck with a round rope, like neat reins with which he then, armed with just a rigid spur and his strength, impassively rides on
4026-461: Is the second man to win multiple PBR world titles, after Adriano Morães (1994, 2001). Shivers rode with a cowboy hat for most of his career. However, after a wreck fractured his nose at the 2009 BFTS season opening event in Baltimore, Maryland , he rode with a helmet for the remainder of his career. He had suffered multiple head and facial injuries throughout his career, but only made a helmet
4148-596: The Air Force Reserve to support military causes in Texas. The 2020 event took place in the autumn, after the conclusion of that year's PBR World Finals, while the one in 2021 took place on Labor Day Weekend. The 2022 edition took place at King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas , also during Labor Day Weekend and donations from that event went towards conservation and sustainability efforts across Texas. A donation to
4270-628: The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 1975. Through this organization, many hundreds of rodeos are held each year. Since that time, the popularity of all aspects of the rodeo has risen. In addition to the PRCA, which has PRCA ProRodeo with bull riding and the Xtreme Bulls events for bull riding only, there is the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), which has staged events since 1993. The organization's championship event,
4392-659: The Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; and the 2019 & 2020 Global Cups at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. Because the five PBR countries had different protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Cup was ultimately not held in 2021. However, it returned to AT&T Stadium in 2022. The PBR Global Cup was never held in Mexico or Brazil. The PBR's Mexico circuit took
4514-648: The Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas. In October 2024, it was announced that PBR would be sold to TKO Group Holdings —originally established as a merger between Endeavor-owned mixed martial arts promotion UFC and professional wrestling company WWE —as part of a larger, $ 3.25 billion agreement expected to close in 2025. The proposed sale is connected to Silver Lake Partners ' plans to take Endeavor private , and also includes IMG and sports hospitality firm On Location Experiences. More than 800 bull riders from
4636-613: The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association was also included and the money was to be distributed to multiple local and rural fire departments that helped landowners fight wildfires across Texas earlier in the year. On November 5, 2021, a new tour was announced; the PBR Team Series. It debuted in 2022 and runs from the summer to autumn of every year. The first eight teams and their respective owners were announced on January 6, 2022. The teams representing different regions of
4758-558: The Unleash the Beast Series (UTB). The PBR World Finals were held in Las Vegas, Nevada , for over a quarter century. They were held at the city's MGM Grand Garden Arena from 1994 through 1998, the Thomas & Mack Center from 1999 through 2015 (the first weekend of the World Finals from 2004 through 2007 was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center ), and T-Mobile Arena from 2016 through 2019. In 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions,
4880-465: The 18th century, and probably before, Mexican bullfights consisted of traditional native games and exercises, different from those in Spain, which included roping, saddling and riding a bull like a horse, until it stopped bucking. In — Rusticatio Mexicana (1782)— Jesuit priest, Rafael Landivar, vividly described in epic verse, the riding of the bull during a traditional bullfight, including how another bull
5002-409: The 1990s, a small number of other professional bull riders began using protective headgear such as leather face masks with metal bars that they wore under their hats while riding or modified ice hockey helmets . Like Charlie Sampson, most of these riders only wore headgear while recovering from serious facial or head injuries, only to ditch it when healed up. Very few bull riders made protective headwear
Professional Bull Riders - Misplaced Pages Continue
5124-514: The 2003 season, they wear sport jerseys and shorts that feature corporate sponsor logos. Also in 2003, Ford Trucks , an official PBR sponsor since 2001, replaced Bud Light as the new Premier Series title sponsor; thus the Bud Light Cup Series became the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS). Bud Light would remain a PBR sponsor through 2007. PBR world champions had always received a year-end money bonus, but starting in 2003, they received
5246-415: The 2010s. After a few years, ABBI Brazil was discontinued. The ABBI also planned to hold events in Mexico by 2021. However, said project never materialized. Beginning with the 2013 season, the PBR made it mandatory that all contestants at their events who were born on or after October 15, 1994, ride with a full bull riding helmet. Those born before that date were grandfathered in and permitted to ride with
5368-638: The CBR World Finals. The bull teams racked up points and money and from 2010 to 2018, a year-end CBR Bull Team Challenge champion was crowned. After CBR went out of business in the summer of 2018, the CBR Bull Team Challenge was renamed the Million Dollar Bull Team Challenge (MDBTC) and returned to its roots by rejoining the PBR. MDBTC events now take place at U.S. lower-level PBR events. In
5490-589: The Cheeseburger Island Style Hawaii All-Star Challenge, which featured the top 15 riders from the 2006 year-end world standings, as well as five riders that were voted online by fans to compete at the event. In April 2007, investment firm Spire Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in PBR. In 2008, the PBR launched the Bull Team Challenge; a series of events in which stock contractors bucked
5612-468: The PBR World Finals, took place in Las Vegas, Nevada , for nearly 30 years. Since 2022, it has taken place in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . The PBR's major league tour, titled the Unleash the Beast Series since 2018, was previously known as the Bud Light Cup Series from 1994 through 2002, then the Built Ford Tough Series from 2003 through 2017. Each bull has a unique name and number called
5734-473: The PBR is 98.75 points. Each Premier Series event always has four judges. At the end of each event, the top 12 riders compete in the Championship Round; the rider with the highest point total from the entire event becomes the champion. The PBR started their inaugural championship season in 1994 with one tour. Today, it offers five tours in the United States. Eligibility of contestants at each level
5856-566: The PBR's J.W. Hart Challenge at the Wise County Sheriff's Posse Arena in Decatur, Texas ). There, he rode a bull named Black Cat for 88.5 points and split the event win with J.W. Hart (whose 88.5-point ride came aboard King Buck). Shivers and Hart were the only two PBR legends to ride their bulls for the full eight seconds in the event. In 2001, Shivers married his girlfriend, Kylie Morphis. They have three children. In 2019, Kylie
5978-415: The PRCA. The rider only scores points if he successfully rides the bull for eight seconds. The bull is always given a score. In the PRCA, a ride is scored from 0–100 points. Both the rider and the bull are awarded points. In the regular season, there are four judges, two judges scoring the bull's effort from 0–25 points, and two judges scoring the rider's performance from 0-25 points. There is the potential for
6100-526: The Philippines, Australia and New Zealand with the majority of them following similar rules, especially with the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) organization. The taming of bulls has ancient roots in contests dating as far back as Minoan culture. Bull riding itself has its direct roots in Mexican contests of equestrian, ranching and bullfighting skills now collectively known as charreada . During
6222-1216: The Professional Championship Bull Riders Tour (PCB), the American Bull Riders Tour (ABT), Bull Riders Canada (BRC), the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA), the Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA), the United Professional Rodeo Association (UPRA), the Southern Rodeo Association (SRA), the Professional Western Rodeo Association (PWRA), the Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA), among others. Bull riders compete in these organizations as they are climbing
SECTION 50
#17327811658446344-572: The Team Series Championship event with a $ 10,000 bonus. The other teams that finish in the top four of the Championship event, including each individual team member and ownership group, also receive a year-end money bonus. On February 23, 2024, the PBR announced the addition of two new teams to the series. The trophy cup that the PBR's annual individual world champion receives in addition to the gold belt buckle and money bonus
6466-492: The Texas legislature in 1891. In the same time period, however, Wild West Shows began to add steer riding to their exhibitions, choosing to use castrated animals because steers were easier to handle and transport than bulls. Additionally, informal rodeos began as competitions between neighboring ranches in the American Old West . The location of the first formal rodeo is debated. Deer Trail , Colorado claims
6588-609: The Thomas & Mack Center through 2015. In 2016, the PBR moved the World Finals to the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip . In 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and Nevada state restrictions on large events, the World Finals were moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas , with a limited and socially distanced crowd for every day of competition. The event returned to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for
6710-416: The United States and 25 of Australia's best bull riders contesting the event. Chris Shivers Christopher Lee Shivers (born December 30, 1978) is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding , and competed on the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit. He turned pro in 1997, and won the PBR world championship in 2000 and 2003. In 2023, Shivers was ranked No. 6 on
6832-698: The United States and Canada, most professional bull riders start out riding in high school rodeo or other junior associations. From there, riders may go on the college rodeo circuit or to one of several national or regional semi-professional associations including the Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association (SEBRA), the National Federation of Professional Bull Riders (NFPB), the International Bull Riders Association (IBR),
6954-824: The United States every year and the ABBI Finals have been held every autumn since 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2005, the PBR opened offices in Canada , Mexico , Brazil , and Australia to produce tours in said countries starting the next year. In 2006, just shortly after that year's World Finals, the PBR held two events in Hawaii . The first was a regular lower-level event, the Myron Duarte Maui Challenge in Wailuku , followed by an event in Honolulu ,
7076-407: The United States go head-to-head against each other in events in each of the teams' respective hometowns, as well as two "neutral site" events. The season culminates with the Team Series Championship, which is held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The year-end champion team wins a trophy shaped like a giant belt buckle, as well as a large money bonus. Each individual member of the champion team also wins
7198-486: The United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and other countries hold PBR memberships, and compete in PBR-sanctioned events in the four mentioned countries. At the end of each season, the PBR world champion receives a $ 1 million bonus, trophy cup, and championship gold belt buckle. The PBR has become one of the most globally successful television sports programs. Total viewership, including live event attendees and
7320-572: The United States. Many also enjoyed traditional Mexican celebrations, and H. L. Kinney, a rancher, promoter and former Texas Ranger staged what is thought to be the first Anglo-American organized bullfight in the southwest in 1852. This event also included a jaripeo competition and was the subject of newspaper reports from as far away as the New Orleans Daily Delta. However, popular sentiment shifted away from various blood sports and both bullfighting and prize fighting were banned by
7442-560: The United States. Some of Australia's leading bull riders conduct bull riding clinics to assist learners and novice riders. A World Challenge of Professional Bull Riders (PBR) was held on 29 May 2010 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre (BEC). The 2010 PBR Finals were held over two nights at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC), with five top-ranked professional bull riders from
SECTION 60
#17327811658447564-475: The World Finals is an eight-day event; the first four days of the event are followed by two days off, then the next two days are followed by another day off, then the final two days conclude the event. From 2007 through 2010, the PBR hosted a team competition format called the PBR World Cup , where 25 bull riders (altogether representing the five countries where PBR events are sanctioned) competed to win
7686-449: The World Finals were relocated to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas . The World Finals returned to Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena for the final time in 2021. Bull riding Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider. American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To receive
7808-419: The arena for riders to get out of the way quickly. Riders can also hop onto the fence to avoid danger. One end of the arena contains the bucking chutes from which the bulls are released. An arena usually contains two to six bucking chutes. Especially for big events to keep it flowing the nights of the events. They load the bulls into all two to six chutes, releasing one at a time. There is also an exit chute where
7930-596: The best of each. The home country was granted a competitive advantage. It was a series that visited each nation each year and continued until one nation held all five pieces of the Global Cup—including the native soil of each territory. Thus, only one country could be claimed the Toughest Nation on Dirt . The 2017 PBR Global Cup was held at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada ; the 2018 Global Cup at
8052-474: The bull did not buck are all reasons why a rider can be given a reride. With rerides they all run different. The rider may get the same bull or another one will be drawn at random. Scoring is done consistently within a rodeo organization. The two largest sanctioning bodies are the PRCA and PBR. They vary slightly in how they score bull rides. There are many other organizations, and each has its own particular rules on how they score, but most follow rules similar to
8174-412: The bull on how rank (difficult to ride) he is. Two judges score the rider on how proficient he is. The rider has to stay on top of the bull for eight seconds and ride with one free hand. He is disqualified if he touches himself, the bull, the riding equipment, or the ground with his free arm during the course of the ride. Any ride that is scored 90 points or higher is deemed exceptional. The highest score in
8296-439: The bull once a rider has dismounted. Chaps are probably the most noticeable piece of bull rider clothing, as their distinctive coloring and patterns add flair to the sport. Usually made of leather, chaps also provide protection for the rider's legs and thighs. Bull riders wear a protective vest which is made of high density foam that allows the shock to disperse over a wide area, thereby reducing pain and injury. The vest's foam
8418-488: The bull pushed Frost against the ground, its entire body weight was on the end of its horn, breaking some of Frost's ribs and severing a main artery. Lambert based the bull riding protective vest on the one worn by his brother who was a horse jockey . He debuted the vest at the California Rodeo Salinas in the summer of 1993, and for several months, he was the only bull rider using one. It was not until
8540-552: The bull to buck in motions such as bucking side to side, jumping up and down, or kicking its legs in the air in a circular motion. If it is applied improperly a rider may request to ride again, as the bull will not buck well if the flank strap is too tight. The flank strap is applied by the stock contractor or his designate. The arenas used in professional bull riding vary. Some are rodeo arenas that are used only for bull riding and other rodeo events. Others are event centers that play host to many different sports. Common to all arenas
8662-411: The bull when he successfully rides the bull for eight seconds. An event has four judges, all former bull riders themselves. Each judge may award up to 25 points. Two judges score the rider, and two judges score the bull. All of the judges' scores are tallied together. That figure is divided by two for the official score. One-half of the possible score is based on the bull's performance. The two judges score
8784-453: The bull's effort. Then all the scores are combined and then the total is divided in half for the official score. Judges award points based on several key aspects of the ride. Bull riding rules require for judges to be former bull riders themselves. They look for constant control and rhythm in the rider in matching their movements with the bull. Points are usually deducted if a rider is constantly off balance. For points actually to be awarded,
8906-619: The bull's head during the ride, knocking him unconscious. The wreck cracked his skull and fractured nearly every bone in his face. As a result, he had reconstructive surgery. When the regular season ended, he had won enough money to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City in December. Against doctors' recommendations, he decided to compete at the event. However, his face was still recovering, so he rode at
9028-427: The bull, judges look at the animal's overall agility, power and speed; his back legs kick, and his front end drops. In general, if a bull gives a rider a very hard time, more points will be awarded. If a rider fails to stay mounted for at least eight seconds, the bull is still awarded a score. The PBR and PRCA record bulls' past scores so that the best bulls can be brought to the finals, ensuring that riders will be given
9150-418: The bulls can exit the arena. Also in the arena, there will be two to four guys mounted on horses with ropes, and chaps on to rope the bulls and take them into the exit chute to help keep all people in the arena safe and keep the show moving. These men or women will lasso the bull around the head and neck and pull them into the exit chute where one of the workers will open the exit chute and put the bull back. In
9272-498: The calendar year. Cowtown Coliseum was the site of the very first PBR event in April 1993. The PBR World Finals was held in Las Vegas, Nevada , for over 25 years. The inaugural 1994 World Finals was held at the city's MGM Grand Garden Arena . The event remained at that venue through 1998. In 1999, the PBR moved the World Finals to the Thomas & Mack Center . The organization was stretching its current arena's limits and really needed
9394-403: The championship round, Frost dismounted and landed in the muddy arena floor. The bull then turned and pressed a horn against Frost's back and pushed him against the mud. Frost got up and took a few steps towards the bucking chutes and signaled for help. He then collapsed. He died on the arena floor before he could be transported to the hospital. No autopsy was performed, and it was assumed that when
9516-537: The circuit folded shortly thereafter. From 2020 through 2022, the PBR held Cowboys for a Cause; an event that featured sponsored teams of three bull riders competing against each other in a winner-take-all format while donating money to charitable causes. During its first two years, the event took place on the launch deck of the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas , and was held in conjunction with
9638-400: The early 2010s, manufacturers were building helmets made specifically for bull riding. During the same time period, most up-and-comers were already riding with helmets. In 2013, the PBR made it mandatory that all contestants at their events who were born on or after October 15, 1994 ride with a full bull riding helmet. Those born before that date were grandfathered in and permitted to ride with
9760-492: The establishment, seems an ardent admirer of these sports, and his presence is useful, in case of a dangerous accident occurring, which is not infrequent. By the mid-19th century, charreada competition was popular on Texas and California cattle ranches where Anglo and Hispanic ranch hands often worked together. Many early Texas rangers , who had to be expert horse riders and later went on to become ranchers , learned and adapted Hispanic techniques and traditions to ranches in
9882-404: The event with a lacrosse helmet and a neck roll. When his face was healed up, Sampson went back to riding in a cowboy hat. However, he would suffer additional facial injuries throughout the rest of his career and rode with a helmet if his injuries were severe enough to warrant it. He would always go back to riding in a hat when healed up and never made a helmet a permanent part of his gear. Into
10004-418: The final time in 2021. The World Finals were relocated to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas , in 2022 and were held there in 2023, as well. Since 2024, the event has been split into two different venues in two different cities in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex ; the first six days taking place at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, then the final two days taking place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The PBR
10126-480: The first PBR bull rider to win more than $ 300,000 in prize money in one year (1998); the first PBR bull rider to reach the $ 1 million mark (2001), the $ 2 million mark (2003) and the $ 3 million mark (2006); the first PBR bull rider to register 13 90-point rides in one season (1998); the highest marked ride in PBR history (96.5 points - twice) [a record later broken by José Vitor Leme ]; and the first bull rider to win three consecutive Bud Light Cup events (2000). Shivers
10248-439: The first or first two go-rounds, the top 20 riders are given a chance to ride one more bull. This final round is called the "short go" or sometimes it is called the championship round. After the end of the short go, the rider with the most total points wins the event. A rider who had a disturbance during his or her ride can go to the judges himself and ask for a reride. The bull can fall, another bull gets out, someone interfered, or
10370-464: The first place team won $ 20,000, while second place won $ 10,000. The top bull teams then competed at the PBR World Finals for a $ 500,000 purse, with $ 250,000 going to the champion team. The PBR discontinued the Bull Team Challenge after just one year. However, the concept was picked up by another bull riding organization, Championship Bull Riding (CBR) in 2010, and the CBR Bull Team Challenge hosted several bull teams competing at regular events, as well as
10492-484: The first rodeo was in 1869, but so does Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1872. Although steer riding contests existed into the 1920s, the sport did not gain popularity until bulls were returned to the arena and replaced steers as the mount of choice. The first-known rodeo to use brahma bulls was in Columbia, Mississippi, produced in 1935 by Canadian brothers Earl and Weldon Bascom with Jake Lybbert and Waldo Ross. This rodeo
10614-399: The first three days taking place the first weekend, followed by the next four days taking the following weekend; from 2010 through 2019, it was again a five-day event; in 2020 and 2021, it was again a four-day event; in 2022 and 2023, it went back to being a seven-day event with the first three days taking place one weekend, then the next four days taking place the following weekend. Since 2024,
10736-404: The grim back of the reluctant bull. The bull, bellowing with rage, reacts to all sides, and tries madly to throw the rider off his back; he then attacks the auras from above with its curved horns, standing, upright, tall; or furious, kicking the air, he launches himself in a race, yearning towards the one who torments him; and while he tries to jump over the barrier of the concave Circus, he disturbs
10858-406: The ground. At the same moment the lasso is withdrawn, and the bull starts up, maddened by feeling the weight of his unusual burden. The rider must dismount in the same way, the bull being first thrown down, otherwise he would be gored in a moment. It is terribly dangerous, for if the man were to lose his seat, his death is nearly certain; but these Mexicans are superb riders. A monk, who is attached to
10980-413: The ladder to the professional ranks and to supplement their income. La Federación Mexicana de Rodeo (The Mexican Rodeo Federation) is Mexico's sanctioning body that includes all of professional American rodeo's standard events, including bull riding. Cuernos Chuecos (Crooked Horns) is Mexico's most prestigious stand-alone bull riding organization. Professional bull riders can win in excess of $ 100,000
11102-462: The list of the top 30 bull riders in PBR history. Chris Shivers was born on December 30, 1978, in Natchez, Mississippi . Shivers has twenty-two career Bud Light Cup Series (BLC) and Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) wins. The BLC was the name of the PBR's elite series from 1994 through 2002. The BFTS was the name from 2003 through 2017. Shivers has recorded the following history-making firsts:
11224-410: The men is surprising; but the most curious part of the exhibition was when a coachman, a strong, handsome Mexican, mounted on the back of a fierce bull, which plunged and flung himself about as if possessed by a legion of demons, and forced the animal to gallop round and round the arena. The bull is first caught by the lasso, and thrown on his side, struggling furiously. The man mounts while he is still on
11346-437: The next round. Otherwise, the rider with a higher score advances. Bull riders use many pieces of equipment both functionally and to ensure maximum safety, both to themselves and to the animals involved. The primary piece of equipment used is the bull rope . It is a braided rope made of polypropylene, grass, or some combination. A handle is braided into the center of the rope and is usually stiffened with leather. One side of
11468-433: The ride, bullfighters, previously known as rodeo clowns , stay near the bull to aid the rider if necessary. When the ride ends, either intentionally or not, the bullfighters distract the bull to protect the rider from harm. The bull then exits the arena via the exit chute. If he refuses to leave, then the wrangler on horseback ropes the bull and takes him into the exit chute so the next rider can go. Some bulls, however, have
11590-403: The ride. Originally, the rules required a 10-second ride, but that was changed to the current eight seconds. The bull bucks, rears, kicks, spins, and twists in an effort to throw the rider off. This continues for a number of seconds until the rider is bucked off the bull or dismounts after completing the ride. A loud buzzer or whistle announces the completion of an eight-second ride. Throughout
11712-450: The rider and the bull to earn up to 50 points each. The two scores are added together for a total ride score of up to 100 points. This system was spearheaded by former PRCA president Dale Smith . Scores of zero are quite common, as many riders lose control of the animal almost immediately after the bull leaves the bucking chute. Many experienced professionals are able to earn scores of 75 or more. Scores above 80 are considered excellent, and
11834-423: The rider must stay mounted for a minimum of eight seconds, and they are scored only for actions during those eight seconds. The ability to control the bull well allows riders to gain extra style points. These are often gained by spurring the animal. A rider is disqualified for touching the bull, the riding equipment, themself, or the ground with their free arm during the ride. Bucking bulls have more raw power and
11956-431: The rodeo and bull riding associations mentioned in the agreement the mandatory use of helmets to all youth bull riders and the recommendation of helmets to all adult bull riders. For competitors under the age of 18, mandatory protective headgear incorporating an ice hockey-style helmet is worn. Riders who use helmets as youths tend to continue wearing them as they reach adulthood and turn professional. The flank strap
12078-418: The rope is tied in an adjustable knot that can be changed for the size of bull. The other side of the rope (the tail) is a flat braid and is usually coated with rosin to keep it from sliding through the rider's hand. A metallic bell is strapped to the knot and hangs directly under the bull throughout the ride. In addition to the sound the bell produces, it also gives the rope some weight, allowing it to fall off
12200-419: The score received, waits until all other riders have ridden, and rides again. This can be risky because the rider loses their score and risks being bucked off and receiving no score. A re-ride may also be given if a bull stumbles or runs into the fence or gate. In some PBR events that use an elimination style bracket, if both riders in a bracket fail to reach eight seconds, the rider who lasts longer advances to
12322-528: The selection, care and treatment of rodeo livestock, arenas, plus equipment requirements and specifications. Chainsaw was one of Australia's most famous bucking bulls. Only nine contestants scored on him and he won the Australian national title of Bull of the Year a world record eight times during 1987 to 1994. Some of Australia's best bull riders travel and compete internationally in Canada, New Zealand and
12444-401: The sport as a whole. The bulls are unharmed by the rowels , as their hide is roughly seven times thicker than a human being's skin. Truly skilled riders will often spur the bull in the hope of achieving extra style points from the judges. Many riders wear mouthguards , which are optional at the professional level. For most of bull riding's history, the primary headgear worn by contestants
12566-416: The spring of 1994 when other contestants began riding with vests. The number of bull riders with vests grew over the months, and by the autumn of that year, the vast majority of riders were using them. They were officially made mandatory for all contestants by 1996. Some bull riding vests also include a neck roll for protection to the neck, although very few riders use a vest with this modification. To prevent
12688-609: The summer of 2008, the PBR Team Shootout was held. This was a series of five events in which the top 20 riders in the PBR world standings each selected a rider of their choice, and as a team competed against each other for the Team Shootout championship. Each team rode in two of the first four events, held respectively in Del Mar, California ; Paso Robles, California ; Molalla, Oregon ; and Guthrie, Oklahoma . Then,
12810-418: The television audience, grew 52 percent between 2002 and 2004. In 2004, 16.4 million fans watched or attended a PBR event. By 2008, over 100 million watched the PBR on television, and over 1.7 million attended a live event. In 1995, roughly 310,000 fans attended an event. Now, around 3 million fans attend a live event. A qualified ride is worth up to 100 points. That is, 50 points for the rider and 50 points for
12932-842: The title of best bull riding country in the world. The 2007 PBR World Cup was held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia ; the 2008 World Cup at the Manuel Bernardo Aguirre Gymnasium in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico ; the 2009 World Cup at the Parque do Peão in Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil ; and the 2010 World Cup at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States . The PBR World Cup
13054-532: The top 10 teams rode at the finals event in Pueblo, Colorado. 2009 was the first year in which most of the contestants on the PBR's televised Premier Series rode with helmets instead of cowboy hats. In 2010, a week before the start of that year's World Finals, the PBR held an event in New York City's Times Square which featured the top 10 riders competing for the chance to receive additional points towards
13176-530: The various roughriding associations. Contract stock has produced a more uniform range of bucking stock which is also quieter to handle. The competitions are run and scored in a similar style to that used in the United States. In May 1992, the National Rodeo Council of Australia (NRCA) was formed to promote and further the sport of rodeo and has represented the following associations, which also control bull riding: There are strict standards for
13298-490: The whole stage, making the mob tremble. Like the Lion of Libya, badly wounded by a rigid blow, roaring, threatens ferociously with a look and bloody jaw, and showing his claws, attacks the cunning enemy, either by launching himself in a rapacious leap through the air, or by chasing the mob with a swift chase; not dissimilar, indignant, for such a strange load on his back, the bull rouses the whole arena, attacking some and others. But
13420-458: The world standings. On February 23, 2011, the PBR announced that Jim Haworth had become its new CEO. Then on June 29, 2015, the PBR announced that Haworth was promoted to Chairman, while COO Sean Gleason had become the new CEO. After several years of only holding events in the United States, the ABBI expanded to having futurity events as well as year-end finals in Canada, Australia, and Brazil by
13542-400: The year, PBR events, including the World Finals, consisted of limited and socially distanced crowds. The length of the PBR World Finals has changed throughout its history. The inaugural 1994 World Finals was a two-day event; the 1995 World Finals was a five-day event; from 1996 through 2003, it lasted four days; from 2004 through 2009 it lasted seven days, but was split into two weekends, with
13664-419: The young man, affirming his body, constantly dominates the bullish back, spurring endlessly his flanks. The young man with his effective right hand, mounted on the bull, rinskingly wielding a blunt spear, also orders, from the depths of the palisade fences, another bull to come out, which he joyfully torments with pricks throughout the rodeo. Suddenly, this bull is stunned before this strange figure, and dodges, in
13786-459: Was cowboy hats . However, things started to slowly change during the latter years of the 20th century. Among the earliest bull riders to use protective headgear was 1982 PRCA world champion, Charlie Sampson . At an exhibition rodeo in Landover, Maryland , during the latter part of the 1983 PRCA regular season, Sampson suffered some major injuries after he was jerked down and his face collided with
13908-533: Was Sam Applebaum. Randy Bernard became CEO of the PBR in 1995, a position he held until he resigned in 2010 to become the CEO of INDYCAR . When Bernard took over the position of CEO in 1995, it was just after the conclusion of the first World Finals at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada . At that time, the PBR's bank account held $ 8,000 and the organization was $ 140,000 in debt. Bernard,
14030-534: Was announced that the PBR Hall of Fame would be located at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , within the museum's American Rodeo Gallery. It opened the following year. From June through August 2022, the PBR hosted lower-level tour events on Sundays at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas . Since 2023, these events take place at the venue on most Thursdays of
14152-437: Was founded on April 12, 1992, through the efforts of businessman Sam Applebaum and 20 professional bull riders; David Bailey Jr., Clint Branger, Mark Cain, Adam Carrillo, Gilbert Carrillo, Cody Custer, Jerome Davis , Bobby DelVecchio, Mike Erickson, David Fournier, Michael Gaffney, Tuff Hedeman , Cody Lambert , Scott Mendes , Daryl Mills, Ty Murray , Ted Nuce , Aaron Semas, Jim Sharp , and Brent Thurman ; who all gathered in
14274-616: Was never held in Canada. From 2017 through 2020, and again in 2022, another event, the PBR Global Cup , offered bull riders a chance to compete in a five country competition. This event was a different format from the PBR World Cup; it was not a continuation of the old event. Like the World Cup, the Global Cup was staged annually across the countries where PBR events are sanctioned. National team riders were matched against
14396-608: Was originally called the Bud Light Cup from 1994 through 2002. However, when Bud Light was no longer the Premier Series' title sponsor by 2003, it was referred to simply as the PBR Cup or PBR Championship Trophy. In 2022, the trophy cup was officially renamed the Jerome Robinson Cup; in honor of former bull rider and longtime PBR arena director Jerome Robinson, who died earlier in that year. In September 2022, it
14518-651: Was originally headquartered in Irvine, California , before moving to downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado , in 1995. By 2007, the organization had enough of its cramped office in Colorado Springs, so they moved their world headquarters to a new four-story building on the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk in Pueblo, Colorado . In 2024, they once again relocated their world headquarters; this time to
14640-608: Was represented by a corporate sponsor. The regular events were held at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas, while the series finale was held at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota . While the regular events were closed to the public, the championship event allowed fans to attend, but in limited numbers and they needed to socially distance themselves. For the rest of
14762-419: Was seeking to break away from the rules set by the PRCA and BRO, and form their own bull riding competitions, which included them as well as other top bull riders. "We wanted to create a better product for the fans, so that when they tuned in they were seeing the best of the best every time," said PBR co-founder and nine-time world champion rodeo cowboy Ty Murray, who later served as the president. The PBR put on
14884-555: Was the first to feature a bull riding event at a night rodeo held outdoors under electric lights. From these roots, bull riding as a competitive sport has spread to a number of other nations worldwide. A pivotal moment for modern bull riding, and rodeo in general, came with the founding of the Cowboys' Turtle Association (CTA) in 1936, which later became the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) in 1945, and eventually
#843156