accoRDInG To J.W. HaRT, THaT Was MoTTo of Team U.s.a. after their come-from-behind effort in Round 3 and 4 to claim this years World cup title, the team cap-tain may well want to consider a new motto.

Perhaps finish strong bet-ter suits this years team.

Team U.s.a. got off to a slow start, said Ty Mur-ray, in the broadcast booth. His broadcast partner, Justin McKee, quickly added, but they finished strong.

Indeed.Just 24 hours and two rounds earlier, the team

Justin Mcbride, Kody lostroh, J.b. Mauney, l.J. Jenkins, sean Will-ingham and alternate luke snyder left the Manuel bernardo aguirre Gymnasium in chihuahua, Mexico wondering if, for the second year in a row, they were going to fall victim to another disappointing team effort.

after Round 2 they were in second place, one full score behind Team canada, but after Justin Mcbride covered the final bull of Round 3, they took a slight advantage going into the final round august 17.

We like being chased, said Hart, when asked by leah Garcia if he preferred being in the lead, before joking, We dont like looking at [hindquarters].

Team canada knew that with a one-ride advantage, all they needed to do was cover three rides in each of the final two rounds. However, they landed just two of three possible scores in Round 3, and in Round 4 they faced arguably the rankest draw of the five teams competing.

That opened the door for the U.s., but they still had to cover three rides in each of the final two rounds on sunday afternoon.

and thats exactly what they did. after a forgettable Round 1, they led all teams in scoring for Rounds 2, 3 and 4, claiming the win by more 100 points over the valiant Team canada.

With the olympics going on and everything going on in the world like it is, Hart said, we got a chance to compete for our country.

We started slow, but in the end we put our chins down and kept our hands closed. -KRc

WeRe In IT

To WIn IT.

on ToPoF THe WoRlD

Team U.s.a. Finishes strong, claims World cup Title

Team USA rules the world. Clockwise, from bottom left: Sean Willingham, Luke Snyder, Justin McBride, J.W. Hart, J.B. Mauney, L.J. Jenkins, and Kody Lostroh.

andy W

atson (Team

Usa

)

42 Inside the PBR

IT Was a season oF bUllyInG THe coWboys.The bull Team challenge Tour featured 22 teams competing for their share of the $1.1 million total tour purse, including the $250,000 prize for the top team at the 2008 PbR World Finals.There were 17 events in all in which $20,000 was presented to the

team whose total score was the highest for the weekend, and another $10,000 to the second-highest scoring team.

Theyve put these teams together and they dont want to have a bad bull on their team, austin Meier explained. When youre bringing five of those teams to an event, I mean, that should be 25 bulls that are bucking suckers.

after a start to a season in which some questioned just how rank the bull pens were, a number of riders in the Top 10 saw their record-setting averages drastically taper off by seasons end.

In some of those cases the bull team competition resulted in a far ranker pen overall than in the past.

That has something to do with it, Justin McKee confirmed.added PbR livestock director cody lambert, Its helped two

events, well, actually its helped three events in the northwest Port-land, Tacoma and nampa. It really helped having the bull teams because historically guys (stock contractors) didnt want to travel that far to those events.

From a riders perspective, Meier said this years newly conceived bull team competition assured fans of seeing their favorite rider getting a good bull and, more importantly, it allows them to get to see more of those 90-point rides. -KRc

B u l l s t e a M u P

for scores and standings of the Bull teaM action, visit www.pbrnow.com/competition/bullteams/

D&H Cattle Co. Bull Team member Jacobs Pet

allen G

lanville (Jacobs Pet)

44 Inside the PBR

Shows at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Wednesday - Monday

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Management reserves all rights. Discount is per ticket. Offer expires November 10, 2008. Based on availability.

45

FoR MIcHael GaFFney anD TaTeR PoRTeR, THese Places aRe MoRe THan JUsT naMes on a MaP. They are all sites of military bases in afghanistan, where americans and other soldiers from the naTos International security assistance Force (IsaF), have been fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda since 2001.

When Pro sports MVP contacted the PbR about becoming in-volved in a military goodwill tour, retired PbR stars Gaffney and Porter embraced the opportunity to spend 10 days in a war zone visiting army and air Force bases.

I spent 23 years riding bulls, so I didnt think it made much sense to worry about spending a few days on foreign soil, said Porter. before I left, I met one of Matt bohons buddies who just got back from there. He told me how much it meant to him that I was going over there.

Gaffney, born on the Fourth of July, already had a deep respect and understanding of what life is like for members of americas military. His father, the late Robert Gaffney, had been a fighter pilot in the air Force and served two tours in Vietnam.

I jumped at the chance to go, but then I realized maybe Id jumped too fast, related the G-man, who then got his wife Robyns blessing to go. Porters family was also supportive of his decision to go. ashley and I tried to explain it to our kids the best we could. Hayley and Jason kept asking me if I was going to war, but they didnt really comprehend what I was doing, explained Porter.

The group visited three bases in afghanistan. sometimes it was in-formal, mingling with the soldiers one-on-one, while at other bases they

had a detailed schedule which included entertaining the troops in the rec halls and signing autographs. They also visited some hospitals and brought PbR hats and t-shirts for the troops. They always ate in the mess halls with the soldiers.

even if they werent fans of bull rid-ing or rodeo, everyone was just so happy that we took the time to come see them. They were happy to talk to us and hear about home, shared Porter.

at every stop, Gaffney was struck by just how young many of the american soldiers were. It kind of reminded me of walking into a PbR locker room nowa-days. These guys are so young. There are soldiers who are brian canters age or younger. They are kids doing amazing things.

Gaffney and Porter were proud to do their part to ensure that the troops know that the PbR supports them 100 percent. They are two self-proclaimed ordinary cowboys who undertook an extraordinary journey of patriotism. - sb

PBR sTaRs

Kandahar, bagram, salerno.

sUPPoRT oURTRooPs

Tater PorterTater Porter, left, and Michael Gaffney spent 10 days in Afghanistan.

46 Inside the PBR

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THRoUGH 365 Days oF blooD, sWeaT, ToIl anD TRIUMPH, all HaVe worked tirelessly toward this goal. In the end, only the 45 PbR riders who earned the most money dur-ing the 2008 season get a qualified position.

only a handful of men have a shot of upsetting Guilherme Marchi's points lead and taking the PbR World champion gold buckle and the million-dollar bonus, but every man has an equal chance of winning the event gold buckle.

like any event, the bull riders can only claim victory based on their scores. The man who has the highest total score wins. With seven bulls to ride, each cowboy wants to earn as many scores as possible. The top 15 will get an eighth bull in the championship round, and from there an event winner will emerge.

Wiley Petersen won the event last year, and over $225,000. every cowboy here is shooting to do the same.

THeconTenDeRsevery single cowboy competing at the 2008 PbR World Finals has earned his spot here.

Meet the contenders...

andy W

atson (Kody lostroh)

50

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second to noneTHe MosT consIsTenT RIDeR THe PbR Has eVeR seen Has been HaPPy, HonoReD anD PRoUD To be seconD-besT FoR THRee yeaRs RUnnInG.

but Guilherme Marchi, Reserve World champion in 2005, 2006 and 2007, is tired of almost. This year, he wants it all.

I ride good this year, but I rode good for the last three, too, the brazilian said with a deep sigh. Hes in columbus, ohio, at the second-to-last event of the year, in the sports medicine room.

Hes not injuredhes just dropped by for some tape before the event starts. He is healthy Marchi has a phenomenal ability to avoid disaster and in amazing physical shape.

Hes at the top of his game. but, then again, Marchi has been at the top of his game for over a thousand days.

His game plan in 2007 was to win the Finals and, by doing that, surpass Justin Mcbride in points. Marchi had a stellar Finals, finishing second, but still lost out to Mcbride, whose fifth-place finish in the event was enough to win the world title.

In 2006, sean Willingham led in points going into las Vegas (Marchi was second), but adriano Moraes came up from sixth to take the title. In 2005, Mcbride led in points (Marchi was second), and thats the way it stayed.

so why will 2008 be different?I think I have more confidence this year

and Ive drawn good bulls, Marchi explains. With the draft, Ill be able to get on the best bull the first night of the Finals. [The first round draft order will be based on world standings coming into las Vegas. eds.] That will give me a chance to win Round 1, and

by susan bedford

Mark scott

52

from there I will keep getting to pick the best bulls and, as long as I ride them, Ill keep pick-ing good ones.

Marchi has done everything he can to stack the odds in his favor. He goes into the Finals with more points than he finished the Finals with last year more points than any man in PbR history has ever had heading into las Vegas. Thats good, but guarantees noth-ing: The men chasing him are among the most talented in the world. Fellow brazilian Vald-iron de oliveira is second in points, trailed by Kody lostroh and J.b. Mauney.

lostroh has had a quiet determination all season. everyone goes to Vegas to win, he states matter-of-factly. lostroh, like Mauney and Marchi, has ridden in every built Ford Tough series event this season as well as some challenger events. The 2005 Rookie of the year was fifth in the world in 2006 and sixth in 2007, and won the last regular-season event in Uncasville. He now has the challenge to win the biggest event of all. In fact, lostroh traditionally turns up his game in las Vegas, finishing third the last two years in a row.

I take it one bull at a time, relates Mauney, who seems to be peaking at the right time, with consecutive wins at Grand Rapids and Jacksonville. Ill have that same approach at Finals. I had a slump this season that I got out of by getting on practice bulls. That made the difference for me: practice, practice, prac-tice. That practice may help Mauney go the distance he will need to get on eight bulls over seven days if he wants to win. Mauney, the 2006 Daisy Rookie of the year, finished 2007 in third place.

oliveira will be focusing on getting bulls he can get big scores on, which will hopefully translate to winning rounds and the big points that accompany those victories. Ill just do the best I can, he says. oliveira, who came onto the scene in 2007 and finished in 27th, has

managed to fly under the radar most of the year. even with three event wins, he somehow is the guy people tend to forget about. but a lack of visibility does nothing to diminish the fact that he is probably Marchis biggest threat. others may forget about oliveira, but you

can bet that Marchi is well aware that getting bucked off even one more bull than oliveira could mean disaster.

but Marchi is embracing his newfound confidence this season. It is as if his five event victories, 11 90-point rides and over $325,000 has finally sunk in. He is good. Damn good. at nearly 75 percent, no one can touch Marchi in the consistency department. only three riders have percentages in the 60s. The rest of

the field comes in at 25-59 percent. If oliveira, Mauney or lostroh can turn it on and the red-hot Marchi cools off, it could mean another second-place finish.

so how would he deal with being second-best again? Marchi tosses the leftover tape

back onto the counter, and slams his hand down on the sports medicine table. a cloud of dust rises, and the other cowboys in the room fall silent.

not going to happen, he sayswith a smile. not this year.

He winks and walks out.

Oliveira may be Marchis biggest obstacle to the elusive gold buckle.

Marchis strategy is to stay on top and pick the best bulls each round.

Marchi has done everything he can to stack the odds in his favor. He goes into the Finals with more points than he finished the Fi-nals with last year more points than any man in PbR history has ever had heading into las Vegas.

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53Contenders

scoutinG REPORT by Keith Ryan cartwright

Murray is a co-founder and former president of the PbR. His seven PRca all-around world titles and two bull riding World championships, along with a stellar PbR career, earned him the nickname King of the cowboys. The most decorated cowboy in history now serves as a PbR television commentator.

tY MurraY

codY laMBertas stock director of the PbR, lambert works tire-lessly to choose the best bulls for PbR competition. a seven-time nFR qualifier in bull riding and three-time qualifier in saddle-bronc riding, lambert has served as vice president of the PbR, and invented the protective vest riders wear today.

JeroMe davisa 1995 PRca World champion and co-founder of the PbR, Davis cheerful outlook and friendly disposition have made him the Will Rogers of the bull-riding world. In addition to raising bucking bulls and producing bull-riding events, Davis also serves as a coach to many of todays young riders.

J.w. hartRookie of the year (1995) and World Finals event winner (2002), Hart sits sixth on the list of all-time PbR money earners, and set the original record for most consecutive events attended (197 over 9 years). J-Dub now serves as a television commentator, offering up some of his many opinions with good nature and a wry sense of humor.

Meet the exPerts

Ty Murray: Heres a guy that just when he starts missing he steps up and drafts copperhead slinger, and watching him ride previously, youre thinking theres no way and then he has that Hail Mary go-forward-at-any-cost deal. It feels to me like you dont know which Travis briscoe is going to show up, and hes an incredible talent I wont argue that but you cant be extra-extraordinary-fantastic half the time. Its just not going to work. If you want to be a World champion or even an elite-level bull rider, you cant be extraordinary half the time or part of the time. Hes still a young guy, so itll be fun to watch him evolve and see if he can harness those great moments and start stringing them together more.

brIsCoe, travIs

cody lambert: Hes injured and hes out and hes had a couple of injuries. Hes as talented as anyone. Hes really, really young and hes really impressionable like one week he wants to ride broncs, the next week he wants to be a preacher, the next week he wants to be a bull rider. once he finds his own identity, he may go for a championship,

but I dont think hes found it yet. He is a good bull rider and he can come up with an effort. Hes so talented that if he decided he wanted to be a champion and I dont mean by telling everybody I want to be a champion I mean, believing it on the inside and not letting it get out except in his actions.

Jerome Davis: I watched Travis ride copperhead slinger, and at the time I think J.W. was giving him a hard time on TV, and when he did get on and ride, he was making it count, so we know Travis has that in him. but I think its just a matter of Travis getting his mindset right, and when he does, I think this guy can be a world contender. Weve

seen it in him when he led the world standings earlier in the year. Hes one extreme or the other. Hes either really on or really off thats kind of what I see with him. I dont think itll be this year, but it could be next year or the next. Hes still a young guy.

J.W. Hart: There was a lot of controversy over me and this guy, but hes got as much natural ability as Ive ever seen. Im just concerned about his toughness because bull riding is such a physical sport. I dont have anything against him and its not like I dont like him or anything

like that, but its just a true honest opinion that my only concern is his mental toughness. I know he can ride and we saw him do it. If he can get the mental toughness it takes to be a World champion, then hell be that World champion.

Mark scott (T

y Murray, J.W

. Hart); M

att brenneman (c

ody lambert, T

ravis briscoe) ; PbR photo (Jerom

e Davis)

54 Contenders

Ty Murray: He rides his bulls with his upper body and has great counter-moves. Hes not a guy who turns his toes out and uses his feet. When his upper body game is on, hes great, but when its a little bit off it costs him. He doesnt have the secondary things that come into play. you can make a mistake with your upper body and have your spurs kind of save you for a split second and give you a chance to get back into the game, but that doesnt always happen with l.J.

JenKIns, l.J.

experts Weigh in on 10 of the Worlds best

de olIveIra, valdIronTy Murray: The first we saw of him was at the World cup last year. That kind of introduced him to us and the PbR. We could tell after that World cup that he was going to be tough, and again, hes another one of those guys who doesnt over-think stuff. Hes just a work-a-day guy who goes out there and gets bulls rode. Theres a lot of other influences to the game how good you look, what your style is, having the ability to win, making certain bulls look better than they are or harder than they are, and being able to come through in the clutch. Those are qualities that some guys have, but at the end of the day, the one quality that Valdiron has is that he knocks bulls down. all that other stuff is secondary its an accessory. He just rides bulls and it doesnt matter if theyre big, strong or little, fast, tricky, lots of kick or flat. He just seems to get them rode.

cody lambert: Valdiron has very few weaknesses about the way he rides. He can ride a lot of different kinds of bulls. Hes a skinny guy, but hes strong. Pound for pound he could be the strongest rider we have. His style is just a little more back then Id like to see. Id like to see him lean forward just a little more because you have more control of

your body if youre riding forward. you have absolutely no control over what the bull does, but Valdiron sits in the chutes so long that bulls dont seem to buck as well with him as they do with the other guys, and that really hurts him. If youll notice his riding percentage is very high, but look how many 90-point rides he has.

Jerome Davis: It seems like you hear everybody talk about the brazilians before you ever see them, and he was one of those guys. Then when you finally see him ride you know hes a Top 5 guy thats going to

be right there every year. Hes a threat and you know it. If Guilherme stubs his toe too bad, hes going to make him pay for it.

J.W. Hart: Where the hell did this guy come from?

cody lambert: l.J.s a young guy very, very young and that youth is working against him a lot of times. He should be going right down to the wire for a World championship, but hes not, and the rea-son hes not has nothing to do with talent. It has to do with distractions, and hes a level-headed guy that shouldnt be worried so much about

distractions, but he lets it get to him every once in a while. He can ride every kind of bull. Hes got it physically and hes got a mental tough-ness about him. He expects to do well and he expects to succeed, but he doesnt have his eye on the prize.

Jerome Davis: back when he first was getting ready to come up, brian canter would always talk about l.J. and hed say, This kid can re-ally ride. The more I got to studying and watching l.J., you can tell that

he does things that dont come natural. It comes from studying tapes and just sleeping, drinking, walking and talking the sport. you can tell that its in him. Hes going to be around here for a long time.

J.W. Hart: Hes one of those guys that are going to come in under the radar and bite somebody in the [hindquarters] one of these days. Hes not out there in front of that camera looking to be interviewed. He

just lets his riding talk for itself. If he gets a good year where hes healthy all year long, this guy will be better than fifth place. Hell be up there at one or two.

JT s

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55Contenders

scoutinG REPORT (cont.) experts Weigh in on 10 of the Worlds best

Ty Murray: I look at him as a huge threat. Theres a guy who when he gets zeroed-in, hes going to ride all of them. Hes proven it before when hes won a World championship, and with him gaining the type of momentum that hes gaining on the downhill side of the year, the chances of him being a PbR Finals winner is real.

Ty Murray: Theres a guy that looks great on bulls. Technically, he has great form. I think hes a guy that can go on and win as much as he wants to, but you have to ride more than anybody else, and looking better than anybody else is a bonus that really helps you to win. you can look back to the beginning and the guy that ends up being the World champion not only rides the best, looks the best and has the best style, but hes the guy that rides the most bulls. Kody has proven he can ride all types of bulls, and hes proven he can ride bulls in all situations, so as soon as we see his average get better were going to see him win a World championship. If you gave Kody and Valdiron the exact same riding percentage, you would see Kody win. With all the talking Ive been doing, thats the point Im trying to make. but until his riding percentage gets up to that, his style and how good he looks is secondary.

lee, MIKe

lostroh, Kody

cody lambert: Mikes a weird kid. He can really ride and he has an ability to really focus and concentrate on what hes doing. He works very hard at it, but its hard for me to put my finger on it, because he can technically do everything so correct for a month or two and then spend a month or two where he leaves the chute and he looks like

hes never been on a bull before. He still puts out the effort and he still expects to ride every bull. He has that winner mentality, but hes got something strange going on up there that makes him want to make a change when a change isnt necessary.

Jerome Davis: If you remember the year Mike lee won the World championship, he just kind of snuck in there, staying consistent until he won it. Hes not real flamboyant. I guess he does get off and spins around to try and please the crowd a little bit, but hes not that Guilherme Marchi who gets all the limelight. Hes not like chris shiv-

ers when he won the world title because Mikes just kind of a quiet guy and he just kind of stays to himself, but he loves what he does. Thats what makes him so good. Hes not a fluke and hes apt to win two or three more world titles.

J.W. Hart: Hes probably one of the most mentally strong guys. Hes focused. He doesnt get out and mingle a lot. He stays to himself, but its his way of getting to the winners circle, and hes been pretty

dang consistent getting there. you have to scare adriano away from a camera, but you cant make Mike lee get in front of one. He lets his bull riding do the talking.

cody lambert: He does things really fundamentally correct and he looks good on them. He just doesnt have the burning desire that Guilherme Marchi or Justin Mcbride have to be the champ. Hes got all the tools physically, but mentally hes satisfied being a great bull rider and not necessarily the best. I think someday he might wake up and say

that theres no one out here that rides better than me, so I should be no.1. Thats the determination that Justin Mcbride has and thats the determination that Guilherme Marchi has and no one else has. Theres not one other guy that has that where they absolutely expect to win.

Jerome Davis: He rides with his knees up and his toes out like I did, and some of the troubles he goes through are some of the stuff that I battled. Hes got a good mindset about him and I think thats one of his strongest pointshes so focused. This guy will be a World

champion. you have to remember this guy is still young and he has a lot of learning to do. Hes going to come in there one year and not only win it, but walk away with it. Hes just now getting all his ducks in a row until he decides to knock in a home run.

J.W. Hart: Just an all-around guy, to me. as far as I know he eats right, he exercises, hes fit as a fiddle and hes got a great personality. He

seems to be pretty tough and hes got a real great ability to break in the middle to get close to those bulls. Hes a really efficient bull rider.

andy W

atson (Mike lee, K

ody lostroh)

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56 Contenders

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contents

scoutinG REPORT (cont.)

Ty Murray: He looks like hes going to be the champ. He had a really bad showing at the World cup, and I think that pretty much surprised everyone, but I look for it to be his year. I always say that coming that close either makes you or breaks you, and it has so many times, but I think hes a guy who hasnt been broken. He comes back the next year and he rides great again, and its not so much that hes lost it in years past as much as there was always one guy who did a little bit better than he did.

Ty Murray: Hes been hit-and-miss and, to me, hes either been all on or all off. Weve seen the amount of talent that he has, and the thing I like about J.b. is the effort that he puts out. Thats paramount. I think thats his big key. When youre at this level and youre riding this caliber of bulls, they are going to cause you to make mistakes, and a guy like J.b. has that never-say-die way of going at it. He just attacks the bulls and hes not a hesitant rider who waits to see how it goes. Hes a guy who its an all-out war every time the gate opens. To me thats the thing that will carry him through. you have to remember hes still relatively young. barring injury, hes just a guy whos going to get better with time.

MarChI, guIlherMe

Mauney, J.b.

cody lambert: Hes the best bull rider weve got right now. Hes incredibly strong. He can ride every kind of bull, and hes deter-mined to win a world title. Hes been second a few times when it looked like he was going to win it and it slipped away. To me, the difference

this year is he knows hes going to win it. He doesnt hope hes going to win it. He knows hes going to win it. as far as Im concerned its over. Hes already won it.

Jerome Davis: Hes one of the best bull riders ever. He reminds me of clint branger, and clint was one of those guys who was runner up time and time again. as a bull rider we knew this guy was as good as anyone in the world and deserved a World championship as much as anybody going up and down the road. Im a fan of Guilherme Marchi. Hes a guy who every time he nods his head he gives 110 percent. He

wants it so bad to the point where hes tensing up and just trying so hard. Its got to that point where the buckle is so close, but still so far away that he doesnt want to screw it up. I think this is going to be Guilhermes year. There was no pressure on him all year, and he knows its getting close. I think he wants it so bad that hell come right through all this.

J.W. Hart: consistency, thats the one word. He doesnt have the prettiest style. His english isnt really that great to get across who he is

to the fans, but his consistency speaks for itself.

cody lambert: J.b. is undisciplined and undedicated. Hes as talented as anybody weve got. He thinks that the answer is just getting on more practice bulls. That isnt the answer. you fix the problem. Theres nothing wrong with getting on a practice bull, even though

theyre dangerous and they can kill you and they can injure you to the point that you cant compete when its for the money, but to fix the technical problems and to understand what went wronghe needs to acknowledge the problem, fix it and move on.

Jerome Davis: He rides as good as anybody in the world. Theres no doubt about it. If anything, he fights a few injuries, but he stays pret-ty healthy. Hes still in that learning stage. even with the success hes had so far, I dont think weve warmed up what were going to see out of J.b. before its over. This guy rides so good that one day hes going to

find out what its like to win a world title, and then its going to be hard to take it from him, and he could win two, three or four of them. He got a little taste of it last year, but if he ever gets it, then itll fuel his fire. He rides off of confidence, and when he gets that kind of confidence hell be one of the guys we talk about for a long time.

J.W. Hart: He could be one of the greats if he could just get past the pressure point. Hes a kid that has a little to learn in the pressure area. I know last year he did real good throughout the year, but when he got to the Finals and the pressure really hit him, he kind of crumbled a

little bit. I think if we get him past the pressure cooker, he could be one of the greats. Hes pretty mature, but I dont know how disciplined he is. Its just going to take a couple of years.

andy W

atson (Guilherm

e Marchi); JT

sumner (J.b. M

auney)experts Weigh in on 10 of the Worlds best

58 Contenders

AD

59

contentscody lambert: Renato is a great athlete, really talented bull rider, mentally tough. The distraction that he has is that hes having such a great time being in america. Hes having so much fun with it that a championship isnt important to him right now. He wants to win every week and do well, and he knows he can ride all kinds of bulls. The mistake that Valdiron makes by leaning back too much, Renato takes that to an extreme. He takes that to a whole other level. He leans back way too far. He does a few things correct and a few things wrong,

but the one thing that is most important in bull riding is the effort, and thats the one thing he does right. To be a champion, hes going to have to fix one physical part of it and one technical part of it. Mechanically hes doing something wrong, which is leaning back too far, and when the bull starts to change direction or they kick really high, it has you in a bad position. If the bull is spinning, it wants to whip you to the outside of the spin so much more than if you were up over the front of the bull.

scoutinG REPORT (cont.)

Ty Murray: Hes my favorite guy right now. When youre talking about effort, I dont think theres one guy on the tour right now that puts out more effort than Renato. Hes really exciting to watch. Its textbook, work-a-day, stay up over your rope and do all the basics to your best ability. He throws a ton of Hail Marys, and its all grit, try and determination. I just think it makes him really fun to watch, and it garners my respect when I see a guy who guarantees to himself that hes going to lay his guts out on the line. as a fan of the sport thats what Im drawn to the guys that before they crawl into the chute they say I cant guarantee Im going to stay on, cant guarantee Im going to get a good score, cant guarantee anything, but I can guarantee that Im going to try my [butt] off until my head hits the dirt. Hes that guy.

Ty Murray: When you look at the top guys, thats what makes the World Finals so exciting. any of these guys can strike at any moment, and Im not talking about getting lucky. and Mike White is a guy who has been injured a lot and hes been going at this for quite a while. Hes a full-on veteran now, but when hes on his game and hes healthy I dont know that theres anybody out there thats any better.

nunes, renato

WhIte, MIKe

Jerome Davis: What can you say about that guy? When I saw him ride chicken on a chain that was one of the best rides I had ever seen. When you see guys get back on the end of their arm like that, the next thing you see is them get jerked down and get hit in the face, but

this guy can stop himself and still make the corner and be there for the whistle. That kid is the real deal. Hes one of those guys that will be a threat, and its all a matter of when its going to happen.

cody lambert: Mike White is a sentimental favorite, but hes not a threat for a World championship because he cant stay healthy for a whole year, and thats been proven over and over again. Its not necessarily anything he does. Its just a little curse that he has. Hes injury-prone. If youre injury-prone and youre a bull rider, those are two things that dont mix. Hes tough and he rides technically correct. He puts out the effort most of the time, and every now and then you can see

where the injuries have taken their toll. every once in awhile youll see a week or two when he doesnt look totally committed and he fixes that. He refocuses and he fixes that sort of thing. Hes not just a fan favorite, hes one of the better bull riders weve got. Hes a former PRca World champion, but I dont see a PbR World championship in his future just because of where hes at in his career right now. I do see him for a few more years being a Top 10 guy.

Jerome Davis: What more can you say about that guy? He should already be a PbR World champion and he surely rides good enough. It seems like its the story of Mike Whites life that hes got to stay sound. as bad as we hate it, thats what it is. I talk to Mike sometimes, and hes the guy who when he leaves the bull riding he busts his tail all week on his ranch and then comes back and rides bulls on the weekend. He just pushes himself so hard sometimes, and I think

that has a little bit to do with why he stays so broken up. Hes just wide open. I think when he gets hurt he doesnt heal up good and he goes home and he works on that ranch. Hes that way. He fights his injuries and he doesnt quit. I see a guy who deserves a gold buckle, but hes just so strong-minded hes not going to slow up long enough to let his body heal up like it needs to.

J.W. Hart: Mikes a guy that a healthy year would be his cham-pionship year, but its to the point now hes my age in his mid 30s that its going to take a little more than a healthy year now. Its going to take a really dedicated year. I hate to say it because Mike and I are pretty good friends, but his best years might be behind him. Im not

saying anything that I wouldnt say to him or the Pope because I have the same problem. Im not saying he should quit because hes a great bull rider and hes going to win a lot of money and a lot of events until whenever he quits, but I think a World championship might be behind him now.

J.W. Hart: Hes one of my favorite guys. I love watching him ride. Just the go-at-em attitude that he doesnt have to be over the front of a bull to try and ride em. He just tries to cling to em any way he can.

Its kind of appealing to me to see how good he is. Its either win or crash and burn trying, and I think thats why everybody likes him. His attitude is just like Ricky bobby: If you aint first youre last.

andy W

atson (Renato n

unes, Mike W

hite)experts Weigh in on 10 of the Worlds best

60 Contenders

WIllInghaM, seanTy Murray: The big problem with sean and really, the only problem is that he gets wild and he throws the couple of really fundamental basics that you have to do in bull riding out the window. He gets to lean-ing straight back and he gets to whipping his free arm behind him. Hes a tall enough guy, and a big enough guy, that thats never going to work for him. Its something that hes aware of and its something that I see him work on, but he has to get that under better control. I was watching him at the World cup and if he can keep those basics under control, you can really count on him, but as soon as you see that body get leaning back and that arm gets a-swinging, you know which way to place your bet.

cody lambert: Hes a true athlete. He has a mental block that when hes riding a bull and doing everything right every once in awhile hell pick up his head and the weight of your head will cause your body to lean back, and itll cause you to get whipped to the outside. sean puts out the effort, and he belongs in the Top 10, but he doesnt have the consistency to be the World champion yet. seans really matured

over the last few years and I think he will have that focus, and I think there will be a year in the next two or three years where he will give them a run for the World championship. Whether he wins it or not hes going to have to get just a little better to win it. He has that kind of coordination and agility and that kind of athletic ability. For a bull rider hes on the high end and hes really a strong guy.

Jerome Davis: The thing about sean is that he stays near the top all along and, to me, hes one of the most underrated guys on tour. He doesnt get all the glamour and the glory, but you go back and look at your stats, seans right there, pretty regularly finishing in the Top 5. Hes always right there. When he doesnt get back on the end of his

arm, he can ride as good as anyone, and he hasnt been doing that lately. When he first started coming around he would do that a lot. Hed get back on his arm and try to ride, but in the last couple of years weve seen him start to stay up over the front of his rope. Hes a heck of a bull rider.

J.W. Hart: If he can put it together for a year hell be one of those guys that can truly contend. Hes been there a couple times on the edge of it I dont know if its mental or physical but if he can put it

together for one whole year with his consistency that hes capable of, well see him do great things.

and

y W

atso

n (s

ean

Will

ingh

am)

61Contenders

aTTacK of the

brazilian athletes Have Raised the bar in 2008KIlleR bsIF yoU coMbIneD THe eIGHT bRaZIlIan aTH-leTes on THe 2008 built Ford Tough series into a single cowboy, youd have one very large cowboy.

youd also have one whod be covering an astonishing 57 percent of his bulls.

but even at that rate, hed only rank third in the world. The bra-zilian behemoth would still fall short of who else? two brazilians, Guilherme Marchi and Valdiron de oliveira.

This season, the sons of brazil have ridden with a gusto usually

reserved for carnival. Guilherme Marchi, Valdiron de oliveira, Renato nunes, Robson Palermo, adriano Moraes, ednei caminhas, Paulo crimber, and Helton barbosa have lived up to the hype.

Why are the brazilians who account for less than a fifth of the Top 45 riders in the world so disproportionately successful? The answer may come down to size.

In the United states, we have approximately 300 million people, and about 100 million head of cattle. Thats three people for every bovine. In Mexico, the ratio is about the same. canada closes the gap

62

a little, with about two people per head, but then again, there are only some 33 million canadians total.

In brazil, there are about 178 million people, but over 200 mil-lion cattle about 1.12 cud-chewers for every citizen.

There are a lot of cattle in brazil. There are so many huge cattle ranches in brazil, Moraes said.

and thats going to contribute to the quality of cowboys coming from brazil. you see all backgrounds here with the guys from brazil, but 95-98 percent are from a ranch, and grew up working with cattle. We have the same percentage of good cowboys as we do [in

the U.s.], we just have more guys who grew up working cattle, and therefore more bull riders.

on one hand, theres simply more guys riding bulls in brazil, said slade long, PbR statistician. That makes for some mighty impressive numbers compared to how many are riding in america.

so one thought is that maybe so many brazilian riders are doing good because only the very best brazilian riders come here, and the ones that arent so great just dont leave brazil. While on the other hand, american riders both good and bad compete here.

Paul a. broben (brazilian T

eam)

Team Brazil collects the title at the PBRs inaugural World Cup in 2007. From left to right: Renato Nunes, Paulo Crimber, Adriano Moraes,

Guilherme Marchi, Valdiron de Oliveira, and Robson Palermo.

63

culture plays a role, as well. Though the urban sophisticates in Rio might not like to talk about it, a large chunk of brazils people are rural, and cowboy culture runs deep.

consider that cheyenne Frontier Days the Daddy of em all pulls in about 600,000 people each year. barretos, a massive 10-day brazilian rodeo fest (and home of the 2009 PbR World cup), draws twice as many.

bull riding at least for now seems to be more pervasive below the equator.

If you look at where the great U.s. riders have come from over the years, said long, you can see that many of them come from places where rodeo is a tradition, and especially where youth rodeo is a tradition.

now the PbRs come along, and TV reaches kids in other places like Wisconsin for example where more riders are coming from. Id guess that adrianos success in america exposed many brazilian kids to the sport that might not have been otherwise, and you are now seeing the results of that.

and dont discount the profit motive. Moraes points out that money remains a driving force. Guys come up here now mostly because they can make so much more money as a bull rider than they could in brazil. and thats because the finances in the bull riding industry in brazil arent as good as they used to be. before the PbR, in the early 90s/late 80s it was more profitable to ride down there [in brazil]. but then things went the other way when the PbR started. now its a good idea to ride here.

band of brothersThe brazilian contingent is tight. not exclusive, but close-knit. Much of that has to do with the language barrier. of the eight

brazilians on the bFTs this year, only three are fully fluent in english, though Marchi and Palermo have made great strides in that arena.

What was more difficult was to enter in the [copenhagen bull Riding challenger Tour] events, said oliveira. because we have to call, and I did not know how to say any words in englishto go to airports was bad, too.

I really thought about giving up because of the language and go back to brazil.

Ironically, it was that very issue that led to a lasting friendship. When oliveira was seriously injured in Glendale, ariz., in 2007, he couldnt clearly explain to his doctors what was wrong. Without thinking twice, Paulo crimber, who barely knew him, tagged along to

translate. He ended up staying for a week.

The two are now close friends.

Its also worth noting that every one of the big 8 is married, and that most have children. That may be the reason that one tradition of american cowboy culture raising hell into the wee hours has not seemed to catch on. nine times out of ten, a brazilian athlete will show up to an event well-rested, clear-headed, and ready to do his job.

What of the culture barrier? Do the brazil-ians feel the heat from the vocal few who continue to insist that bull riding is of, by, and perpetually for americans?

simply put, no.In fact, theyre more

likely to face prejudice back homenot for being brazilians, but for being cowboys. People have so much respect for you [in the U.s.], which is great, said Rogeiro Pereira. In

brazil, people from sao Paolo city can be rude if

youre from the country that typical country vs. city attitude. but that doesnt happen as much here, which I like.

The occasional xenophobe will crop up now and then, but PbR chief executive officer Randy bernard always has the same response.

The PbR has been a global organization from the beginning, he said. our goal is not to present the best bull riders in america. Its to present the best bull riders in the world.

The PbR does not guarantee outcomes. It provides equality of opportunity. our american athletes have the same chance to succeed as those from brazil, canada, australia, or Mexico a better chance, in fact, since they have not had to leave their homes and families behind.

We wont tell the worlds athletes that their courage has no place here. and we wont insult our american athletes by suggesting that they cant compete against the world.

The Killer Bs swarm Paulo Crimber in Anaheim, celebrating his event win. Midway through the season, Brazilians owned three of the top 10 spots on tour.

andy W

atson (Killer bs in a

naheim)

Attack of the Killer Bs (continued)

64 Contenders

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Rookies bring talent and a really cool van to the bFTs

THe class To them, 120,000 miles was nothing.after all, the white leisure van with pink pinstripes was still in excellent condition. It had new tires, a televi-sion with a VcR, reclining seats, and a bench that folded down into a nearly king-size bed. More importantly, it cost just $2,400.

To Reese cates, Ryan Dirteater, Ryan Mcconnel, cody Ford, cody campbell and clayton Williams, it was a bargain. otherwise theyd each have to pay $1,200

to fly from cheyenne, Wyo. to edmonton, alberta.

For slightly less than $350 each, the six of them five rookies and Williams, last years Daisy Rookie of the year embarked on a 24-hour drive to the only built Ford Tough series event north of the U.s. border.

Were driving down the road and this thing is running like a champ, cates said. Its getting 20 miles to the gallon, so (that was) exciting.

In edmonton, the van was a hit with some of the other Top 45 riders in the world. J.b. Mauney was taken with it. brian canter even tried to sell it for them. but after the weekend, the five rookies loaded in and headed back to the states with their prized possession.

Twenty miles outside of cheyenne, it ran out of gas.

so there they stayed in the 90-degree heat, three of them on the floor with their

This story originally appeared in the Septem-ber issue of Pro Bull Rider magazine. Statistics have been updated through Grand Rapids.

by Keith Ryan cartwright

66

2008of

JT sum

ner(cody Ford, R

eese cates, Pistol R

obinson, cody c

ampbel, R

yan Dirteater and K

olt Donaldson)

Pictured from left to right: Cody Ford, Reese Cates, Pistol Robinson, Cody Campbel, Ryan Dirteater and Kolt Donaldson

feet up, watching a low-budget truck stop movie, the other two outside throwing rocks at each other in a nearby field. There was no hurry. no promises to keep.

For a moment, they were just five kids etched against the Wyoming summer, doing what they do best being kids.

yeah, thats going to be a good story to tell, Dirteater said. It was such a blast.

Welcome to the life of a rookie on the built Ford Tough series.

Freshman socialThis year, nearly two dozen riders have

made their bFTs debut. Most are not just travel buddies. They are tried-and-true friends, who spend their free time riding mini-bikes and wakeboarding together.

Were all in the same boat, said Pistol Robinson, who at 24 is the elder statesman of the group. We all started when we were five and six.

obviously the friendships that you make while youre riding bulls, you cant replace that, said cates, who was born and raised in eldorado, ark. one of the reasons all of us guys get along so well is that were living a dream.

cates, 19, was the first to realize his dream. He made it into the first event of the 2008 season Duluth, Ga. as an alternate, because another rider was out with an injury.

67

Within a few events, Robinson, and eventually cates best friend Kolt Donaldson, 20, followed suit. so did other young riders like D.J. Domangue, Vince northrop and Jimmy lathero, Mcconnel, campbell, Ford and others.

by and large theyre 19 and 20 years old, most of whom graduated from high school within the past year. Then again, there are also older rookies like Vince northrop, 25, and Robinson.

Hes a little more settled down, said cates of Robinson. Hes a little older.

I do feel like Im in more with the guys that are older, admitted Robinson, who still resides in his hometown of burleson, Texas. luke snyder, who won the Rookie of the year in 2001, me and him are kind of closer in age, so we kind of hang out.

Deep TalentThe 2008 class may be one of the most

talented ever to debut on the bFTs. Theyre certainly among the most competitive.

If youre riding in a vehicle with five rookies and you bring up the (Daisy) Rookie of the year title, then everybody is going to say, Well, I cant wait to win that, said cates,

who is in one of the tightest rookie races ever along with current leader Robinson. The award goes to the rider who ends his first bFTs season with the most money.

Robinson and cates, who have competed in 21 and 23 events respectively, are thought to be the two top contenders for this years Daisy Rookie of the year honor. but with a lucrative World Finals left to go, one cant discount

Donaldson, or any of the other Top 7 rookies

Ford, northrop, Dirteater and campbell. all are capable of winning an event.

It would be pretty bold to step up at this time of the year and say, Im going to win,

said cates, who has four Top 5 finishes as well as five Top 10s.

Riding against Reese, Robinson said, I think its going to be a battle.

added Donaldson, The (upcoming World) Finals will be the most interesting part of the rookie race.

If the first 25 events of the season are any indication, the top rookie question wont be settled until the last round of the World Finals. If you throw out the first three events of the season, at least one rookie has ridden in 20 of 23 championship rounds an 87-per-cent showing.

I guess that means were a bunch of badasses, laughed Robinson, whos had 10

short-go appearances, two Top-5 finishes, and seven Top-10 finishes. What does that mean? Well, that just shows we have something to prove and were getting to the short rounds.

The skys the limit, said Robinson of what this class of rookies can accomplish in the years to come. but he plans on taking the title first.

It better be me. Im older.

Friendly RivalsWith youth and friendship comes the

jawing and practical jokes most of which are aimed at Donaldson. Williams and cates take particular pleasure in pretending to be report-ers, calling him up, and conducting lengthy and entirely bogus interviews.

Its not fun being around somebody if they dont take a joke, Donaldson said.

oh, yeah, we poke at each other, said Robinson. I mean, I got my comebacks for Reese.

once when cates had just covered his bull, he walked past Robinson in the chute, leaned over the fence and said, beat that one. Robinson didnt, but he did finish the event ahead of cates.

Well, there you go, Robinson said. you gotta ride three, not two.

being 19, 20, 21-year-old kids, youre just kind of living life, cates said. youre just

out there to have a good time today, and thats why we all do so well, because we all have that attitude.

Theyre young, but theyre aware of their roles as the future of the sport. They know, for example, of a particular PbR tractor-trailer featuring larger-than life pictures of Ross coleman, chris shivers and Mike White. The (now dated) phrase young Guns is embla-zoned on the side in bold letters.

said Robinson: Maybe in two or three years well have our own trailer.

and perhaps they could even pull it behind that big white van.

Pictured fron left to right: Kolt Donaldson, Pistol Robinson and Reese Cates

JT sum

ner(Donaldson, R

obinson and cates)

Class of 2008 (continued)

one of the reasons all of us guys get along so well is that were living a dream. - Reese Cates

68 Contenders

JT sum

ner

Mark scott

obRIGaDo, aDRIano

by Keith Ryan cartwright

a FeW HoURs beFoRe THe THIRD RoUnD oF THIs yeaRs anaHeIM Invitational, 24-year-old rookie Pistol Robinson was in the locker room getting his rope ready. It was just his second appearance on the built Ford Tough series.

so he was confused when three-time World champion adriano Moraes patted him on the back and said simply, Thank you.

The newcomer was sure the 15-year veteran from brazil had actu-ally meant to congratulate him Robinson had notched a 90-point ride the night before.

I was like, What are you thanking me for? he recalled. and he said, For assuring me the future of the PbR is in good hands.

It was textbook Moraes. buckles and money have become almost secondary to the legendary brazilian, who is retiring from bull riding following the 2008 PbR World Finals. His true legacy exceeds his achievements in the arena. It lies not only in his ability to bridge the gap between newcomers and veterans, but also his unyielding desire to help make those around him better peopleboth professionally and personally.

I dont think people really know adriano Moraes, he said of himself. Im a giver. Im a servant. When Im here under the lights, everybody thinks Im a star. Im not.

To fully understand Moraes the bull rider, one must come to know Moraes the man.

He arrived in the United states on nov. 29, 1992. Former PRca World champion charles sampson had spotted the young cowboy on a trip to brazil, and asked if hed like to come north for a visit.

at the time, Moraes could only manage enough english to say, yes. and in the two decades since, the one word the 38-year-old brazilian has yet to learn is mediocrity.

He will forever be remembered as the PbRs first World cham-pion (1994), first two-time World champion (2001), and first three-time World champion (2006). His passion for bull riding and his love of life has made him a role model for americans, while his courage to excel has provided generations of young brazilians with inspiration.

When I see someone like adriano Moraes coming from brazil with nothing when he came here, said Randy bernard, PbR chief executive officer, and be able to learn the language and to be able to become the best bull rider in the world, it really defines what inspiration and discipline is all about.

When the 22-year-old Moraes arrived in the U.s. that november

morning, he left behind the tomato fields hed been working since his 9th birthday. He and his bride Flavia (they married just three months after meeting) arrived with a few dollars, his riding skills and little else. They had no place to call their own, didnt speak the language, and were unsure about the future.

That first trip was a three-month crash-course in american culture. a years worth of english lessons back in brazil didnt seem to have helped all that much.

It was a big adventure, Moraes recalled. I dont think it was dif-ficult. It was just that everything was brand-new.

after spending the first part of the trip in arizona, the young couple eventually made their way to Keller, Texas, where they took up residence with Dedra and David Jennings, who helped the Moraeses with obtaining social security cards and drivers licenses.

Moraes was competing at as many rodeos as he could, and with each ride he was gaining the attention and respect of his heroes Troy Dunn, aaron semas, clint branger. The 8 seconds he spent of the back of one rank bull after another provided Moraes with a confidence and comfort in this new country.

but in spite of his warrior-like exterior, he was hurting on the inside.

Moraes had been used to traveling with his wife, but suddenly couldnt. In brazil, a cowboy could ride as many as five bulls in one week before traveling to a new destination. Here, he would travel in a rental car with three and four other riders to as many as five different cities in a single week.

Im fragile, he said. Im very, very fragile, and thats what I want people to seethat as fragile a man as I am, I can accomplish such strong things.

adding to the loneliness of the road was the inability to talk with his fellow travel partners. so Moraes internalized his pain and often-times kept to himself.

but staying silent, as the world would eventually discover, was not an option for the emerging bull rider, who was known at the time simply as The brazilian Guy.

I think those new adventures were good for me, he said. I didnt have time to be homesick or to think how tired I was or how different my life was becoming. Im a communicator. I love to talk, and here I was unable to do so. I had so much stuff to comment about, and so much good things to talk about in this new life, but I could not com-municate with anybody.

after three months, Moraes and his wife went home to brazil but only temporarily.

73

Moraes, the second of five children (he has three brothers edno, andre and allan along with one sister Fernanda), was born april 20, 1970, in Quintana, sao Paulo, brazil. His childhood home was a dirt-floor dwelling that resembled a granary more than a house. It was on that dirt floor that Moraes took his first steps.

His parents aparecido and elizabeth suffered through years of unemployment and poverty before his father eventually succeeded as a local farm administrator. adriano picked tomatoes with his family before being elevated to the more respected position of tractor driver a promotion that would strain an already difficult relationship between the elder Moraes and his second son.

Moraes quit school as a sophomore and left his job at the farm a decision that caused arguments at home. He started riding bulls profes-sionally at 18, and within two years, his riding percentage was well over 80 percent. still, then as now, his success belied his internal struggles.

I have no education, Moraes explained. everything I know, I know by living and watching and analyzing people. Im just an ordinary guy that happens to do extraordinary things on top of a wild beast, but I dont want people to see extraordinary stuff. I want them to see the guy that struggles.

I struggle with depression. I struggle with my bible study. I struggle with my daily spiritual activities. I struggle with my relationship with my wife, my friends. Im just an ordinary man that tries to find an equilibrium on christianity, on profession, on marriage, on fatherhood, brotherhood.

In late 1993, the Moraeses returned to the U.s. already a champion in brazil, he was considered one of the best bull riders in the world. naturally, the co-founders of the PbR invited the young brazilian to compete with them.

The brazilian Guy eventually won the first gold buckle in PbR history. but his success translated into much more.

Moraes was almost singlehandedly giving what had been considered an american sport the face of a hand-some foreigner. bull riding became not only a stand-alone spectacle, but an international phenomenon.

I chose what was best for me, at the time, he said, and all this happened to happen. Do I take pride? no. am I happy? yes. am I satisfied? yes. am I thankful it was me? yes, I am, but do I take pride? no, because if it wasnt me it would be somebody else.

although there were others before him, none had managed to stay in the states for any length of time. Win-ning the 1994 world title and garnering a growing number of sponsors made that easier. There was something differ-ent, something special, about The brazilian Guy with the wide smile.

In the years since, one brazilian after another has followed in Moraes footsteps.

From Paulo crimber to ednei caminhas to, more recently, Robson Palermo and Valdiron de oliveira, an ever-growing number of country-men have all been afforded the opportunity to escape poverty because of what Moraes and his wife accomplished all those years ago.

by coming to compete in the PbR, they have not only experienced success as bull riders, but they have created lives for their families that include beautiful homes, an education for their children and sprawling ranches.

In brazil he is a living legend, said countryman Renato nunes. added Helton barbosa: Here in the U.s. (and) in brazil, he is a

very respected person and known in all the country.In brazil, when you talk about adriano Moraes, many people stop.

Many people cry, many people do not believe that he exists. When I arrive at Parana and I say, We are in the U.s., the people say, Do you know adriano Moraes? I say, yes, I know him, and the people say, youre kidding me.

What I did wasnt any more than just being at the right place at the right time at the right moment in history, Moraes explained. Its not just the right time, its the right moment in history. so I believe that adriano Moraes changed the faith and face of bull riding (and) the profession in brazil, but still it just happened to be me.

In the past 15 years, hes ridden in 230 built Ford Tough series events, and claimed 29 event titles to go with his three unprecedented

Obrigado, Adriano (continued)beiron a

ndersson (adriano M

oraes on Ranch)

Im just an ordinary man that tries to find an equilibrium on christianity, on profession, on marriage, on fatherhood, brotherhood.

Moraes in a rare moment of solitude on his ranch in Brazil.

76 Obrigado, Adriano

world titles and more than $3 million dollars in career earnings.

over the course of his career, Moraes has ridden 54 percent of his bulls with an average qualified score of 86.12 points, and his forty-six 90-point rides, including a career-high 95 on Promiseland in Houston during the 2000 sea-son, rank as the third-highest career total behind only Justin Mcbride and chris shivers.

a perennial Top 10 finisher in the world standings, only once has Moraes finished outside of the Top 20. The 14 times hes qualified for the PbR World Finals is more than any other rider in its 15-year history.

Its been said that Moraes rides his best when the spotlight shines the brightest. Twice (1996 and again in 2006) hes been presented with the lane Frost/brent Thurman award for the highest marked ride at the World Finals.

I think the glamour of being a World champion bull rider overshadows (who) you really are, Moraes said. Hopefully now when

Im stepping off that pedestal foolishly people put you there. Im not there, people raise me there. but they cant see beyond the star adriano Moraes. I want them to see the real man that I am. Im an ordinary person.

adriano is a three-time World champion who is still signing autographs, explained bernard. He wants to be with his family, wants to be with his friends, wants to represent his country and, to me, there is no greater thing that represents a sport than those qualities.

The time has come for Moraes to retire, but the sacri-fices he made and the stories of his faith, hope, and courage will certainly be told to the many generations of bull riders yet to come.

In his own words, Moraes summed up his life when he wrote in his autobiography: The man who carries my true identity is that tractor driver who built fences. eight seconds are not enough to tell the story of a life of poverty, struggle and love.

Moraes hopes this November to add the only major event title to his stellar career that has eluded him: PBR Finals champion.

Hes helped me a lot in my career, Guilherme Marchi said of Moraes. Hes a good friend of mine and everybodys going to miss him the

fans, bull riders, everyone. Hes smart and hes good for the sport.

and

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Do you know adriano Moraes? I say, yes, I know him, and the people say, youre kidding me.

- Helton Barbosa, PBR Rider

77Obrigado, Adriano

contents

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atson

OFFICIAL PBR FINALS HOSTED EVENTS

Offi cial PBR 3rd Round DraftSahara Theater Saturday, Nov. 1st 9pm

Offi cial PBR 7th (Final) Round DraftSahara Theater Saturday, Nov. 8th 9pm

Offi cial PBR NightclubsNascar CafSaturday, Nov. 1st 10pm & Saturday, Nov. 8th 10pm

for complete listings of all events go to www.saharavegas.com/pbr or call 888-696-2121

Great PBR EVENTS happening all week

SEXIEST BIKINI BULL RIDINGFeaturing the girls of Bada Bing Gentlemens Club Vote for the sexiest mechanical bull rider, longest ride, and best style

Frozen T-Shirt ContestFeaturing the girls of Bada Bing Gentlemens Club

DINING & Drink SPECIALS ALL WEEK Miller High Life & Jack Daniels specials Show your PBR Finals Ticket for $1 off all drinks Daily discounted drink specials for those in Cowboy attire House of Lords Ultimate Cowboy Dinner featuring

Buffalo, Rocky Mountain Oysters and Wild Boar

CASINO GRAND PRIZE RAFFLES

Gamein 15 years, the PBr has taken bull riding from a

county fair spectacle to a mainstream sport.

changerby brett Hoffman

1992

1994

April: PBR is founded

First full season.PBR sells its television rights.

First World Finals is held in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Adriano Moraes claims the PBRs first world title.Brent Thurman is killed at the NFR.

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Founding the PBR required a leap of faith.

WHen MIcHael GaFFney wrote a $1,000 check in an arizona hotel room in 1992 to help start the Professional bull Riders, it was one big leap of faith.Gaffney was among 20 bull riders who had congregated in scotts-

dale to try something new. It might as well have been las Vegas it was one hell of a gamble.

each cowboy they were arguably the best 20 bull riders in the world at the time put up $1,000. It would be directed toward admin-istrative, legal and promotional work for what has become the worlds premier bull riding association.

That was a pretty tough day to hand over $1,000, said Gaffney, the 1997 PbR World champion. We were at a bull riding in scotts-dale and I had won just under $1,000. after that, I went home and my wife looked at me and said, you wrote a check for what?

In 1992, $1,000 was a substantial investment for any bull rider who was competing on the national rodeo circuit. but within two years, the Professional bull Riders conducted its first season with eight events, a tour that culminated with a two-day finals show at las Vegas MGM Grand that offered competitors a total purse of $275,000.

as the PbR closes its 15th season in 2008, the World Finals is a seven-day event, conducted over two weekends at the Thomas & Mack center in las Vegas. The basic purse is more than $1.2 million ($565,600 will be paid to the top finishers in the eight rounds and $662,000 will be paid to the top finishers in the averagethe competi-tors who finish with the highest aggregate scores after eight rides).

and if thats not enough, the World champion will receive a $1 million bonus, courtesy of Ford Trucks.

Today, the PbR approves more than 300 shows annually in the United states, canada, brazil, australia and Mexico.

The PbRs annual prize money has jumped from $660,000 in 1994 to more than $10 million in 2007.

The PbR was founded by bull riders who were frustrated. Frus-trated with low purses. Frustrated with lousy livestock. bull riding was the most popular event in rodeo, always held at the end of an event to

15-Year RetrospectiveG

ary Jensen

80 XV Anniversary

1995 1996Randy Bernard is hired as CEO.Bubba Dunn sets a PBR record of 96.5 points on Promiseland.

Bodacious and Tuff Hedemans (in)famous wreck.Pro Bull Rider magazine launched.World Finals extended to three days. Hedeman wins the World Championship.J.W. Hart wins the inaugural Rookie of the Year award.

keep the crowd in their seats. bull riders risked their lives with every pull of the gate. but they were paid no more than ropers.

It was time that the headline event became the only event. Their gamble paid off. The PbR has experienced astronomical

growth. In early 2007, spire capital Partners of new york finalized a deal with the PbR board of Directors to acquire the interests of many of the retired founding riders. They invested in the growth of the orga-nization, and those first 20 bull riders turned $1,000 into millions.

as the association concludes its 15th season during the 2008 World Finals, the PbRs organizers can boast of a short, but very rich history. In half a generation, theyve done to bull riding what columbus did for geography.

Its a whole new world.

*larger purses. Most major regular-season rodeos pay their bull riding winner between $8,000 and $15,000. The winner of each PbR show usually receives $25,000 to $35,000.

The PbRs World Finals average winner will receive $225,000. by comparison, the bull riding average winner at the 2007 national Finals Rodeo in las Vegas received about $42,000.

anyone who is a bull rider in todays world takes into account that theres so much danger on the line, and they reason that if you are going to ride bulls, you need to go where the money is, said Randy bernard, the PbRs chief executive officer.

The most coveted prize is the $1 million check thats awarded to the World champion. The PbR began awarding a $1 million bonus in 2003, when Ford Trucks came aboard as one of the great sponsors in sports business history. The biggest recipient of the top prize has been Justin Mcbride, who won world titles in 2005 and 2007.

In september, Mcbride, who turned pro in 1999, became the first competitor in any bull riding or rodeo association to surpass $5 million in career earnings.

Q A&by susan bedford

with Ty Murray

PBR launches its minor-league system with the Touring Pro Division.Chris Shivers ties Dunns record of 96.5 points on Jim Jam.Total purse at World Finals grows to $1 million.Owen Washburn wins the World Championship.

Cody Lambert retires.

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Over the past 15 years, which Finals is the most memorable to you?

Well, one of the things is now the World Champion gets a $1 million bonus. Now the top guy might make $2 million a year. Thats pretty darn good. Another big change has been in the bucking bull industry. Look at how many people are raising bulls now compared to 15 years ago and now there is big money to be made with bucking bulls. Everything has gotten bigger and better.

That would have to be the Finals I won. That was a great week for me. I felt like I was on top of my game and that there wasnt a bull there that could buck me off and they didnt. That was a great time. You want to hit your best stride under those circumstances, and I did. I was on fire; I didnt care what bull I was getting on because I knew I could ride him. It was really fun, and looking back at some of the bulls I got to get on when I was riding, like Little Yellow Jacket, that was a great time. I won like $260,000 at the Finals and, at the time, that amount was like Holy cow! And now we have guys like Clayton Williams who win double that at the Challenger Finals.

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What has been the big-gest or most significant change to the sport over the last 15 years?

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81XV Anniversary

I look at that number and I cant believe that Ive won that much riding bulls, Mcbride said. It makes me pretty thankful because I know that there have been guys before me who never had that chance.

*an all-star cast. The PbR was founded by Professional Rodeo cowboys association stars of the 1980s and 1990s, who believed that the sports elite could draw great crowds.

There was Ty Murray, who would win a record seventh world all-around title. There was cody lambert, who has served as the associa-tions longtime livestock director.

Fans followed cowboys like Jim sharp, a two-time World cham-pion who commanded respect when he became the first man to stay on all 10 bulls at the national Finals Rodeo in 1988. and there were other legends: David Fournier, aaron semas, Jerome Davis and cody custer.

brazilian adriano Moraes won the PbRs inaugural world title in 1994. Hes the associations only three-time World champion after winning gold buckles in 2001 and 2006. chris shiv-ers (a Jonesville, la. cowboy), who won in 2000 and 2003, and Mcbride (elk city, okla.), are the only two-time World champions.

owen Washburn (lordsburg, n.M.) clinched the championship in 1996. Gaffney (albuquerque, n.M.) won in 1997, australian Troy Dunn paced the field in 1998, and cody Hart (Gainesville, Texas) was the top bull rider in 1999. brazilian ednei caminhas was the 2002 champ and Mike lee (Decatur, Texas) was crowned in 2004.

*better bulls. When the PbR founders were competing on the rodeo circuits in the mid 1990s, they might face a notable bull only four times in a month. but when they started the PbR, they could easily face four very rank bulls at one show. They were adamant about contracting only the top bulls in the country.

To this day at most rodeos, a riders chances of drawing a bull that can help him earn a score of 85 points or higher isnt great. but in the PbR, especially on the Ford series, there are an abundance of bulls that can buck riders into the 80s and 90s.

and if a bull doesnt give a rider a fair shake, that rider will get a reride.

In the PbR, every bull is hand-picked. every one has a remarkable track record. Multiple stock contractors are hired at each Ford series show, and they are told to bring only their top performers.

The PbR has featured the rankest of bulls over the years. boda-cious, owned by east Texas stock contractor sammy andrews, received the PbRs first World champion bull award in 1995. over the next four years, more legends entered the pantheon: baby Face (1996), Pan-handle slim (1997), Moody blues (1998) and Promiseland (1999).

In 2000 and 2001, Dillinger, owned by the south Texas-based Herrington cattle co., was the top bull. In 2002, 2003 and 2004, little yellow Jacket, owned by the north Dakota-based berger/Teague/Taupin bucking bulls llc, was the best.

19971998

Adriano Moraes sets a regular-season record with a riding percentage of 83.7.Michael Gaffney wins the World Championship.

March 14: Jerome Davis is para-lyzed while riding in Fort Worth.Troy Dunn wins the World Championship.

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Game Changer (continued)

Jim Sharp

Owen Washburn Michael Gaffney Cody Hart

Justin McBride wins the PBR World Championship in 2007 .

andy W

atson (Justin Mcbride, c

ody Hart)

Gary Jensen (Jim

sharp, ow

en Washburn, M

icaehl Gaffney); D

avis family photo (D

avis in wheelchair)

82 XV Anniversary

1999 2000Cody Hart sets a record with six event wins on the year.

World Finals is moved to Thomas & Mack Center, and extended to four days. Combined purse exceeds $1.5 million. Cody Hart wins the title.

Touring Pro Division becomes the Copenhagen Bull Riders Tour.March 24: Glen Keeley dies of injuries sustained at the Albuquerque event.

Chris Shivers wins his first World Championship.

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Q&A with Ty Murray (cont.)

big bucks, owned by the Texas-based Frontier Rodeo co., won the title in 2005; Mossy oak Mudslinger, owned by the oklahoma-based Page & Teague bucking bulls, finished first in 2006; and chicken on a chain, owned by north carolina-based Jeff Robinson and his part-ners Mike Tedesco and larry the cable Guy, won the title in 2007.

bernard, who has led the association since 1995, said the PbR has thrived because organizers have aggressively promoted both cowboys and bulls.

The first and foremost thing that weve done is build stars, ber-nard said. The philosophy of the PbR is there are two great athletes in every 8-second ride, and you are going to see the best bulls and the best cowboys. Its the best of the best in the world.

second, production value is important. We want to make sure that when you come to a PbR event, you are blown away with the production element, which ranges from watching Flint Rasmussen to our openings. It has to be a great experience.

Does that make you wish you were born about 10 years later?

Not really. It really doesnt. I made a great living my whole life riding bulls, and bucking horses too. There really isnt any-thing Id want to change about my career. I wouldnt want to go back or anything. Im really happy. For me, being able to be a part of the PBR is exciting and as big of an accomplishment as my career in the arena. If you look back, we changed the face of the sport in a lot of ways. It is something I am very proud to have been a small part of. I was glad about the era that I rode and the guys that I rode with and traveled with. That was really a fantastic time in the sport.

Answer continues to next page.

Q

Fifteen years from now, where will the PBR be?

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Well, that is hard to say. So far for 15 years, weve had growth for every year. That is something that is hard to main-tain in any business. We have been on an upward scale that is really unprecedent-ed and hopefully we keep growing. There is a lot of ground to cover. Who knows how big it can get? I know every meeting we have and every time we discuss it, we are always coming up with new things and trying to make it bigger and better without compromising the integrity of the competition. The thing that bull riding has going against it, and Ive said it before, every other sport has some-thing about it that everyone can relate to. People grow up playing baseball or basketball. Even if you look at NASCAR, most people have had the experience of driving a carthat is something familiar or relatable for the average person.

With our sport, I think it is a lot

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Bodacious, the first world champion bull.

Little Yellow Jacket

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83XV Anniversary