You may be able to hang onto the bull at Uncle Buck's for eight seconds, but this weekend the top 40 bull riders in the world will be at Wells Fargo Arena competing for a little more than a shot from the bar.
The riders
More than 800 men hold a Professional Bull Rider membership. But the 40 absolute best riders - from the United States to Brazil to Australia - will be riding in Des Moines this weekend for the PBR Des Moines Classic, part of the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series Championship. These 40 athletes square off against the toughest bulls in the industry in a tour across the United States, earning individual titles along the way and competing in a year-long struggle for the title of "World Champion."
J.B. Mauney, a 22-year-old from North Carolina, is currently third in the PBR rankings. In his four years of professional riding, he's earned more than $1.3 million, and won four rounds at the 2008 PBR Finals. This is his second appearance in Des Moines, after competing in last year's championship.
"There's always a good bull in Des Moines," he said. "The crowd was great last year, and I'm excited to get back."
The bulls
Over 100 million viewers tune in to the PBR network, and attend the arena events to watch the action live. What's the big draw?
"The bulls are what people love," Mauney said. "It's like racing: They all want to see a wreck, but they don't want to see anyone get hurt."
The excitement of watching a 1,500-pound bull throw around a 5-foot 8-inch man like a rag dol, and hoping the flying mess of chaps and fringe can hold onto bad-ass bulls with names like Black Ghost, Wild Life, and Hot Pistol, is a huge thrill.
Voodoo Child is a particularly brutal bull.
"I've been on him twice, but I haven't ridden him yet," Mauney said. "He's not smooth. He hops and skips and he's real strong. He's only been ridden once."
Despite an accident that broke all his ribs, lacerated his liver and bruised his kidney and spleen in 2005, Mauney said he's never been scared of a bull, which is probably why he's currently ranked third.
"A good, hard bull is what makes the ride great. When you get a combo that's really good, that's what makes the sport fun to watch. That's what people want to see."
The event
"It's action-packed from the moment it starts," Mauney said. "There's fireworks, rock music, tons of people and entertainers between rides. It's a helluva good time."
Bull ridin' terminology
Bull rope: What the rider grips with one hand to avoid being thrown off.
Bucked off: A rider must stay on for eight seconds. If he's bucked off before that, he receives no score.
Disqualified: If a rider touches any part of the bull or himself with his free hand while riding or when bucked off, he's disqualified.
Flank strap: The strap tied around the flank of the bull's body to enhance his bucks. It does not touch the bull's genitals, and is removed as soon as the bull exits the arena.
Score: The highest possible score is 100, which has never been achieved in PBR history. The rider's and the bull's performances are both judged out of 25 possible points by four judges, then the scores are added together out of 100.
