Kris DiLorenzo is the head of Bull Riding Marketing, a New York-based company with an Austin, Texas auxiliary. She believes that bull riders are the new rock stars.
An experienced marketer, fundraiser, and publicist, Kris spent 12 years in the rock and roll business working in management, publicity, tour coordination, talent and booking, and artist relations.
As a professional writer, she has been published in more than 60 magazines and newspapers worldwide, including foreign language publications. Her writing about music is quoted in books and on many Web sites; some is archived on http://www.rocksbackpages.com, where she also maintains a blog.
To contact Bull Riding Marketing, leave a message on this blog or email: BullRidingMarketing@BullridingMarketing.com
Bullridingmarketing Blog 
Whatever happened to Ben Jones? Seems like a giant whitewash.
LikeLike
Yep– the only statement the PBR made is that he won’t be riding in the PBR again, because of some kind of unspecified unacceptable behavior. He did ride in the CBR, though.
LikeLike
Well, thank you for the update. I guess he is not talking either, so they must have got him cold.
LikeLike
Just now read you for the first time! Love it!
LikeLike
Thanks so much! I’m glad you found my blog. Enjoy wandering through the archives.
LikeLike
This weekend’s event 09.11.16, Silvano got a score of 79 in the 3rd round…lowballing him again! Is that why he opt out of the Championship round? What happen to him? I didn’t see him get injured.
LikeLike
WOW! CHECK THIS OUT! It’s about time!
http://www.pbrshop.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=439&catID=42
LikeLike
I’m in shock! And it doesn’t look like a stinky one, either. I’m wondering why they chose him. (I know hell will freeze over before they make a Silvano Alves T-shirt!)
LikeLike
I agree with you! The PBR doesn’t know who their fans are. JB is NOT my favorite. Alves, Palermo, Lee, Marchi, JRV!! And why are they calling me to see if I want to buy tickets again this year for the Iron Cowboy??
LikeLike
Wow, they’re doing some aggressive marketing! I guess they’re worried they won’t fill the venue. Maybe if they made their events less about Saint JB and more about ALL the cowboys, they’d generate more enthusiasm. I’ve noticed a few times that when they play “Bad to the Bone,” the in-arena announcers have to pump up the crowd to get them to make more noise. In fact, once I heard them play the song twice. When they call you, maybe you could tell them there are millions of people who want tee shirts with Brazilian riders on them–Brazil has millions of fans, probably there are thousands in the U.S., and there’s even a Renato Nunes fan club here. They’re missing the boat on this one. Their prejudice is blinding them.
LikeLike
I called them 3 times about t-shirts when Silvano won #3! Lol But I see they made one with JB.
LikeLike
Good for you! I hunted all over Madison Square Garden three years in a row, and never found a T shirt with anyone other than JB or Bushwacker on it. It’s so offensive! Plenty of people want T shirts with Brazilian riders on them, and I’ll bet Ben Jones would sell a lot of T shirts, too. These people are so stupid, they’re missing out on a lot of cash.
LikeLike
Thank you for having such an open and honest blog about the PBR. You say the same things my husband and I say while watching events.
LikeLike
Thank you for being readers! I’d love a “Like” or “Follow” or “Subscribe” (free), or whatever it is that WordPress allows.
LikeLike
IT WAS A MISTAKE GOING TO THE PBR EVENT IN TUCSON!!! I don’t know what we were thinking or why we bothered to go, we already know the outcome before it even started!
The whole event was just BS!!! There was a rider(it wasn’t a Brazilian) that they had to review since it was close to 8 seconds. But what they failed to miss was that he slapped the bull before the 8 second mark. And as you guessed it, he got a qualified ride with a score!! Then another rider(it wasn’t a Brazilian) got his spurs hooked, and he got a score!! And now JB Mauney, he needed a score of 89.75 or better to win the event in the Championship round. They gave him a 90!! That ride wasn’t anywhere close to a 90, it was more 85! But of course it doesn’t matter, JB just needs to stay on and automatically gets a 90 or better score! Let him ride a cow or steer, PBR will give him a 90+!! And guess who was in the lead of the event, Mr. Kaique Pacheco. They screwed him from winning the event!
The whole event was all based on JB, from start to finish! He was introduced with the Monster Girls at the beginning, after all other riders walked in together. Before his ride, they had fireworks and the fireballs going with the big screen showing “stand on your feet” and “make some noise”, while the bad to the bone blarring!!!!
I’m glad we opted out on going to Vegas for the finals!! We’ll just start attending the small local rodeos or bullriding events, that’s where they keep it real still!
LikeLike
I heard some of the same from someone else who attended the event, plus Spiderman got DQd for having his spurs in the knots, whereas Cody Nance wasn’t. The obsession with JB is sickening and insulting to the other riders.
Definitely, smaller events are real bull riding. I’d say keep your eye on the PRCA and CBR events. They each give you 1/2 hour of bullriding– no flashy crap, and without thousands of commercials. If you counted how much bullriding time there is in a PBR event, it would work out about the same, instead of a two-hour hype.
LikeLike
Did you see PBR.com lately? They sure didn’t waste any time on getting t-shirts made for JB Mauney!!!
I’m still waiting on all past World Champions t-shirts!!
LikeLike
They probably had those things made up in April. They tweeted about the shirts yesterday. One of my followers said he found some stuff on eBay. Pretty pathetic that the PBR has such tunnel vision, they can’t see what’s right in front of them. A tee shirt full of Brazilian riders would go over very well with thousands of people, both here and in Brazil. But they have their “storyline” and they’re sticking to it. Stupid.
LikeLike
You are exactly right about the judges scoring JB higher than anyone else. My husband even agrees, and JB is his favorite! I love the PBR, but I think they changed their scoring rules to prevent Silvano from winning again. Sure wish he would win again!!
LikeLike
And you are exactly right about why they changed the scoring system. It would serve them right if he won again, but it doesn’t look like it will happen this year.
LikeLike
I got this question of PBR’s Facebook page:
Ok this new point system confuses the hell out of me if only event points count JW Harris went into the final round in Sioux falls SD with 155 event points and Mike Lee had 130 and no one rides how does Mike Lee Win the Event????
I’m confused as well.
LikeLike
Nevermind, I found the answer. His riding scores were higher than JW’s. They count the aggregate score of his rides: Lee 174.75, Harris 173.75.
LikeLike
http://pbrhotspot.blogspot.com/2010/09/judging-controversy-button-challenge.html
LikeLike
But they did make “Rango” t-shirts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
I just looked up “New Merchandise” on PBR website, well they did come out with new items but still “NO” 3X PBR World Champion merchandise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
At the NYC event, I went to three merchandise vendors, and there was NOT ONE tee shirt with a Brazilian rider on it. Maybe there were other booths that had some, but I seriously doubt it.
LikeLike
I’m sorry but I didn’t get the name of the person, next time I’ll ask.
LikeLike
BUNCH OF BS!!! I just called PBR merchandise department, and asked them if & when will they come out with Silvano Alves t-shirts. The person said “there’s a shipment coming in, it might be in that order. Keep checking the website for it”.
They sure didn’t waste anytime making JB t-shirts!!!
LikeLike
I’m going to the NYC event on Sunday, and will see if there are any Alves tee shirts. Did you get the name of the person you spoke with?
LikeLike
LOL!! Sometimes I wish our Brazilians Boys would just boycott PBR, just to make them realize how much our Boys are making money for PBR! But then again, they are the only reason why I watch PBR!
LikeLike
Catch 22: PBR is their main means of support. Can’t bite the hand that feeds them, no matter how many times they get slapped. It sucks. Maybe after they retire, somebody will mouth off–I hope. PBR brass doesn’t get it: if all the Killer Bs went on strike, who the hell would watch PBR events? And do they not see the sponsor logos plastered all over those guys? Money talks, and it’d be interesting to compare revenue before & after the Brazilian invasion.
LikeLike
I’m still waiting!!! Waiting for Silvano Alves World Champion Bullrider t-shirts!! PBR wasted no time when JB won!!! Another example of how PBR is soooo crooked!!!
LikeLike
They must be waiting for Silvano to win his 5th World Title before they make the tee shirt. š
LikeLike
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!! PBR website already giving JB Mauney the “Last Man Standing” award!! They are putting in up as the favorite to win the event this weekend. It’s that time of the year to start giving all the points and event wins to JB so he could win the World Title again!
LikeLike
OMG– MGM Resorts International Race and Sports calling the odds?? Did I blink, and suddenly PBR events are on OTB? This is a new low for the PBR (just when you think they canāt sink any lower). I remember once making a crack about behind-the-scenes betting– who knew Iād turn out to be right? They wouldnāt dare have asked for odds unless they were sure of JB winning– god forbid any of the 8 guys ahead of him in the world standings should be the favorite! especially if his name ends in a vowel.
Silvano won the event twice in a row, but they hate him too much to even think he should be the favorite!? What shitheads! If anyone out there still thinks thereās no pro-Mauney, anti-Brazilian bias, what more proof do you need?? If this were a horse race, would the #9 horse be the favorite to win! Those behind-the-scenes gnomes are disgusting, unethical, and amoral.
Those judges and Cody Lambert are going to be busy little bees all through the break, doing complicated math and making ridiculous match-ups to further another āstorylineā: JB as the next two-time World Champion.
LikeLike
Straight Outta PBR.com!
“After Round 2 on Saturday, Colorado fans will be treated to a special round of competition, the PBRās 15/15 Bucking Battle. This round offers an additional total purse of $21,000 and double the valuable points needed toward the overall 2014 PBR World Championship title. The Top 15 bull riders in the world standings will be taking on the Top 15 bulls for one ride each. The man with the highest score will be the winner. These results are completely separate from the Built Ford Tough Rumble in the Rockies event”.
PBR should just say “Top Brazilian Riders against the Top Bulls, other riders against Low Ranked bulls!
LikeLike
LOL! You crack me up.
The PBR frequently tries to tell us that up is down and down is up, but that statement takes the cake! Unless JW Harris somehow shoots into the top 15 by Round 2 next weekend, they are just plain brazen, still claiming that the Bucking Battles are the top 15 riders against the top 15 bulls. Not to mention, putting Harris in this position may be causing resentment on the part of whoever is #16–and itās not JWās doing.
LikeLike
I thought on 15/15 Challenges were Top 15 Riders vs. Top 15 Bulls! 15/15 is worth double the points & the winner gets $20,000; but yet they use the easy bulls(matched up for American Riders). If they are going to use those type of bulls, then just do away with the 15/15 Challenges!
LikeLike
Youāre right: 15/15 Bucking Battles are always advertised as āThe top 15 cowboys against the Top 15 bulls.ā Betcha they explain to us that this time theyāre including the top invitee. This is SUCH a transparent ploy to suck in PRCA and CBR followers. I do think JW is great, I love watching him ride, he deserves the money, and I always wanted to see him go up against PBR riders, but handing him Bushwacker?? #1 bull is supposed to go #1 rider (Marchi), right? Another reason why PBR actually is NOT helping bull riding become a mainstream sport: no other sport keeps changing the rules at whim.
LikeLike
Rider Ranked Rider Bull – Ranked Bull
5 Silvano Alves 2 Asteroid
10 Marco Eguchi 3 Rango
2 Fabiano Vieira 4 Shepherd Hills Tested
13 Emilio Resende 7 I’m a Gangster Too
7 Valdiron De Oliveira 16 Fire & Smoke
8 Matt Triplett 17 White Lie
3 Joao Ricardo Vieira 27 Palm Springs
4 Mike Lee 29 Pound the Alarm
6 Cody Nance 76 Apollo Stripes
1 Guilherme Marchi 82 Wicked
9 JB Mauney 111 Rock River Red
11 Eduardo Aparecido 162 Cooper Tire Semper Fi
14 Gage Gay 189 Raven Flyer
15 Stormy Wing 232 Fire Rock
12 LJ Jenkins 252 Perculator
As you can see, the Brazilians are matched up with the rankest bulls! Very obvious!
LikeLike
Wow! And out of the 5 āeasiest” bulls on the list, 4 Americans are matched with them. Out of the 10 most difficult bulls, 7 of their riders are Brazilian. My PBR āmoleā was right when he told me how crooked the match ups are. Nobody can claim these draws are random.
Of course, the people who are in serious denial about anti-Brazilian prejudice will say that these pairings give the Brazilians the best chances for the most points. Reality: the judges still will score the American riders high when they make 8, and most of the Brazilians in the mid-80s, although they donāt hate Guilherme as much as they hate Silvano, so if Marchi rides, he might get a better score.
LikeLike
PBR is at it again!!! Did you see the match up for the 15/15 in Colorado Springs? JB Mauney is matched up with “Rock River Red”! The bull is ranked 111th!! I thought they used the rankest bulls for the 15/15 challenges! PBR is setting up to make JB the world champion AGAIN!
LikeLike
The best Bull Riding east of the Mississippi is in Johnsville MD near Frederick at the JBarW Ranch. They have events there every other Saturday from June to Sept and they have events in the Mid Atlantic area throughout the year. They have some of the best bulls short of the PBR. http://www.jbarwranch.com/
LikeLike
Thanks! Iāll investigate; Iām always interested in learning about other bulls and riders. Iāve been telling other bull riding industry people about coming East. If they all knew how much potential is out here, weād be seeing a lot more events.
LikeLike
Nice to find your blog! I’m a So CA girl who follows PBR with my mom, who got me into bull riding. We agree with a number of your posts that we’ve read including the PBR choosing J.B. to be their All-American PBR poster boy. We felt maybe they did this to boost ratings and gain new fans since yearly raising club member dues, now rolling out the Pure PBR, making it harder to see broadcasts, etc. Just more ways for bandwagon fans to toss their money to them, since more long-time fans have gotten fed up and left. Anyhow, this year we decided not to renew our PBR club membership, but we did attend Anaheim to see Bushwacker. We love the Brazilians and our fave is Valderon, as I even named my dog after him! š We will be following your blog from now on!
~Monika & Carole
LikeLike
Well, thank you! The two of you are quite an insightful team; the fan club issue is a big one. Glad you posted.
PS: Halloween is my favorite holiday!
LikeLike
OF COURSE, IT HAPPEN AGAIN!!! Another 90+ points for the “great white hope” JB Mauney!! It was no where a 90+ points ride, but if your JB, its an automatic high score!!
LikeLike
Maybe you have covered it before but…please do a shot at the the Hummers laugh….grating to say the least.
LikeLike
Oh, I certainly have commented on that yuk-yuk-heh-heh of his. Itās a nervous laugh; heās probably not even conscious that heās doing it all the time. That doesnāt make it any less aggravating! It adds to my list of reasons I want to strangle him.
LikeLike
That’s right, Adriano Moraes, the “Champion of Champions”. I keep looking up the PBR website, hoping & praying to find any of the Brazilian riders t-shirts……but NOOOOO, no avail. But of course I see Chris Shivers t-shirts, now JB Mauney! Any Brazilian t-shirts is fine, they are my favorite riders.
Yeah, about defending “his” title…..they should just said “PBR is ready to defend their title”.
LikeLike
Or, “The PBR is ready to crown its two-time World Champion, JB Mauney.” No need to bother keeping score this year.
LikeLike
YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!! I just saw on PBR website, they are selling JB Mauney World Champion t-shirts!!! Silvano Alves, the only back to back World Champion….they didn’t do that for him. Even as we speak, PBR still don’t have any t-shirts with “MR Silvano Alves” on it.
LikeLike
That is a disgrace. I have never seen such a bunch of bad sports. They don’t have an “Adriano Moraes: Three-time World Champion” tee shirt, either. They have tee shirts for JB, Bushwacker, and Asteroid. So much for bull riding being an “international” sport. If bull riding were baseball, those guys would all be trying to kill Silvano with 90-mph pitches to the head.
To make you gag even more, there’s already a story on the PBR web site about Mauney being ready to defend his title! For god’s sake, the new season hasn’t even started!!
LikeLike
Another case in point! I just watched the PBR 20/20 on RFD-TV this past wednesday night. Justin McBride’s last ride on Camo; he grabbed his rope just before the “required” 8second mark. To be exact, he grabbed the rope at 7.98. And as you know it, the judges gave him a score. They made sure Guilherme Marchi didn’t win!
LikeLike
My thought exactly! Oh, by the way, the kid that called Austin Meier a “cheater”….that was my son that said that. Austin musta read your blogs since I don’t see him hooking his spurs anymore. That must be the reason why he barely qualified for the World Finals this year.
LikeLike
OMG! That’s so funny! See– I do remember the interesting posts. To be fair, another reason Austin has slumped is that he’s gotten slower because of putting on weight.
LikeLike
Thank You for clearing that up….you took the words out of my mouth. Yes, Cody Nance used his spurs in the rope to place that high. Now if they reviewed ride in the TPD, I”m sure he wouldn’t have gotten all those points during the summer break.
LikeLike
Another good point. (I wish they’d televise TPD events.) Another thing about that “Cowboy Way”– if it’s supposed to be about good values, and a lot of people think it includes religion, then how does Nance square his behavior with his religious beliefs? You cheat on a ride, and then give thanks to your God when you score? Huh?? Somebody ‘splain that to me.
LikeLike
Thank You “bullridingmarketing”! Yes, don’t get us wrong about Mauney, he is a good rider. But it’s just unfair on how they been scoring him higher than what he deserved. Another thing I’ve noticed; I never saw a Brazilian rider hooking their spurs while coming out of the chute or while out of the chute. But all others have their spurs hooked in the rope. I know it’s legal to have your spur in the rope after it clears the chute but come on….if the Brazilian riders hooked their spurs, they would be World Champion year after year. They ride with everything else but their spurs…talk about the “cowboy way”.
LikeLike
You are on a roll! I wouldn’t say all the other riders hook their spurs, but Cody Nance does it three-quarters of the time, and that’s why he ended up in the Top 5 in the standings. A couple of times months ago the judges called him on it, and a couple of times they reviewed a ride, but they quickly forgot about keeping an eye on him; I’m pretty sure they just did it pro forma. Somebody once posted on my blog that when his little son sees Austin Meier come out of the chute, he yells, “Cheater!” because he sees the spurs in the rope.
Yeah that “Cowboy Way” idea apparently is very bendy: when Renato Nunes challenged that call on Ryan McConnell, who in fact had slapped his bull, because he wanted everyone to obey the same rules and play fair, a lot of so-called bull riding fans got up in arms because what Renato did wasn’t “the Cowboy Way.” I pointed out that I didn’t think “the Cowboy Way” meant you should close ranks and defend the guy who got away with something; I thought it was supposed to be about truth, justice, and bla bla bla.
The Brazilian riders wouldn’t even need to hook their spurs to win the championship forever– all they’d need is fair scoring. (And now I’m ducking.)
LikeLike
As I’ve been saying all along & it’s no surprise……JB Mauney wins the World Title!! PBR made it obvious all year long; especially after the 2nd half of the season. Yeah, he rode his bulls but it was the judges that gave him a high score(90’s) no matter how the ride was. Just look at his stats for the finals: 4 – 1st place, 1 – 2nd place & 1 – 3rd place. Round #2 on Smackdown, he scored 93.75 but in the Championship Round Dirteater only got 90.75! Silvano’s Round #1 bull that scored him 73.75; that would’ve been a 90 for Mauney. Championship Round: Silvano Rode an Unridden bull “Big Tex Rocks” for 81 points….ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! A bull with a 13-0 record and an average bull score of 44.19! That would’ve been a 95 points for JB! Ok now JB’s bull for the Championship Round: “Wipeout”, bull’s record 14/3 with an average score 43.80. Yeah, it was a good ride after the bull finally turn in the middle of the arena. With the distance from the chutes, that wasn’t or shouldn’t have been a 93! But as mentioned before, no matter what he rode, he would get an automatic 90+ score!! Now you be the judge: the Finals produced 9 90+ point rides; only one(1) from a Brazilian!! VERY OBVIOUS, PBR!
LikeLike
BINGO! You nailed it. (Prepare for a firestorm.) That Big Tex “Rocks” thing really stuck in my craw. Even the crowd booed the score. The judges have been using that strategy all along; as soon as they realized he doesn’t take re-rides, they gave him a choice: take a low score or a re-ride. More of that consistent lowballing of Alves that we’ve seen all along, as well as the inflated “white boy” scoring for Mauney. And don’t forget that DQ on Sunday because the bull touched Alves, whereas when a bull touched Shane Proctor–clearly visible on the replay, and Ty Murray confirmed it– the score was 90. The PBR had JB anointed before they even came back from the break. Hummer in particular was egregious with his foaming at the mouth, making it sound like a foregone conclusion that JB would win. (As of course it was; the judges are very good at math.)
BTW, in one of the stories on the PBR website, KRC mentions the possibility that Silvano did’t totally understand that the points were doubled. We haven’t seen a translator in months, have we?
Now watch and see the hate mail we get from the Mauney Minions. Just to clarify for one and all: neither one of us is “hating on” JB Mauney. He’s a great bull rider, and it’s not his fault people give him advantages. I just hate the unfair way the PBR judges treated Alves for most of the season.
LikeLike
Did you hear what they doing to Silvano Alves now? They are delaying-time on his proper papers to go back to Brazil for the summer to ride in PBR Brazil events! I guess low-balling him on his riding scores isn’t enough so now they won’t let him leave to country to accomulate the 50% points earned from PBR Brazil events. He already missed the 1st event due not receiving his papers.
LikeLike
The Immigration & Naturalization Service is a giant, messy bureaucracy; it takes a really good legal shark to deal with them. The same idiotic situation happened to my Scottish (now ex) husband: we were married and living in New York, and his green card was taking forever to arrive. We wanted to visit his family in Scotland, since they couldn’t come to the wedding, but the INS said if he left the country, he couldn’t get back in unless he had a green card. Apparently a marriage license didn’t count. And we didn’t have a lawyer.
The PBR needs to hire a better lawyer, with sharper teeth. There’s no acceptable reason for Silvano’s family to get their cards while his is in limbo. Betcha the immigration folks are going over his financial situation with a fine-toothed comb, looking for some tax issue to gum up the works. Meanwhile, they’re depriving him of an important part of his profession. Those government prats can speed things up when the right person is breathing down their necks. Let’s hope the press release about this situation is just a cliff-hanger device to drum up drama, followed by the triumphant press release when Silvano gets sprung. I’d hate to think the PBR wasn’t doing its utmost to help its two-time world champion– but then, he is Brazilian…
LikeLike
My thought exactly! It seems like we’re always on the same page. I hate for him to lose all that valuble points & miss out on his family time.
LikeLike
Just stumbled across your blog from a Twitter retweet. I think you need a Canadian sub-branch. I’m in.
LikeLike
Yeah! We need to know more about bull riding in Canada. The only names we know down here are Aaron Roy and Ty Pozzobon.
LikeLike
He must’ve heard us talking: Aaron Roy takes the 15-15 Bucking Battle in Billings. Please tell us about some more north-of-the-border riders we should watch!
LikeLike
Sorry for my confusion, I’ve taken too many shots to the head.
LikeLike
LOL– you and me both– and I’ve never been on a bull! This morning I gave someone my phone number — except that it’s the one I had 10 years ago.
LikeLike
Kris, I would love to read your essay. I do not know any cowboy poets in the PBR. Of course every cowboy knows Baxter Black, and I would venture to guess since Justin McBride is a singer/songwriter he may have some poetry in his reserve. Jerome is indeed a fine young man and a motivation to all those who know him. Cheyenne Frontier Days has always been my favorite rodeo, but then I was born and raised in Cheyenne and watched my dad ride there many times and competed there as well. Commenting on other news it is about damn time we see Justin McKee on TV again. I have always been thoroughly impressed with his dedication to the task, his professionalism and natural talent. On Brazilians and steroids, I say not likely. First, I am not certain they would help with the timing or the counter-moves necessary in riding rank bulls. While strength (at least relative to body weight) is important, strength alone will not suffice. When I conceived the notion of stand-alone bull riding I thought that every one who dreamed of ever riding would dedicate themselves to that purpose once it was clear a good living could be made from it. Sadly, in the U.S. that has not been the case actually quite the opposite. Perhaps mothers watching the PBR have dissuaded their young from such a dangerous profession, or common sense gets the best of ’em. However, in Brazil you are absolutely right when you say they see bull riding as a way out of poverty. Add to that the fact that Brazil is very agricultural has the largest herds of bulls I have ever seen and it simply comes down to supply. And of course their dedication and singleness of purpose furthers their achievements. I love it. When Myrtis Dightman had to use the rear gate to get in the rodeo grounds the judges didn’t see color when they saw a fantastic bull ride and I don’t see country when I see one either.
LikeLike
Hi, Shaw–
It’s good to hear from you. I’m not the one who asked about cowboy poets, but to everything else in your post, I say Amen!
Email to follow…
LikeLike
Hi Shaw,
I’m the one who wrote the essay I mentioned about CFD and Jerome’s Invitational. I’ll send you a copy. Just need an email address. I read it at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association conference in Atlanta this past November. You can email me at memomuse@gmail.com. How long did you live in Cheyenne? Cheyenne is my hometown. Maybe we crossed paths — I went to high school at Central (Chris LeDoux, as you must know, did too). I love Cheyenne. I live in North Carolina now, but Wyoming gets into your heart and you are never the same… it will always be home.
Thanks for the info about cowboy poetry — it would be neat to get inside a bull rider’s heart and head about the subject.
Kris — I’m super excited to see your next post from this weekend! I wish I could see it on the web live. We ditched cable, so I will have to go to my in-laws to watch it. I’m pulling for JB — it’s going to be interesting. Where can I find the schedule of the televised event?
LikeLike
Do you go to every major PBR event? What a great job!
LikeLike
I wish! From your mouth to god’s ear. I’d love that job. I do this on my own, and I go to events in the Northeast, since that’s where I live. This year I’ll be attending the events of other bull riding organizations to expand my repertoire. I wish more of them would cross the Mississippi and the Mason Dixon line!
Maybe I’ll start campaigning for a job!
LikeLike
I feel for you! The Northeast doesn’t have that many events. I used to live in Cheyenne – so I had a press pass to the Daddy from 2001 – 2006 and 2009. I am working on a book. It is a mix of photojournalism and creative nonfiction.
There is a beauty to rodeo that unfolds through the story of rodeo. I love bull riding! I have been lucky enough to have bull snot and bull shit thrown right up on me and my camera lens — nothing quite like being back in the chutes at the Daddy of em’ All! There’s reasons they write songs about Cheyenne. Anyway, it is also home. I really like your blog and your opinionated cowgirl as kicking self! Say it sister! You go girl. I’d like to contact you via email to ask you some questions for an article I am working on. You can see some of my black and white photos here http://www.talenthouse.com/memomuse Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them. I saw someone mentioned you take photos of the rodeos, where do you post those? I’d love to see them.
LikeLike
Well, thanks– and I was thinking I’d softened up lately!
I’ll send my email address to your gmail address for private communication.
I have photos on my blog attached to all the posts for New York, Worcester, Hartford, and Mohegan Sun (Uncasville), including the Times Square event a couple of years ago. Some are mine, but if they’re not, I put the other person’s credit on them.
LikeLike
PS – I went to college at PC and people there actually thought I rode horses to school (being from Wyoming). But they had never met anyone from Wyoming before, let alone even know where it was on a map. “No, it is not near Wisconsin or Alabama.” Anyway, my nickname was “Cheyenne Meg” — it would crack me up hearing parents calling out, “Go Cheyenne!” as I dribbled down the soccer field (I played Div. I soccer there — uh oh — I am getting my 8 seconds of ego bravado on!) I look forward to reading your blog. I also found the blog, “Turn Him Out!” — I like that style, creative form of journalism. I like it when writers use epistolary form. Now I am being a grad student snob! Well, I did go to undergrad in the Northeast, there’s gonna be a little literary elitism. But down to my core, I am a Wyoming cowgirl who loves her some wide open spaces and bad ass bull riding!
LikeLike
Your photo of Kenny Chesney is outstanding! That image, no matter who it was, is the essence of rock & roll. (Said the former rock critic.)
Glad you found the Stockyard Queen’s blog. Apparently she and I were separated at birth. Pearl DeVere, who posts on her site, kicks ass, too.
What’s PC?
LikeLike
Providence
LikeLike
Thanks for the compliment on my photo of Kenny. That means a lot coming from you.
LikeLike
Bull Riders Only was the start of the stand-alone bull riding league. Created by Lane Frost and I, Lane passed just days later and after two years of development we kicked off in 1991 in Tacoma Washington. Our BRO Champions were Mark Cain, Tuff Hedeman, Terry Down West, Cody Custer, Adriano Moraes, and Michael Gaffney to name just a few and Tuff won his title on J31 Bodacious for 95 points which sticks out as one of the best rides I have ever seen. I still have the shows and have repackaged them from time to time (a series called Bullmania for Versus) and a special on Bodacious. But haven’t done anything with them in a while.
And, while I can respect any competition, curling (as you mentioned) or rhythmic gymnastics one of my least favorites they’re far from exciting to watch.
LikeLike
Interesting and heart breaking Shaw. Lane is a treasure and a tragedy. That’s the thing about rodeo — it is a life or death sport and the bull riders love it, just as much as the bulls love kicking the cowboys ass. Man vs. Beast.
LikeLike
Shaw, do you have contact info? I’d like to follow up with you.
LikeLike
And we hold no malice toward those bulls who when performing at their pinnacle may end up ending our careers, our lives, or our ability to function normally. It’s as much to understand it’s what they (the bulls) do as it is to understand it is what we do. During Bodacious’ last year of bucking, Terry Don West and I had a discussion of just how terrifying he may have been to get on. Terry pointed out quite bluntly that I couldn’t know since I had never been on him (Terry had been on him four times at that point, two resulting in wins, two resulting in trips to the hospital). And though I had not been on a bull in over three years, I agreed with Terry; I could not accurately comment on Bodacious without getting on him….so I did. Just for fun a couple of weeks later in Denver the first night of our three night championship event, as you say Man vs. Beast as it will always be. I came out on top in the sense he did not knock me out, and I rode him past the usual roll and head whip back into your face. No matter the outcome it was me and him. Two nights later Brent Thurman nearly rode him and of course later at the PRCA finals Brent was killed. He had no regrets, Lane had no regrets, I have no regrets, when it comes to laying everything on the line and going for it. We would only regret had we not the courage, and convicion to try.
LikeLike
Beautifully said, Shaw.
I have a couple of questions for you that I’ve been meaning to ask for ages. I’ll be in touch.
Kris
LikeLike
Well said Shaw.
Do you know any PBR cowboys who write cowboy poetry about the terror, guts, and glory? This is the guts of why I love this sport. There is such intensity to it. Most people walk around for 8 weeks or months at a time waiting for something exciting to happen.
8 seconds! For the fans, it’s a series of 8 seconds. For the cowboys, it’s that short little frame of time — so small — so intense.
I wrote an essay, “Back Where I Come From,” about what you touched on with the relationship of the bull and the bull rider and the faith the cowboys have. The essay is a creative nonfiction piece that goes back and forth between “The Daddy” and Jerome Davis’ PBR Invitational in Archdale.
Jerome is another example of cowboy core. I was lucky enough to watch him coaching kids at his bull riding school. And to sit down and talk with him.
I was blown away at his humility, genuineness, and (well, I am still trying to find “the word” to describe Jerome). There’s magic at his ranch and he is the source, he and Tiffany both.
LikeLike
Kris,
I enjoy reading your blog and your genuine enthusiasm and knowledge of the sport is a credit to its growing popularity.
Shaw Sullivan
LikeLike
Thank you so much! I found out you’re the director of the TV series I missed in the ’90s, and I’d love to see it. (I was out of the country a lot.) Is it available on DVD? I think you were ahead of the curve; now that the PBR has been all over the media, maybe it’s time to re-release it?
I intend to make noise until the media covers bull riding on a regular basis like it does with other sports… and maybe even pester the Olympics Committee about including it. It’s sure more exciting than curling and a million hours of bicycle riding.
LikeLike
I would like to get with you on doing more to get the Junior Bull riders in the sport more noticed also… Please drop an e-mail to me if interested..
LikeLike
I agree with Kris, its not steroids, it’s that the PBR pays a whole lot better in the USA than what it does in Brazil.
BTW, last year we were in Dallas visiting family and we went to Marchi’s Brazilian steak house. The meat was great, I recommend it to all!
LikeLike
Excellent reporting on the NYC event. Loved your insights and the photos!
LikeLike
Hello Kris!
As I told you, he PBR event @ Madison Square Garden was my first bull riding event. Thank you for explaining all the rules to us and for all your tips.
If you need pictures from the event, drop me a line.
Cheers,
Alex
LikeLike
Hi, Alex!
So glad you enjoyed your first bull riding event. It was the first stop on the “major league” tour, the Built Ford Tough Series, so there are plenty of other events to watch on TV almost every weekend.
I’d love to see your photos, if you can email them to me. I may be able to post them on the blog. And if you’d like to write your impressions about seeing bull riding, I think people would like to hear that someone from Europe enjoyed it.
LikeLike
I love PBR but what is going on with the Brazilians? Steroids is my guess. They are really nice guys, but it is getting to be too much when NONE of them fall off. If it is just strength, then Austin and McKennon would stay on just as long.
LikeLike
I doubt it’s steroids. If they were taking steroids, the Brazilians would be having rage outbursts and eventually bulk up too much to be good riders. A lot of them are taller than the American riders, and steroids can’t make you taller. They do buck off, though–I’ve had many “Oh, no, Valdiron!” moments, saw Wesley Laurenco get shut out in New York, watched Marchi buck off more times than I can stand, etc.
What I see is that they practically sit on their riding hand, with the elbow tucked in against their bodies, and the bigger guys have a very sticky center of gravity. You hardly ever see daylight between their butts and the bull. As for Renato, he’s a featherweight, but he has more determination than anyone else, even Austin. Poverty is a great motivator.
LikeLike
I don’t know why it took so long for your comment to come through on my blog, but better late than never.
I doubt it’s steroids. That would make the riders subject to “‘roid rage,” and the only riders I’ve ever seen display any temper are J.B. Mauney, Ben Jones, and once in a while somebody else letting slip a colorful word. (I don’t blame ANY rider for being pissed at being bucked off.) But that’s not the same as ‘roid rage– I’ve seen that in action, and it’s frightening, because the guy is completely not in control of his behavior.
The Brazilians are extremely motivated because most of them grew up in poverty, without much education, and they want to create a better life for their kids. We can’t imagine being brought up in a shack with a dirt floor (Adriano Moraes), for example, or coming from what we would consider a jungle (Robson Palermo, I think). Those guys work their asses off between events, too, working out, which only recently has caught on among more than a few American, Canadian, or Australian riders. Austin Meier has been working out all along, which is why he’s always in the top bunch.
LikeLike
Great articles on Bull Riding… This is an event that I would never consider, until I read your article. Now I am interested. So keep me posted!!!!!
Rgds,
Kathleen
LikeLike
Thanks, Kathleen. You can watch bull riding on Versus, the cable channel, on weekends almost year round. Right now there’s not much happening until July, but if you’d like to know the touring schedule for the Professional Bull Riders, go to http://www.PBRnow.com
Seeing an event in person is even better than on TV!
LikeLike