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Challenger Tour Bull Ride
Park Rapids, MN
July 1-3, 2006
To order tickets online click
here>>
The Professional Bull
Riders (PBR) Challenger Tour Bull Ride will return to Park Rapids July 1-3 and
has a new partner. The Park Rapids Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce has extended a
helping hand.
The bull ride was cancelled in 2005 due to a tragedy in co-producer Denese
Jokela’s family. With an offer from the Chamber to assist this year, she and
husband, Randy, agreed the event could not only be successful, but they’re
gearing up to bring in the biggest and best PBR Challenger Tour ever. “With a
year off, we have done a lot of the groundwork to make sure this will be a
first-rate production,” Randy said. “The great bulls will be here,” he said.
Berger Bucking Bulls out of Mandan, ND, three-time Contractor of the Year, will
be back with their world-renowned bucking bulls. Little Yellow Jacket, the
greatest bull that ever lived, came from Berger Bulls, Randy said, adding he
still can’t believe that the first time the champion bull ever bucked at a
professional rodeo, he did it here. Randy expects to end up with at least six
stock contractors, including Gene Owens from Oklahoma. “We lease their bulls and
after our event, they go on to Cheyenne, Calgary and other big events,” he said.
A line-up of great bulls attracts the best contestants, Jokela said. “That’s the
way you get the good contestants. When they have a chance to win big money and
the right bulls to match. People who follow the contestants on OLN and NBc, will
see the group here. “The boys will be in town and everyday there’s a new line
up,” Randy added. The three-day event offers 52 rides a night with 156 entries
accepted. In 2004, 250 bullriders entered and the list had to be pared down.
“Our event promises to draw top bull riders like Adriano Moraes again,” Randy
said. Moraes has been a contender in the Park Rapids event in twice. To date,
the two-time world champion Brazilian bull rider has earned nearly $2 million in
the PBR.
Park Rapids has become a legendary location. “It’s the one they love coming to.
It’s not hot and it’s a spot they’ve got to hit if they’re going to win big
money on the way to Calgary,” Randy said. “They’re already calling us, saying
they’re looking forward to being here.”
This year’s announcer will be Kelly Kenney of Humansville, MO. Allan Olson, a
veteran bullfighter from White River, SD, will add color in the arena along with
barrelman John Harrison who hails from Oklahoma. Harrison’s grandfather was a
world champion bull rider in the 1950s. Jay Daugherty, vice president of the
PBR’s Challenger Tour, said he’s glad the Park Rapids event is back and so are
the bull riders. Park Rapids has an event that offers more than a $50,000 added
purse. The added money, together with an event during the July 4th weekend, make
Park Rapids a popular stop, Daugherty said.
Interest in bull riding continues to grow, Daugherty said. There were 98
Challenger Tours in the United States last year and this year there are 140. In
addition, he said the PBR has opened offices in Canada, Mexico, Australia and
Brazil.
After intermission, kids who want to grow up to be cowboys, have their chance
for eight seconds of fame - or longer - on a sheep in the popular amateur
event. And each night, after the show is over, the top regional band “Switch”
will play a variety of music for nightly dances in the Montana Pavilion on the
grounds.
Along with the bucking action, the Rodeo Idol Contest will return. This popular
karaoke contest will culminate during the dance following the bull ride Sunday,
July 2.
Bull Riding
Basics
The Ride
The total score
possible for a bull ride is 100 points. Half of that total is based on the
performance of the bull and how difficult he is to ride. Judges look for bulls
with speed, power, drop in the front end, kick in the back end, directions
changed and body rolls. A body roll occurs when a bull is in the air and kicks
either his hind feet or all four feet to the side. The more of these
characteristics a bull displays during a ride, the higher the mark is for the
bull. Judges are allowed to award a cowboy a re-ride if they feel the bull did
not perform at the level of other bulls in the competition and, therefore did
not give the rider a fair chance to earn a high score. Only the sport's best
bucking bulls are used at the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series
events. PBR Livestock Director Cody Lambert works with more than 20 stock
contractors - the people who own and lease bulls to the PBR - to ensure that the
pool of bulls used at each event are the highest caliber possible. Most Built
Ford Tough Series events feature an estimated 75 bulls that are supplied by as
many as six different PBR stock contractors.
The other half of the ride is determined by the rider's ability to match the
moves of the bull beneath him. Judges look for constant control and good body
position throughout the ride. Spurring the bull is not required but extra "style
points" are awarded for doing so. The rider must stay aboard the bull for eight
seconds. The clock begins when the bull's shoulder or hip crosses the plane of
the bucking chutes and stops when the bull rider's hand comes out of the rope or
he touches the ground. The bull rider must ride with one hand and is
disqualified if he touches himself or the bull during the eight-second ride.
The Events
The Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series consists of 31
regular-season events and the World Finals in Las Vegas. Most regular-season
events are two-day competitions, and each follows the same format: the top 45
bull riders each ride one bull the first night of competition and one bull the
second night of competition. The 15 riders with the highest total score on two
bulls qualify for a third round of competition that takes place after
intermission on the second night. The overall event winner is the bull rider
with the highest three-ride total. The format is the same for those events that
are one-day contests except the 45 riders only ride one bull in the preliminary
round, and a two-ride total determines the overall winner.
The Judges
The judges who officiate events are hired based on strict and extensive
qualifications maintained by the PBR Board of Directors and members.
Additionally, PBR members have established a judging committee that regularly
meets to discuss performance and accuracy when judging. Each Built Ford Tough
Series event employs three judges. Two judges have 50 points to distribute for
each ride (25 points for the bull and 25 for the rider). The total from each of
these two judges is added together to get the rider's score. The third judge,
positioned on the back of the bucking chute where each ride originates, also
keeps score in the event that a tie-breaker is necessary in determining the
overall winner. Four judges officiate at the PBR
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