Sean Willingham & Bryan Titman/PBR
“THE TOUGHEST SPORT ON DIRT”
The rules are simple. Place a wiry 150-pound cowboy on the back of a hulking, snorting temperamental 2,000 pound bull and see if he can ride the beast for an eternal eight seconds…with one hand strapped to the bull’s massive backside.
In 1992, when 20 bull riders from the rodeo circuit came together to give life to a dream they all shared, they never imagined it would so quickly develop into what has officially been declared the fastest growing sport in America – the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). The riders pooled their resources – $1,000 each – and broke away from the confines of the rodeo format to make bull riding, the most popular of the seven events in traditional rodeo, a standalone sport and take it to major markets across the United States. Today the visionary founders are riding a wave of popularity as the PBR continues its charge as one of the fastest-growing properties in the history of sports.
The PBR has rapidly transformed one of the fastest-growing sports in America into a worldwide phenomenon. In just two decades, the dream of 20 bull riders has grown into a global sports sensation that has awarded more than $140 million in prize money.
Professional bull riding is a fierce, rough, and grueling sport with roots deeply imbedded in American culture. It’s America’s original extreme sport.
