Eight seconds. That’s how long you must stay on the bull in order to qualify to continue on in the competition.
I recently attended my first-ever Professional Bull Riding (PBR) competition, which exceeded all of my expectations. Every once in a while, I go on a “Daddy Daughter Date” with my dad, and our activities have varied from ice skating to indulging ourselves with sushi to attending musicals—Mamma Mia and Annie included—and much more. The PBR competition recently landed itself on this list, and I am so glad it did. My dad sent me a link to the tickets for the PBR Velocity Tour at the Van Andel Arena and asked if I wanted to go with him. Obviously, I said yes because it looked like a cool experience to share with him; however, I did not have very high expectations.
My dad and I braved the traffic of downtown Grand Rapids on a busy Saturday night in order to make it to the PBR event. We struggled to find parking but eventually discovered a parking garage—unfortunately, the only parking space available was on the 6th floor. Once we finished the walk down six flights of stairs, we found ourselves on the streets of downtown Grand Rapids, surrounded by many PBR enthusiasts. They were all dressed in an array of country clothing items: cowboy hats, bell-bottom jeans, cowboy boots, and flannel shirts, among many other things. Fortunately, I remembered to wear my bell-bottom jeans so I didn’t look too out of place.
When we stepped into Van Andel Arena, the first thing I heard was the wild screams of the fans. We made our way to our seats, and the arena was dark, with blue spotlights shining on the riders. The announcer said a prayer, and then the National Anthem was sung.
Once the announcer finished speaking, it was time for the bull riding to begin. There are a few rules that must be followed for the rider to qualify to go to the next round. First, the riders have to stay on the bull for eight seconds and are only judged on performance for that allotted time. If they fail to stay on the bull for the allotted time, they will go un-scored. Each ride is scored out of 100 points, with the judges scoring the bull out of 50 and the rider out of 50. Judges will look at how hard of a time the bull gives the rider—the harder the ride, the more points are awarded. When judging the rider it is based on how much control the rider displays, as well as the harmony they have with the bull.
The cowboys were from all over the country and the world. One rider was from Australia, another two from Brazil, and there were various people residing across the country. The riders were all very talented; however, only a few managed to stay on for the required eight seconds. The winner of the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour was Marco Rizzo from Quitman, Georgia. He received 87 of 100 points, earning himself a total of 28 Velocity Global points. In second place was Qynn Anderson, with Hunter Ball closely behind.
In between rounds, a person was giving away a variety of gifts. There was a competition to see who was best dressed, and a woman with a white cowboy hat, sequin shirt, and bedazzled jeans won. She was given a 100-dollar gift card to Boot Barn. After that, there was a “best-couple” gift, and they won a trailer hitch. Lastly, after a “finish the lyric” competition, a man won tickets to a PBR event in Texas.
Despite my low expectations, I had a wonderful experience at the PBR Velocity Tour. If anyone is looking for a unique night out with friends or family, this is a great option. I am so glad I had the opportunity to go to this event with my dad, as we had a fantastic night together. I hope to attend more bull-riding events in the future and implore others to get out of their comfort zones and attend a PBR event. Discover the joys that life has to offer by giving new things a try; embracing new things is the key to discovering unexpected fulfillment.
