Professional Bull Riders make Coachella Valley debut at Acrisure Arena
The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) made its debut at Acrisure Arena, with it's first-ever show in the desert on Friday night.
The arena welcomed thousands of visitors and 36 of some of the best bull riders in the world.
Fans were riled up, "Just the idea that this is a professional sport that people are riding animals is absolutely intriguing to me," said attendee Mary Alexander.
Cowboys and their bulls waited in the chute before making their way onto the arena floor.
“We put the bull in the chute and the rider gets dow. The bull nods his head and he has to ride 8 seconds for a qualified ride," said Robert Simpson, Senior Vice President of Professional Bull Riders.
Simpson told us it’s a special weekend. Not only is it their first-ever show in the desert, but PBR is also celebrating 30-years of bull riding at its finest!
“The energy is really high, the whole show. We always say, you know, you're gonna be on the edge of their seats the entire night," he explained.
Just like any other professional athlete, these cowboys train constantly. But unlike everyone else, Simpson says this sport comes with an added risk.
“The danger. It's man versus beast... They put their life on the line every time that they nod their head to ride and so, you know, you're talking about a 150 pound guy against a 2000 pound bull.”
It's competition like no other. Each cowboy riding 3 bucking bulls, hoping to make it to the next round.
“These guys are out there, you know, honing the skill of riding a bull for eight seconds," Simpson said. "He's got to be in control of the bull that for the whole ride for him to score more points.”
But at the end of the day, fans say it’s all about having fun and enjoying the show.
"Pretty exciting that we have this great arena here in the Valley to bring us these events and we could do fun things with our family and our kids and it's great," said attendee Stephanie Smith.
PBR is expecting a sold-out show on Saturday, February 11th.
