Rodeo Insider: Professional Bull Riders tour still a hit in Manhattan
When the Professional Bull Riders tour stopped in Manhattan last weekend, organizers celebrated 10 consecutive years in the iconic Madison Square Garden.
“When we first wanted to come to New York, when the PBR was young, everybody said we’d get slaughtered,” said Ty Murray, a PBR founder who lives in Stephenville. “But this has been a big, memorable event for us every year.”
One reason the PBR, which conducted its inaugural season in 1994, has been a success story is because its top tour, the Built Ford Tough Series, consistently draws a crowd in urban areas ranging from Anaheim, Calif., to New York.
Bull riding bucks only once a year at Madison Square Garden, but the three-day PBR show this past weekend drew nearly 35,000 in New York.
For them, I think it feels like going to see gladiators.
PBR founder and former rodeo superstar Ty Murray
“It’s cool because this [pro bull riding] isn’t something New Yorkers get to experience every day, as compared to people in Fort Worth or people in California, for that matter,” said Murray, a seven-time world all-around champion. “It’s a real treat and they look forward to it. For the people here, they feel like they see something they can’t even believe exists. For them, I think it feels like going to see gladiators.”
Two-time PBR world champion J.B. Mauney, who finished fifth at last weekend’s show in New York, said fans show lots of enthusiasm.
“When it comes here, they’re interested in it because they don’t really know anything about it,” Mauney said. “The crowd gets into it more than places like Texas where they see it all of the time. I really like coming up here.”
Sean Gleason, the PBR’s chief executive officer, said the company is diligent in marketing its tour in the Big Apple.
We work really hard in New York to break through the clutter and let people know that PBR is not just a bunch of crazy cowboys getting on bulls.
Sean Gleason
PBR chief executive officer“We work really hard in New York to break through the clutter and let people know that PBR is not just a bunch of crazy cowboys getting on bulls,” Gleason said. “It’s a legitimate sport, it’s great entertainment, and we’ve won our fans here one at a time.”
The 2016 tour stop, the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden, concluded Sunday afternoon. Brazilian Paulo Lima, who lives in Decatur, won the show title after earning 725 points over the three-day competition. He earned $129,500.
Robson Palermo finished second with 495 points. Joao Ricardo Vieira came in third with 387.5.
Lima also is ranked No. 1 in the world title race with 1,005 points. Vieira is No. 2 with 710.
This weekend, the tour stops in Oklahoma City. The show is scheduled for Friday through Sunday.
The Ford Series tour stops at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium on Feb. 27. The PBR’s 2016 World Finals are Nov. 2-6 in Las Vegas.
Gleason said part of the PBR’s success is because fans are captivated by the productions: the spills, the pyrotechnics and the rock ’n’ roll music.
“The product is exciting and it’s adrenaline-packed and we wrap it in a very contemporary production,” Gleason said. “So, it’s not an old tried-and-true product — it’s a very new spin on a tried-and-true product. It’s that spin that appeals to fans.
“So, word of mouth and the advertising we do cuts through. And people are looking for a good time. And if people don’t have a good time at a PBR show, they’re deaf, dumb and blind.”
This story was originally published January 18, 2016 at 8:39 PM with the headline "Rodeo Insider: Professional Bull Riders tour still a hit in Manhattan."