the mommy avenger

For the first time in years, PBR (Professional Bull Riders) made a stop in Salt Lake City. This weekend, the action packed sport made its first appearance at the Delta Center a two day competition of bull riding. It was all a part of the Unleash the Beast Tour which is making its way through the United States. We were thrilled to be invited to this incredible event last night.

Not sure what PBR is?

The world’s best bull riders go head-to-head against the fiercest bucking bulls on the planet.

Prepare for heart-pounding action at every stop on the PBR’s Unleash The Beast tour! The top bull riders take on the best bucking bulls, aiming for a shot at Championship Gold. It’s a thrilling clash of courage and skill that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat! It’s Bull Time!

PBR has rapidly transformed one of the fastest-growing sports in America into a worldwide phenomenon. Capitalizing on the popularity of bull riding around the world, and the growing appeal of cowboy values, the PBR has attracted many international athletes who travel to the United States to compete exclusively in the world’s elite bull riding tour. The PBR Team Series now offers these athletes a chance to ride alongside teammates in a tournament-style structure. 

With cowboys continuing to enter the mainstream, extreme sports featuring jaw-dropping bursts of action all night long growing in popularity, world-class event production, PBR’s reach increasing across broadcast, cable and digital channels, and fan support continuing to grow, the sport’s future is very bright.

I am a city girl, with very little experience with rodeos and bull riding. The entire event last night was foreign to me. Lucky for me, at the very beginning of the event, they explain how the event will work. 40 competitors work their hardest to place in the top 12 spots for the championship round. They get two rounds to do so, which means two rides on a bull. We learned how the judges score–a possible 100 points–50 for the bull, 50 for the rider. A rider must hold on with one hand, with the other up in the air. The goal is to ride for 8 seconds without being thrown off. If he is thrown or his outstretched arm touches the bull or his body, he is out. There is obviously a lot more to the scoring than that–athleticism, technique, etc., but those are the basics.

We found our seats and were excited for the games to begin. Opening ceremonies for PBR is really fun! An opening prayer, patriotic singing of the National Anthem, and then we are introduced to the riders. They literally come from all over the world. There were some competitors from Australia, Brazil, Texas, of course, and two Salt Lake City favorites–Kyler Oliver from Roy, Utah and Keyshawn Whitehorse from McCracken Spring, Utah.

The competition then began full throttle. Riders pick their bulls and get ready in the shoot to be released. A note here-before the night began, we had the privilege of going to see the bulls behind the shoot. This is where they are kept and prepared for riding. The magnificent creatures were well taken care of and seemed so docile. It was incredible to see them up close. PBR does a great job of treating these animals very well. Back to the bull-riding-as the competitors are preparing to ride the bulls, there is a clock that counts down. This is for the safety of the bull. The rider must exit the shoot within the countdown of the clock. If the 30 second clock makes it to zero, the rider is disqualified and the bull does not ride. 

As I said, I had never seen an event such as PBR before. When it began, I found myself totally invested. Time flew by as we saw dozens of cowboys make riding a bull look absolutely effortless. We cheered for each and every competitor as he succeeded or ended his run in the competition. You would be absolutely amazed at how these bulls can jump, kick and move their bodies. It is really impressive! What is even more impressive is watching the riders hold on and make it to the 8 seconds required to be scored. We watched as the top 13 (there was a tied score, adding one more to the top 12) made their spots in the championship, with Kyler Oliver and Keyshawn Whitehorse right there in the mix.

I was surprised at how quickly time went by during this competition and how entertaining it was to watch. Before I knew it, it was almost over. We watched as both Kyler and Keyshawn were knocked out of the top 4 spots. But they didn’t go down without a good fight. We found ourselves cheering for the final contestant, Koltin Hevalow, a 20 year rider from Missouri, as he mounted his bull and got thrown. However, his points from the night secured the winning spot and he took 1st place. The arena erupted! While he won the event for this weekend, these competitors will continue to advance as they proceed on the Unleash the Beast tour, next stop Los Angeles on February 16th and 17th.

We had so much fun at PBR and I know I will be keeping tabs on who wins the final championship. I’m too invested now! If you have a chance to see PBR in your city on this tour, you must go see it. Whether you know you already enjoy bull riding or not, I promise, you will learn an appreciation for this sport within the first ride! I can’t wait for PBR to come back to Salt Lake City, we will definitely come back to to see it!

To learn more about PRB and keep up with the results of the tour, visit their website and be sure to grab your tickets to come see the events for yourself and bring your favorite cowboys and cowgirls with you to experience the excitement for a great family night out. 

^{*we were invited to facilitate a feature, all opinions are my own*}