Rodeo draws crowds in unlikely places
During the past weekend, the Professional Bull Riders tour stopped in Oklahoma City.
It's no surprise that the PBR was able to conduct a successful event there. Oklahoma has lots of rodeo fans.
But in addition to successfully drawing a crowd likely places such as Albuquerque, Arlington, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the PBR also draws a crowd in unlikely places.
One of those places is New York. When the PBR stopped in Manhattan on the weekend of Jan. 15-17, organizers celebrated 10 consecutive years in the iconic Madison Square Garden.
"When we first wanted to come to New York, when the PBR was young, everybody said we'd get slaughtered," said Ty Murray, a PBR founder who is from the North Central Texas community of Stephenville. "But this has been a big, memorable event for us every year."
One reason the PBR, which conducted its inaugural season in 1994, has been a success story is because its top tour, the Built Ford Tough Series, consistently draws a crowd in urban areas ranging from Anaheim, Calif., to New York.
New York's Madison Square Garden is a prime example. It's more known for featuring professional basketball and ice hockey, as well as boxing and concerts. Bull riding bucks only once a year in the venue, but this year's PBR show drew nearly 35,000.
"It's cool because this (pro bull riding) isn't something New Yorkers get to experience every day, as compared to people in Fort Worth or people in California, for that matter," said Murray, a seven-time world all-around champion. "It's a real treat and they look forward to it. For the people here, they feel like they see something they can't even believe exists. For them, I think it feels like going to see gladiators."
Two-time PBR world champion J.B. Mauney, who finished fifth at last weekend's show in New York, said fans show lots of enthusiasm.
"When it comes here, they're interested in it because they don't really know anything about it," Mauney said. "The crowd gets into it more than places like Texas where they see it all of the time. I really like coming up here."
The 2016 tour stop was called the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden. Brazilian Paulo Lima, who lives in the North Texas town of Decatur, won the title after earning 725 points over the three-day competition. He earned $129,500.
After competing in New York, the PBR's top competitors migrated to Oklahoma City where they competed Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Brazilian Fabiano Vieira won the title after earning 595 points.
After winning the Oklahoma City show, Vieira is ranked third in the world title race with 667 points. Lima is ranked No. 1 with 1,005. Joao Ricardo Vieira is ranked second with 975.
This weekend, the tour stops in Anaheim.
The Ford Series tour also stops at Arlington's AT&T Stadium on Feb. 27. The PBR's 2016 World Finals are Nov. 2-6 in Las Vegas.
Sean Gleason, the PBR's chief executive officer, said part of the PBR's success is because fans are captivated by the productions: the spills, the pyrotechnics and the rock 'n' roll music.
"The product is exciting and it's adrenaline-packed and we wrap it in a very contemporary production," Gleason said. "So, it's not an old tried-and-true product - it's a very new spin on a tried-and-true product. It's that spin that appeals to fans.
"So, word of mouth and the advertising we do cuts through. And people are looking for a good time. And if people don't have a good time at a PBR show, they're deaf, dumb and blind."
PRCA update
On the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association circuit, Trevor Brazile, an Amarillo native who lives in Decatur, turned in a tie-down roping final round time of 7.5 seconds on Sunday en route to winning the National Western Stock Show Rodeo in Denver. Brazile came in No. 1 in the title race after finishing the rodeo with a three-run time of 23.8. Riley Pruitt finished second with a 24.6.
Ranch rodeo update
The Pitchfork Ranch, which is located near the West Texas community of Guthrie, won the team title at the Fort Worth Stock Show's Ranch Rodeo on Jan. 16. The team members were Clay Timmons, Pat Butler, Stoney Jones, Clint Jones and KC Green. The Fort Worth Stock Show began Jan. 15 and runs through Feb. 6.
Brett Hoffman, a Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame member, has written a rodeo column for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram over the past quarter-century. Email him at bchoffman777@earthlink.net.