2008 PBR World Finals - Part 1

contents

Table of conTenTs

Publisher christopher burkhardtVP of Publications/Fancorp editor susan bedford PbR editor-in-chief Jeff Johnstone

contributing editors Keith Ryan cartwright, ben Dandrea, Kaelan Hollon, brett HoffmanGraphics Wrangler cedric Maniquiz Director of operations Jeannie Kaiser

Marketing cindy Gotoski 714-717-1548, Jeannie Kaiser 714-434-2579, Darren epstein 661-263-3200Photographers allen Glanville, andy Watson, Matt brenneman

4... GreetinGs8... schedules16... season in review26... Justin McBride retires28... inside the PBr

y Gretzky, elway cowboy Upy Williams Makes it a Two-fer on the challenger Toury Its in the bloody Mcbride becomes Richest cowboy in Historyy six with shorty (Gorham on the bullfighting life)y Major Improvements at pbrnow.comy on Top of the Worldy bulls Team Upy PbR stars support our Troops

48... Contendersy The Riders collectible cardsy 50... Guilherme Marchi: second to noney 52... scouting Reporty 60... attack of the Killer bsy 64... class of 2008

130... PBr 101132... PBr archives144... official PBr sPonsors

160... dedication

y The Dickies Durabullfightersy Flint Rasmusseny TV announcersy arena announcersy Medical Teamy Judges/cody lamberty PbR staff

70... adriano Moraes retires78... 15 Year retrosPective100... codYs all-stars112... the rinG of honor

116... whos who

JACK DANIELS and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks. 2006 Jack Daniels. Come visit us at www.jackdaniels.com

4 Official PBR Sponsors4 2008 PBR World Finals

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5Official PBR Sponsors

GReeTInGs

TWo oF THe GReaTesT bUll RIDeRs In HIs-ToRy WIll be ReTIRInG In las VeGas. Weve known for most of the season that this would be the last Finals for three-time PbR World champion adriano Moraes, but two-time PbR World champion Justin Mcbrides retirement came as a bit of a shock and a surprise.

It is hard to believe it was 15 years ago in 1994 that I was first competing against adriano Moraes. I watched him being crowned the PbRs first-ever World champion and winning about $65,000. Flash forward seven years to 2001 and adriano is beating me for his second world title and taking home $458,798. Justin had been on the scene just a few years by then, but it was already obvious that he had serious talent.

another four years down the road and Im retired and Justin is winning his first title. That next year adriano is winning his third PbR crown an unprecedented record and $1,362,572 dollars. The following year in 2007 Justin took his second crown. This year Justin eclipsed the $5,000,000 mark in career earnings.

Words really do not do justice to what these men have meant to our sport. Perhaps only their titles are an accurate reflection of their amazing athletic ability. one thing that cant be measured is the legacy they will leave behind and the impact they have had on bull riding.

Justin was the leader of a new wave of riders we had enter the PbR in the late 90s. He was part of the new generation who came along and started their professional careers in the PbR. In Justins illustri-ous career he rode only in the PbR. He became one of the sports most dominant champions and after riding bulls for 10 years was able to retire at the age of 29 as a multi-millionaire in other words, he was able to do exactly what we founding fathers had hoped for when we started the PbR in 1992.

adriano was a trailblazer, paving the way for young guys from brazil to come to the U.s. to try their hand against the best of the best. That led to ednei caminhas becoming the 2002 World champion and now it looks like another brazilian, Guilherme Mar-chi, could be the 2008 PbR World champion. The talented cowboy has been runner-up to the world champion every year since 2005. I think it is only fitting that as we usher out a great like adriano, odds are good we will be ushering in another brazilian who will leave an indelible mark on the sport.

This will be a landmark Finals. For me it is somewhat bittersweet to see two of the last greats I competed alongside retiring. There will never be another adriano or another Justin, but I assure you that alongside the current greats, new legends are already emerging. bull riding is a broth-erhood and the PbR is lucky to have the best from the U.s., brazil, canada, australia and Mexico.

Thank you for being a part of our 15th PbR World Finals celebra-tion and I hope you enjoy watching history unfold.

ty MurrayPBR Co-Founder9-Time World Champion

FIFTeen yeaRs, anD looK HoW FaR WeVe coMe. When I think about it, maybe

the only constant in the PbR has been change. This year has been no different. by that, I mean its been very different.

We introduced the draft system, which has proven to be a hit with riders and fans alike. We got the bull Team challenge underway, offering a $1.1 million in prize money to our outstanding stock contractors. The

Team shootout was introduced on esPn, bringing the thrill of bull riding to millions more.

In the next two weeks, we will bid a very fond farewell to three-time World champion adriano Moraes. adriano has been a staple of the PbR from the beginning indeed, he was our very first World cham-pion. I need not remind any fan of bull riding of what he has meant to the sport. let me simply say that without him as athlete, mentor, ambassador and champion, we would not be where we are today. Thank you, adriano.

of course, adriano is not our only retiring superstar. We must also bid a fond farewell to two-time World champion Justin Mcbride. compared to adrianos, Justins career has been short. but in that time, hes blazed a trail for future generations. earlier this year, he established the all-time earnings record for Western sports, topping the $5 million mark. It is my hope and I know its Justins hope, too that one day a $5 million career will be commonplace for PbR bull riders.

adriano and Justin, Godspeed. Thank you for all you have done for bull riding. you are both strong allies and close friends, and I look for-ward to working with you on the next successful chapters of your lives.

This year, our sponsors have become more vital than ever before. Their support has not only sustained us, but allowed us take the PbR to new heights. on behalf of our fans, staff, athletes, and the sport of bull riding itself: Thank you, sponsors.

In addition, Id like to recognize my staff for their untiring efforts. They have taken on more and more responsibility as weve grown, and they still manage to pull it off. I am proud to call them my team.

Finally, and most importantly, thank you, fans. Through all the changes, your devotion has sustained us. We hope that as you enjoy the 15th built Ford Tough World Finals, youll remember that in the end, this is all for you.

Wow 15 years. and the ride has just begun.

randy BernardPBR CEO

6 2008 PBR World Finals

Matt brennem

an

DaIly acTIVITy schedule

TIMe acTIVITy locaTIon fridaY, octoBer 31

10 aM-5 PM FanZone & Marketplace Mandalay bay

2 PM First Round RRF calcutta south Point Hotel

4-6 PM Thomas & Mack FanZoneThomas & Mack center

6-9 PM 1st Round of competitionThomas & Mack arena

9 PM Halloween Partynight club PbRsouth Point

saturdaY, noveMBer 1

8 aM bull Pens Vet/breeder seminar south Point Hotel

9-11aM Team PbR Meet & GreetMandalay bay / FanZone

11-5 PM FanZone & Marketplace Mandalay bay

4-6 PM Thomas & Mack FanZone Thomas & Mack center

6-9 PM 2nd Round of competitionThomas & Mack arena

9:30 PM 3rd Round Draft & after Partynight club PbRnascaR caf at sahara

sundaY, noveMBer 2

8 aM- noon Judging seminar south Point Hotel

9-10 aM outreach church service TbD


1-3 PM Thomas & Mack FanZone Thomas & Mack center

3-6 PM 3rd Round of competitionThomas & Mack arena

MondaY, noveMBer 3

noon-5 PM FanZone & Marketplace Mandalay bay

1 PM abbI Futurity long GoThomas & Mack arena

7 PM The bull Pen bashstoneys Rockin country Free Party!

tuesdaY, noveMBer 4


1 PM abbI classic long GoThomas & Mack arena

wednesdaY, noveMBer 5

9 aM clay shoot For RRFDesert lakes shooting club

10 aM abbI Futurity short GoThomas & Mack arena


1-3 PM stock contractors banquet $40 (702-797-8055)

south Point Hotel

TIMe acTIVITy locaTIon 3 PM abbI select sale south Point Hotel

6-9 PM RRF blackjack Tournament Golden nugget Hotel

thursdaY, noveMBer 6


12-2 PM adriano Moraes Retirement celebration $20 (702-797-8055)

south Point Hotel

2 PM second Round RRF calcutta south Point Hotel


6-9 PM 4th Round of competition /abbI classic short Go

Thomas & Mack arena

10 PM bellamy bros. at after Party south Point

fridaY, noveMBer 7

10 aM 5 PM FanZone & Marketplace Mandalay bay

10:30 aM 5th Round Draft Mandalay bay


6-9 PM 5th Round of competition Thomas & Mack arena

10 PM after Partynight club PbRMoorea beach at M.bay


9-10:30 aM Team PbR Meet & Greet Mandalay bay / FanZone

11 aM - 5 PM FanZone & Marketplace Mandalay bay


6-9 PM 6th Round of competition Thomas & Mack arena

10 PM after Partynight club PbRnascaR caf at sahara

sundaY, noveMBer 9

8-9 aM outreach church service cox Pavilion at Thomas & Mack

10 aM-noon Thomas & Mack FanZoneThomas & Mack center

11:30 aM - 2 PM Final Rounds of competition Thomas & Mack arena

6-8 PM World champion circle awards & banquet $70 (702-797-8055)

south Point Hotel

10 Schedules

2008 enTeRPRIseMain staGe schedule

DaTe/TIMe eVenT locaTIonfridaY, octoBer 31


noon - 1 PMFlint Rasmussen outside The barrel

enterprise Main stage

1:15-2 PMlive entertainment - bluefield


2-2:45 PMlive entertainment - Kate and Kacey coppola


3-5 PM out of The chute Video Game Playoff




10:30-11:30 aMRound 2 Draft With 45 contestants




1-1:15 PMRRF shirt off your back Promotion


1:30-2:15 PMlive entertainment- Kate and Kacey coppola


2:15-3:30 PM live entertainment - bluefield enterprise Main stage



sundaY, noveMBer 2


11 aM - noonout of The chute Video Game Playoff


1-2 PMlive entertainment - James Intveld & band


MondaY, noveMBer 3

noon - 5 PM FanZone & Marketplace Mandalay bay

tuesdaY, noveMBer 4


wednesdaY, noveMBer 5


DaTe/TIMe eVenT locaTIonthursdaY, noveMBer 6








1:30-2 PMlive entertainment - Zane lewis


2-2:30 PMlive entertainment - emma Jacob




5-9 PM exclusive Genetics Rehearsal enterprise Main stage

fridaY, noveMBer 7








1:30-2:15 PMlive entertainment - emma Jacob


2:15-3 PMlive entertainment - Zane lewis


3-5 PM exclusive Genetics Draft enterprise Main stage









1:30-2:30 PMlive entertainment - Zane lewis


2:30-3:30 PMlive entertainment - emma Jacob


3:30-5 PM exclusive Genetics Draft enterprise Main stage

The enterprise Main stage is located in the PbR FanZone & Marketplace outside Mandalay bay

12 Schedules

BFTS sched

Schedules

Jan. 2-3baltimore, MD1st Mariner arena

Jan. 9-11new york, nyMadison square Garden

Jan. 16Fresno, casave Mart center

Jan. 17-18sacramento, caaRco arena

Jan. 24-25Dallas, TXamerican airlines center

Jan. 30-31Winston-salem, nclawrence Joel coliseum

Feb. 6Tampa, Flst. Pete Times Forum

Feb. 7-8Tallahassee, Flleon county civic center

Feb. 13-15oklahoma city, oKFord center

Feb. 20-21anaheim, caHonda center

2009 bUIlT FoRD ToUGH seRIes

s C h e d u l e

Feb. 22Glendale, aZJobing.com arena

Feb. 27-Mar. 1st. louis, Moscottrade center

Mar. 7-8Kansas city, Mosprint center

Mar. 14-15birmingham, albirmingham Jefferson convention complex

Mar. 21-22Tacoma, WaTacoma Dome

Mar. 27-29albuquerque, nMUniversity of new Mexico The Pit

apr. 3-5nampa, IDIdaho center

apr. 17-19billings, MTThe nIle

apr. 24-25omaha, neQwest center

May 1-3Worcester, MaDcU center

May 8-9Des Moines, IaWells Fargo arena

May 16-17Pueblo, coTbD

July 17-19Tulsa, oKboK center

aug. 1-2san antonio, TXTbD

aug. 8-9springfield, MoJQH arena

aug. 15-16nashville, Tnsommet center

sept. 11-12Minneapolis, MnTarget center

sept. 18-20Reno, nVlawlor events center

sept. 27-28ontario, cacitizens business bank arena

oCt. 3-4Portland, oRRose Garden arena

oCt. 10-11columbus, oHnationwide arena

oCt. 16-18Uncasville, cTMohegan sun casino

oCt. 30-nov. 1las Vegas, nVWoRlD FInals - Thomas & Mack

nov. 5-8las Vegas, nVWoRlD FInals - Thomas & Mack

**Dates and locations are subject to change.

For a second year in a row, the 2009 PbR World Finals will take place at the Thomas & Mack center. The first weekend of competition will run from october 30-november 1, 2009 with the second weekend held on november 5-8, 2009. exclusive to TeamPbR members only, tickets for the 2009 World Finals tickets will be available on Friday, october 17. The general public will have access to tickets on Friday, october 31.

Dont miss your opportunity to watch the worlds best bull riders lIVe as they tour the country week in and week out, all chasing the coveted 2009 World championship title! For more information on the PbR or the 2009 bFTs schedule, go to www.pbrnow.com.

14

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andy W

atson

ITs one oF THe GReaT IRonIes In THe sPoRTInG WoRlD: The toughest, most physically demanding sport on the planet also has the longest season.The past 10 months have seen some of the best rides in bull riding

history. Theyve seen kids just out of high school become worldwide celebrities. legends have set the stage for their final curtain calls. Great athletes have been injured beyond repair.

Today, in las Vegas, history is on the line. Forty-five men have shown the determination, skill, and courage to make it this far.

This is how they got here.

PbR announces new Draft system PUEBLO, Colo. (December 10, 2007) - The PbR has announced a new draft system that will allow bull riders to choose their bulls at built Ford Tough series events. The new format kicks off on January 4-6 at the VeRsUs Invitational at Madison square Garden in new york city.

The system works by allowing the bull rider who wins round one to pick his bull first for the second round. He is followed in succession by the remaining 44 contestants based on scores. after all of the riders who received scores have selected their bulls, the riders will select their bulls based on their buckoff times, with the quickest buckoff time picking last.

PbR legend Moraes announces RetirementNEW YORK (January 4, 2008) - as he begins his 15th season on the Professional bull Riders, Inc. circuit, legendary bull rider adriano Moraes officially announced today that the 2008 built Ford Tough series season will be the last of his bull riding career.

I feel that the only way I can go back to my old form is if I make this announcement, said Moraes. If I have three more years, I am not going to put the effort out. by announcing this is my last year, Im not going to waste any time.

PbR Institutes Drug Testing PolicyNEW YORK (January 6) The PbR has developed a PbR bull Test-ing committee which is introducing a steroid Testing Policy for the 2008 season. Under the new policy, the PbR will test the top perform-ing bulls at various events throughout the season. a stock contractor whose bull is found to have yielded a positive test result will be subject to discipline by the committee.

The PbR on csI PUEBLO, Colo. (January 8) - Televisions no. 1 crime drama, csI: cRIMe scene InVesTIGaTIon will feature the PbR in an all-new episode on Jan. 10 on cbs.

In the episode, titled bull, the csI team investigates two murders during the PbR World Finals in Vegas that may be connected to illegal bull breeding.

city Date event Winner buckoff % avg. score best Ride best bull

atlantaDec. 29-30

copenhagen bull Riding Invitational

Mike lee 54.29 84.51Mike lee on Hot stuff, 90.25

The Game

new york

Jan. 4-6VeRsUs Invitational

Valiron de oliveira

44 85.22chris shivers on cat Man Do, 90.75

big bucks/copperhead slinger

Draft - 2008 Worcester Built Ford Tough Series event.

season in ReVIeW

Adriano Moraes announces his retirement at the New York Built

Ford Tough Series event.

andy W

atson (Worcester D

raft, adriano M

oraes)

18 Season in Review

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Mike lee Goes 10 in a Row WORCESTER, Mass. (January 13) - Despite getting bucked off in sundays short-go, 2004 World champion Mike lee made history by starting the season off with the longest streak ever.

The Decatur, Texas cowboy rode 10 straight bulls though atlanta, new york, and Worcester.

covering 10 straight bulls is unusual. covering 10 in a row to start the season is unheard of.

briscoe claims Top spotWORCESTER, Mass. (January 13) - on sunday evening in Worcester, Mass., Travis briscoe put up one of the highest scores in PbR history.

briscoe topped copperhead slinger berger, Ryken and larsons notorious bad-boy bull for an astounding 95 points in

the championship round of the Worcester classic. The effort earned him the event title and $35,414 for the weekend.

not since 2004, when Michael Gaffney rode the famous little yellow Jacket to a record-tying 96.5 points, has anyone scored as high as briscoe. Riding 90 percent of his bulls so far this year, briscoe finds himself ranked first in the built Ford Tough series.

crimber Wins second event in 10 years Anaheim, Calif. (February 10) - Paulo crimber knew that eventually he would earn himself another built Ford Tough series event title;

however, the 27-year-old would have never guessed it would take him seven years to do so.

after scoring a 90.5 on all In in the short-go of the anaheim Invi-tational, all crimber could do was patiently wait.

I just need to keep riding em like I am, he told a nationally tele-vised audience, and Ill get one, one of these days.

once leader brendon clark and newcomer Pistol Robinson were unable to cover in the short-go, the wait was finally over for crimber.

nunes sets 08 Record on chicken on a chainST. LOUIS (February 24) no one quite knows what to make of

Renato nunes getting down on all fours and kicking his legs up in the air like a bucking bull. but the 26-year-old fast-rising star on the built Ford Tough series has a lot to smile about.

This weekend he recorded two 90-point rides in st. louis, includ-ing a career-defining 95.75 in the short go of the enterprise Rent-a-car Invitational on the back of chicken on a chain.

That was a ride for the ages, said VeRsUs announcer craig Hummer about the 11th highest scored ride in the history of the PbR.

Season in Review (cont.)


st. louis Feb. 22-24enterprise Rent-a-car Invitational

Renato nunes

57.52 86.87

Renato nunes on chicken on a chain, 95.75

chicken on a chain

Travis Briscoe rides Berger/Ryken/Larsons Copperhead Slinger for 95 points during the championship round of the 2008 Worcester Built Ford Tough Series event.


Winston-salem

Feb. 1-2

salem nationalease Invitational hosted by Jerome Davis

Kasey Hayes

52.43 86.02Kasey Hayes on camo, 92

chicken on a chain

anaheim Feb. 8-10anaheim Invitational

Paulo crimber

52 85.65

brendon clark/soulja boy, Paulo crimber/all In, Robson Palermo/Tighty Whitey, 90.5

Gods Gift


Worcester Jan. 11-13Worcester classic

Travis briscoe

47.65 86.22

Travis briscoe on copperhead slinger, 95

copperhead slinger

Fresno Jan. 18Table Moun-tain casino Invitational

Travis briscoe

50 85.68Jason bennett on Rudolph, 90.75

Rez boy

sacramento Jan. 19-20sacramento classic

nick landreneau

46.53 84.42colby yates on Hypnotic, 91

Troubadour

albany Jan. 26-27albany Invitational

Travis briscoe

37.14 86.98

Paulo crimber on livewire/Kasey Hayes on shane, 90.75

Party Time/copperhead slinger

Renato Nunes rides Robinson/Tedesco/Larry the Cable Guys Chicken on a Chain for 95.75 points during the championship round of the St. Louis Built Ford Tough Series event.

andy W

atson (Travis briscoe on c

opperhead slinger, Renato n

unes on chicken on a c

hain)

20 Season in Review

PbR on Pace to shatter Record for Most 90-point Rides in one season ST. LOUIS (February 25) For the third time this season, eight or more riders scored 90 or more points throughout the three-day event in st. louis. There were also eight 90-point rides in albany and another nine in Worcester, Mass.

Were on pace for a record-setting year, said Justin McKee, who first noted the spike a few weeks back during the VeRsUs television broadcast.

In just nine events, there have already been 45 scores of 90-points or better compared to the 54 from all of last year.

briscoe Falls From Top of leader boardBALTIMORE (March 2) Two seconds into his first ride of the baltimore Invitational, Travis briscoe was already in serious jeopardy of losing his no.1 ranking. It went wrong the moment the gate opened, and it only got worse.

briscoe did more than just fall off of Double Deuce; he fell from being the top-ranked bull rider to third in the standings. by the end of the weekend he was 86.25 points behind Robson Palermo and a distant 273.75 points behind no. 1-ranked Guilherme Marchi.

Marchi and copperhead slinger Dance Twice in Portland PORTLAND, Ore. (March 14) Its not every day that you get to see a matchup between the top-ranked rider in the world and a bull that has a very real shot at a World champion title. so the crowd in Portland was excited to see Guilherme Marchi ride copperhead slinger in the short go.

anticipation turned to disappointment when chad bergers bull bottomed out on the dirt within seconds of trying to unseat Marchi. but the Rose Garden crowd cheered when it was announced that berger had agreed run his premiere bovine right back out for Marchis re-ride.

This time, Marchi and copperhead slinger got a clean start out of the bucking chute, and 8 seconds later, the brazilian covered his 13th consecutive bull, with a score of 92.25 his sixth 90-point ride of 2008.

shivers Wins First bFTs event since 2006 TACOMA, Wash. (March 16) - chris shivers looked like a relieved man sunday.

Following the 70th 90-point ride of his career, the crowd inside the Tacoma Dome stood and cheered as confetti blew out over the bull riding arena.

shivers win at the Tacoma Invitational was his first since he won in Phoenix during the 2006 season.

This weekend I lucked out and drew three good bulls that have thrown me off before, shivers said, and I just got by em.

Midway Point of bFTs Results in More Questions Than answers PUEBLO, Colo. (April 17) The PbR is 16 events into the 2008 season and already Guilherme Marchi has proven he can ride any bull in any round in any city. His season average 80.85 percent is almost 18 percentage points above his career average of 63.33.

Robson Palermo and Paulo crimber are battling injuries, while Valdiron de oliveira missed the albuquerque event so that he could return home to brazil to deal with a family issue.

after winning two of the first four events and three of the first six, Travis briscoe hasnt even made the short go in the past five events with a 19th place finish in his home state of new Mexico being his best outing during that stretch of time.

In the past week, luke snyder has mentioned on more than one occasion that in spite of his win in nampa, even with Marchis less-than-perfect performance in omaha, he doesnt see anyone realistically challenging Marchi at least not in the foreseeable future.

Reese cates, on the other hand, wrote in his weekly blog that his fellow riders are like a pack wolves and that any one of a trio Kody lostroh, l.J. Jenkins and J.b. Mauney could see Marchis nagging ankle as a sign of weakness and seize the moment



TacomaMarch 15-16

Tacoma Invitational

chris shivers

56.44 86.28

J.b. Mauney on say I Wont Gun-ner, 93.25

White Magic

albuquerqueMarch 28-30

sandia Resort & casino presents the Ty Murray Invitational

l.J. Jenkins

62 87.25Ross cole-man on spit Fire, 92

avalanche/Voodoo child

nampa april 3-5nampa Invitational

luke snyder

51.7 86.33Ross coleman on Gods Gift, 91.5

charlie bullware

omahaapril 11-12

omaha classic

brian canter

66.35 84.92brian canter on Hot stuff, 92.5

nervous Waters


billingsapril 18-20

nIle Invitational presented by cooper Tires

Zack brown

55.33 84.87Helton bar-bosa on spit Fire, 91.5

Voodoo child


Kansas city March 8-9cabelas classic

Guilherme Marchi

62.5 86.88J.b. Mauney on Ricky bobby, 91.5

crooked Face/Jacobs Pet/bonafide

Portland March 14Portland Invitational

Guilherme Marchi

65 83.56Kody lostroh on Trouba-dour, 93.5

White Magic


baltimore March 1-2baltimore Invitational

Robson Palermo

49.52 85.44

Robson Palermo on booger butt, 91.5

chicken on a chain

Mark scott (c

hris shivers)

22 Season in Review

Zack brown Defeats a GhostBILLINGS, Mont. (April 20) Zack brown took home the billings event titlethree years after he was almost killed here. brown had been taken out of MetraPark arena on a stretcher in 2005, and was forced into temporary retirement.

Ive never held anything against this arena, he said. My past injuries definitely made riding at this weekends event a great story and Im glad I could ride well and pull through for every-one following it.

Marchi Wins Third event, extends lead for First World Title DES MOINES, Iowa (May 3) - Guilherme Marchis riding percentage of 80.36 this late in the season 19 of 32 built Ford Tough events are already in the record books is unmatched in the 15-year history of the PbR.

The 25-year-old brazilian covered all three of his bulls in Des Moines for his third event win of 2008, as he extended his overall lead to 2,846.75 points over Kody lostroh.

l.J. Jenkins, Valdiron de oliveira and J.b. Mauney round out the Top 5 riders in the world.

Marchi has covered 45 of 56 bulls, including one stretch in which he rode 14 straight and 22 of 23 bulls. even when that particular run of 23 outs ended in the short go at nampa, he was a mere second away from making the whistle yet again.

In that time span he registered seven Top 10 finishes, of which six were Top 5, including back-to-back event wins in Kansas city and Portland.

shivers face crushed in chuteCHICAGO (April 26) - chris shivers suffered a broken left cheekbone and broken eye socket in the short go here when the bull he was riding cowboy slammed him head-first against the metal railing inside the bucking chute.

shivers never lost consciousness, but is out indefinitely while doc-tors determine the full severity of the injury, and determine if it will require surgery.

Rank Pen Takes advantage of beat-up cowboysCHICAGO (April 27) - The 2008 built Ford Tough series has already featured 88 90-point rides 15 more than all of last season, and there are still 16 events left on the schedule and the riding averages, to this point, were higher than theyve ever been this far into the season.

That is, until this weekend.In chicago, 22 cowboys accounted for 29 rides in 105 outs for a

meager 27.6 percent riding average, which is by far the lowest of the 2008 season. In fact, until chicago, the lowest average (33.3 percent) came two weeks ago in omaha, which could well be an indication that after this weekends event in Des Moines, the riders are definitely ready for a break (of some sort).

There have been 18 bFTs events to this point in the 2008 season, and 13 times the Top 45 riders in the world have covered 40 percent or better. of the five events that havent seen that level, two have been in the past three weeks, three have come in the past five weeks and all five have been in the past eight weeks, beginning with Kansas city (37.1 percent).

crimber out, career in JeopardyORLANDO, Fla. (June 8) - Its just a tragedy.

Those were the words from a somber adriano Moraes earlier this afternoon, following the unfortunate news that fellow bra-zilian rider Paulo crimber had broken his neck for the second time this season.

crimber competed this weekend in orlando his first event in more than three months after breaking a vertebra earlier

this season at a built Ford Tough series event in st. louis but was hurt in the first round of the Git-R-Done Invitational.

The injury came just 5.4 seconds into his return when he was bucked off the right side of Roughneck onto his head, neck and shoul-der region. The injury was likely made worse when the bull stumbled into him.

It is an even worse fracture, said Moraes, who has been with crimber and his family around the clock since they returned home to Texas. It is career-threatening.

Mcbride ReturnsDALLAS (June 21) - Two-time PbR World champion Justin Mcbride has been missing in action for the first half of the 2008 built Ford Tough series, but that all will change in Dallas. Mcbride will get on a bull for the first time in a little more than seven months on saturday.

Mcbride has been out of competition due to shoulder surgery in november 2007.



chicagoapril 26-27

cooper Tires Invitational

adriano Moraes/Dustin Hall

72.38 85.63

adriano Moraes on say I Wont Gunner, 90.75

chicken on a chain

san antonio

May 17Ford best in Texas shootout

Valdiron de oliveira

73.33 88.17J.b. Mauney on Wild life, 90

Hot Pistol

orlando June 6-7

Git-R-Done Invitational hosted by Tater Porter & presented by cooper Tires

sean Will-ingham

65.38 83.5J.b. Mauney on Wild life, 90.75

chicken on a chain

Paula Crimber on Roughneck. 2008 Orlando Built Ford Tough Series PBR event.


Des Moines May 2-3Des Moines classic

Guilherme Marchi

67.31 87.25l.J. Jenkins on scaredy cat, 92

Jacobs Pet

andy W

atson (Paulo crim

ber on Roughneck); M

ark scott (Zack brow

n)

24 Season in Review

The PbR showcases the new PbR Team shootout on esPn2PUEBLO, Colo. (June 26) - The PbR will debut the 2008 PbR Team shootout, a new two-man team competition featuring the greatest bull riders in the world. The five-event original series will occur at select bull riding events across the country and will be shown exclusively on esPn2. The series marks the PbRs first bull riding broadcasts on the esPn family of networks.

The new format will showcase the top 20 bull riders in the elite built Ford Tough series world standings, and a teammate of their choice from all eligible PbR card holders. each team member will ride two bulls at each event, with the highest score on four bulls determin-ing the winning team. In these winner-take-all events, each team will compete to take home individual event purses, and all teams will be competing for points to qualify for the 2008 PbR Team shootout final event.

The team that wins the season title will take home the entire cham-pionship purse.

Mike lee Takes $100K Purse in calgaryCALGARY, Alberta (July 13) 2004 PbR World champion Mike lee claimed the $100,000 championship title at the 2008 calgary stampede held in calgary, alberta, canada. lee returns to the United states $114,583 richer.

lee joins a prestigious list of previous calgary stampede champi-ons, including oregon superstar Ross coleman, three-time PbR World champion adriano Moraes, former PbR Rookie of the year and PbR World Finals event Winner J.W. Hart, and nine-time World cham-pion and PbR co-Founder, Ty Murray.

short Go for the agesTULSA, Okla. (July 20) In a region where the bulls are traditionally tough, the Professional bull Riders tour stop this weekend featured an unusually tough final round and a compelling victory by the defending World champion.

Fans witnessed one of the best final rounds in a long time, as five riders turned in scores in the elite 90s. Mike White, a DeKalb, Texas, cowboy, who finished second overall, led the charge with an unusually

high score of 95.75 atop Troubadour, owned by Julio Moreno bucking bulls.

White said he thrived on staying in sync with the rapid-fire spinner throughout the 8-second ride.

Defending World champion Justin Mcbride, who won the title, came in second in the final with a 94.5 on Voodoo child. cord Mccoy was third with a 91.25 aboard a bull named Ricky bobby. Guilherme Marchi was fourth with a 91 on What I say, and Mike lee posted a 90.75 atop california Dreaming.

Reigning World champion bull out with illnessPUEBLO, Colo. (July 21) - chick-en on a chain, the defending World cham-pion bull, is on the sidelines.

The 2007 champion,


Mike White rides Julio Morenos

Troubadour for 95.75 points during

the championship round of the 2008 Tulsa Built Ford

Tough event.


Tulsa July 18-20

express clas-sic presented by creek na-tion casino

Justin Mcbride

60.53 87.13Mike White on Trouba-dour, 95.75

Troubadour


DallasJune 21-22

Dickies american Worker of the year Invitational presented by Pike electric

Mike lee 66.06 86.67brendon clark on Gnash, 92

Grey Dog

andy W

atson (Mike lee on T

roubadour)

26 Season in Review

owned by Jeff Robinson, Mike Tedesco and larry the cable Guy, is being treated at the north carolina-based Mills River animal Hospital for urolithiasis the forming of stones in the kidney, bladder and/or urinary tract.

The dark brown bull began showing signs of severe abdominal discomfort, dehydration, weight loss and high fever soon after being featured in the June 20 final round of the built Ford Tough series tour stop in Tulsa, okla.

shortly after the Tulsa show, Robinson transported his prize bull to the veterinary medicine clinic, where chicken on a chains kidney stones were removed. He is continuing to receive treatment for dehy-dration and infection.

canter Hurt in shootoutPASO ROBLES, Calif. (August 5) brian canter was injured sun-day evening in the fourth and final round of the PbR Team shootout in Paso Robles, calif.

canter, who scored an 88.5 on Hummer, was dismounting when he went off the backside and was kicked in the back of head. The impact left a 6 to 7-inch gash on the back of his head, and the impact with the ground broke his jaw.

bernard among Times Top sports execs PUEBLO, Colo. (August 7) - Professional bull Riders ceo Randy bernard has landed in the Top 10 of Time magazines Top sports executives of 2008.

The list of 35 was compiled by Times editorial staff. [bernard] built a barnstorming bull-riding circuit into a $100-million brand with mainstream sponsors, says Time.

at present, bernard holds the no. 10 spot with an average rating of 55, topping such fellow notables as nba commissioner David stern and Mlb chief bud selig.

Mcbride Tops $5 millionGRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (September 12) Justin Mcbride became the first cowboy to ever win $5 million in career earnings this week-end. This makes him not only the PbR all-time money earner, but the richest cowboy in history. I never thought I would win $5 million, Mcbride said, and I owe it all to the PbR.

Mcbride entered the U.s. border Patrol Invitational presented by cooper Tires in Grand Rapids just $1,200 shy of $5 million. He rode baby blue to claim $15,000 in prize money, surpassing the milestone.

This is one of the greatest things to happen to the PbR, Randy bernard, PbR ceo, commented. Great cowboys like larry Mahan, Jim shoulders, and Ty Murray never had the chance to ride for this money. one guy took advantage of that opportunity to reach this mile-stone and I hope more will follow.

Jenkins, Meier claim shootout Title PUEBLO, Colo. (September 22) a pair of cousins l.J. Jenkins and austin Meier teamed up to win the first-ever PbR Team shootout.

The PbR Team shootout is a concept that both the riders and the PbR are excited about.

our job with the PbR is to continue to try and do things that are innovative for the sport, Ty Murray said.

event winners: Valdiron de oliveira and Pim Rosa (Del Mar, ca-lif.); Kody lostroh and Matt austin (Paso Robles, calif.); Dustin el-liott and Wesley silcox (Molalla, ore.); Mike lee and Wiley Petersen (Guthrie, okla.). In the end, l.J. Jenkins and austin Meier (Pueblo, colo.) won the first ever PbR Team shootout title.

Marchi ends slumpOAKLAND, Calif. (September 30, 2008) - Just when it looked like Guilherme Marchi might fall into a lengthy slump and watch other contenders move within striking distance, he popped up and won the out of the chute Invitational in oakland.

Marchi had failed to qualify for the final round during the past two of three tour stops in Glendale, ariz., Grand Rapids, Mich, and Jack-sonville, Fla. and it looked like J.b. Mauney, who won the titles in both Grand Rapids and Jacksonville, might make a run at him.

When the final round was in session in oakland, Valdiron de oliveira, who ranks second in the world title race, took the lead for the title after turning in a score of 91. but Marchi fended off oliveiras come-from-behind tactics by countering with a final round score of 91 atop the notorious copperhead slinger.


cincinnati oct. 3-4U.s. air Force Invitational

Renato nunes

60.95 86.06Renato nunes on nasty Mike, 91.75

spit Fire

columbus oct. 10-11Rocky boots Invitational

Zack brown

64.42 86.11

Justin Mcbride on bad action, 91.75

bones/showtime

Uncasville oct. 17-19Mohegan sun Invitational

Kody lostroh

51.63 85.4

Guilherme Marchi on bowtechs I-94, 89.5

Whiplash


Grand Rapids

sept. 12-13

U.s. border Patrol Invitational presented by cooper Tires

J.b. Mauney

66.97 85.4

J.b. Mauney on crosswired, 93

say I Wont Gunner/Ricky bobby


Jacksonvillesept. 19-20

built Ford Tough shootout

J.b. Mauney

52.42 94.76Dustin elliott on Red bull, 90.5

bones

oaklandsept. 26-27

out of the chute Invita-tional

Guilherme Marchi

60.36 86.23Valdiron de oliveira on bad blood, 91

all In


edmonton July 24-26

Montana Tractors Invitational/Rocky cup presented by Dickies

Guilherme Marchi

66.35 85.35Mike White on 7 seconds, 91.75

say I Wont Gunner

Glendale aug. 1-2

built Ford Tough Invitational presented by cooper Tires

clayton Williams

63.81 85.64

l.J. Jenkins on southern Gangster, 90.25

Gnash

nashvilleaug. 29-30

Jack Daniels Invitational

Justin Mcbride

71.96 86.66Justin Mcbride on billionaire, 93

bones

Austin Meier L.J. Jenkins

Mar

k sc

ott (

l.J.

Jenk

ins,

aus

tin M

eier

)

27Season in Review

andy W

atson

JUsTIn McbRIDe:

Game overTWo-TIMe WoRlD cHaM-PIon JUsTIn McbRIDe Has DecIDeD To call IT a caReeR.

In a telephone press conference on Tues-day, oct. 21 in las Vegas, the record-setting bull rider announced that the next time he returned to sin city it would be to ride for the last time. The 2008 built Ford Tough World Finals will Mcbrides finale.

I think Ive known I wanted to retire since last year after I rode camo at the PbR World Finals, but I also knew I would have to sit out for seven months with my shoulder surgery, confided Mcbride. I decided to wait to see if I had the urge to come back and keep riding. now that I have ridden again this season I can say its time. I dont want to keep riding anymore.

after winning last years world title

the second of his career Mcbride sat out the first seven months of the 2008 built Ford Tough series. competing in just seven regular-season events, the oklahoma cowboy won two event titles Tulsa and nashville and easily qualified for the PbR World Finals.

Hes going out when he can still ride every single bull in the world, said longtime friend and fellow competitor brendon clark, and ride the rankest bulls in the world. There will be no doubt in his mind that the day he says he doesnt want to do it anymore, which will be the last round of the Finals, that he could come back at any time and still be able to do it. but he wants to quit while hes still the best, and thats the big thing, I think. Its the same reason Ty Murray retired.

Justin is someone who stood out as a rookie because he had a ton of talent, and

he had a lot of heart too, nine-time World champion Ty Murray said. Hes the kind of guy I wanted to put my [gear] bag next to in the locker room because he didnt whine or make excuses. He did things the cowboy way being tough and laying it on the line each time. you hate to see those guys leave the sport. now hes going out when hes still at his best. Its the perfect cap to a great career.

Mcbrides retirement comes as a shock to many fans and fellow competitors, but some of the men who rode alongside him saw it coming.

It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that was going to happen, said clark. Ive known for a long, long time now that that was going to happen. It was just something that he discussed with all his buddies.

added Mike White, Most of the guys knew. Its not surprising to me.

28

one of the most decorated bull riders in PbR history, the defending World champ recently crossed the $5 million mark in career earnings in september, making him the richest cowboy in history.

In his 10-year career, Mcbride has set an extensive list of records, including 32 career event wins; the most money earned in a single season ($1,835,321); and eight single season event wins, among many others.

Hes not the kind of person to say Im retiring and then come back in six months because everyone thinks he can, clark said. When he says hes finished, hes finished,

because thats the way Justin Mcbride is. He doesnt do anything haphazardly. Hes definitely not going to change his mind.

clark continued, He knew he wanted to quit and this was the time, so I know you wont see Justin Mcbride get on another bull again after the eighth round of the PbR World Finals.

I have done what I want-ed to do win a PbR World Title, declared Mcbride. now I am in a position to go out while Im healthy and still riding well. I mean you can get hurt crossing the street but there are more risks involved with bull riding. now that I have a family and a child to think about, I want to be able to retire and enjoy my life with them and not be a crippled bull rider.

Mcbride plans to spend his retirement at his ranch near elk city, okla. raising bucking bulls and beef cattle. additionally, he will work on his music and possible broadcasting careers, as well as sponsor-relations activities.

Mcbride could have gone on to win another gold buckle, maybe even two. He could have set more records and racked up even more 90-point scores. but he is done and ready to move on. The curtain will close on november 9. There will be no encore. A 12-year-old Reese Cates meets his hero, Justin McBride

in 2001. Seven years later, Cates and a new generation must pick up where McBride leaves off.

Gin

a c

ates

(Mcb

ride a

nd R

eese

cat

es);

and

y W

atso

n (M

cbrid

e cha

mp)

Justin McBride wins his second PBR World Championship in 2007.

Michael Gaffney: Im happy for him, but disappointed for the sport. To not have him actively riding is a drag for our fans and, quite frankly, those guys in the locker room. but Im really happy for him and his family because of the danger thats involved in this business, and hes a guy that never says die.

J.b. Mauney: I mean, you gotta hand it to him. Hes going out on top and hes still riding good. Hes a really good friend of mine and hes always good to have around the bull ridings, because you cant act like a sissy when hes around. He kind of stays on your butt about being a cowboy, and now he wont be there to do that.

Kody lostroh: Hes definitely made his mark in the world of bull riding. I know he still really likes riding bulls, but hes got a family going now too, so his priorities have changed a little bit. Its good that hes getting to quit on top of his game and not hanging around so long that the sport makes him leave.

l.J. Jenkins: Holy cow I would have never thought that he would do that. I figured with adriano being a three-time World champ, that hed want to do the same. Weve all seen he can do that any day, and thats kind of what I was figuring.

Mike White: I look at it from a family perspective... Justins made a really good living in a short period of time and hes got a family. He wants to retire and enjoy life with his family.

chris shivers: I think thats a great decision. bull riding is something that if you have experienced it youll know enough is enough. Whenever you feel like your dreams are fulfilled and then you dont really want to do it anymore, then its not worth getting hurt over.

sean Willingham: Hes that good that he can retire at a young age because hes won so much already. I guess hes going to pursue his country music and go from there. Im dang sure going to just miss him as a friend. Its go-

ing to be different, and were not going to get to compete against one of the best bull riders of all time.

Reese cates: With adriano and Justin Mcbride retiring the same year as my rookie season thats crazy. Its something that Ill always remember, that I came on tour and I got to ride against the legends for one year before theyre gone. Im just glad I got to come along this year instead of next year. Im hon-ored to be at their level and I wish Mcbride would be hanging around a little bit longer so I could have the chance to compete against him some more.

Dustin elliott: Hes hit $5 million, hes won two world titles, hes rich and he doesnt have to worry about money why not? Hes 29 years old and hes got enough money, so why not save your health? Hes accomplished everything there is to accomplish in bull rid-ing, so what else is there other than save your health and raise your family?

rider reactions:

29Justin McBride Retires

eaRlIeR THIs yeaR THe PbR UnVeIleD ITs neWesT InVesToRs TWo oF THe sPoRTInG WoRlDs MosT RenoWneD aTHleTes.

national Football league (nFl) Hall of Famer John elway and national Hockey league (nHl) Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky are two of the PbRs newest shareholders through spire capital Partners, l.P., the PbRs partner and private equity firm.

Randy bernard, PbR ceo, shared his excitement, The PbR is extremely proud to have these two incredible athletes associated with our organization. This is another way the PbR can become more visible in the world of mainstream sports.

elway, who quarterbacked the Denver broncos, is still revered as being one of the best signal-callers of all time. He holds many records, including 148 games won as a starting quarterback, as well as holding the record of being a 5-time super bowl starting quarterback.

To be associated with a group of people like the Profes-sional bull Riders, and my good friend Wayne Gretzky, is a win-win situation for me, elway said. I really look forward

to being involved with this great group and sharing in our suc-cesses together.

Gretzky, widely considered the greatest player in the history of the national Hockey league, still remains the most statistically dominant player in the history of north american team sports.

He captured 61 nHl scoring records during his 20-year career, and continues to hold or share these records. The Great one also won four stanley cups, as well as many inter-national competitions. Following his final nHl game on april 18, 1999, Gretzky became the first and only player in nHl history to have his jersey number retired by all member clubs.

coming on board with the Professional bull Riders is an exciting and unique opportunity, said Gretzky. Their success as an entertainment vehicle has been well documented, and to be a part of such a well-respected and up-and-coming venture is thrilling.

spire capital Partners completed its partnership with PbR in april 2007. spire capital Partners, l.P., is now the majority investor of PbR, the leading, global professional bull riding organization. -KRc

GReTZKy, elWayc o w b o y u p

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, part-owner of the PBR, jokes with The Voice of the PBR Justin McKee

30 Inside the PBR

WITH $1 MIllIon on THe lIne, eVeRy coWboy WHo QUalIFIeD FoR THe 2008 coPenHaGen bUll RIDInG cHallenGeR ToUR cHaMPIonsHIP knew the competition was going to be extraordinarily tough. The athletes

who came to oklahoma city ranged from green rookies to World cham-pions with multiple titles, but all were intent on one thing winning.

Fresh in everyones mind was the story of clayton Williams, the Texas man who made it out of the 2007 challenger qualifying

rounds to win the challenger Tour championship event. Williams went on to compete at the 2007 PbR World

Finals in las Vegas and was crowned the PbRs Daisy Rookie of the year.

Despite Williams impressive performance in 2007, no one was expecting another fairytale ending from him. I really dont think anyone expected me to win. I wasnt even sure how I was going to do

going into the event, said Williams. The carthage, Texas cowboy injured his elbow early in the 2008 sea-

son and wasnt even sure he would be able to compete. but Williams decided he would try to defend his

title. by the championship round on sunday evening, it still wasnt clear who might be going home with the biggest piece

of the record-setting million-dollar purse. eight men had already covered two bulls, and the short-go pen was tough. The championship

round was made up of men with some serious credentials and a lot of experience, including J.b. Mauney (reigning 2007 challenger Tour cham-

pion), Jared Farley, Guilherme Marchi, l.J. Jenkins, brian canter, Kasey Hayes, Kody lostroh, Josh Koschel, chad Denton, sean Willingham, Paulo crimber, Robson Palermo and Williams.

Williams had already covered his first two bulls and was thrilled to get evil Forces in the short go.

Despite not winning a round, Williams was the only cowboy who despite his injury was able to finish the job by covering all three of his bulls. oklahoma city now stands out for two big highlights of my career so far, said a joyful Wil-liams after his victory.

Williams successfully defended his event title, won $525,000 for first, and had enough challenger money to lay claim to the pres-tigious title of challenger Tour champion. -sb

MaKes IT a TWo-FeR on THe Challenger Tour

andy W

atson (clayton W

illiams w

ith challenger buckle); M

ark scott (clayton chap shot)

Clayton Williams wins the Copenhagen Bull Riding Challenger Tour Championship.

WIllIaMs

32 Inside the PBR

aMeRIcan bUcKInG bUll Inc. (abbI) Is a sIsTeR oRGanIZaTIon To THe PbR. started five years ago, the abbIs focus is on bucking bull Dna registration (to track bloodlines of bucking cattle) and to hold high-dollar competitive events for 2, 3 and 4-year-old bucking bulls.

Just as the PbR crowns a cham-pion each year, so does the abbI. The winning classic bull will earn a purse of $250,000 in las Vegas this year, while the champion Futurity bull will take home $100,000.

Just like the bull riders, the abbI classic (3 and 4-year-old) bulls and Futurity (2-year-old) bulls have been competing all season long to earn a spot in las Vegas.

The top classic bulls will buck against the Top 45 cowboys in the world at Thomas & Mack during the fourth round of the PbR World Finals on nov. 6. The qualifying round for the classic bulls is on nov. 5 at 1 p.m. at Thomas & Mack.

Futurity bulls buck on nov. 3 (long round, 1 p.m.) and nov. 4 (championship round, 9 a.m.) at Thomas & Mack. The 2-year-old bulls buck with a dummy on their backs for 6 seconds. all Futurity events are free and open to the public.

on nov. 5 at 3 p.m. at the south Point Hotel, the abbI will hold its annual sale. Televised around the country, this will feature some of the most exclusive bloodlines in the industry. It is open to the public and will be fantastic for fans interested in the industry and for stock

contractors looking to add more top-notch genetics to their programs.Many of the top bucking bulls in the PbR start their careers in the

abbI. Troubadour, contender for 2008 PbR World champion bull, was the 2007 abbI classic champion. Versus blackout (formerly known as stray Kitty) was the 2004 abbI Futurity champion and 2005 abbI classic champion. Many abbI classic bulls are so talented that they have already bucked in the championship round of built Ford Tough series events this season. some were selected as members of the prestigious PbR bull Team challenge.

The abbI started the United states bucking bull association (Usbba) for fans of the bulls and the bucking bull industry. The bull Pen magazine, recently featured on esPn.com and sent to every Usbba member, is the leading bucking bull industry publication in the world. Visit americanbuckingbull.com or bullpenmagazine.com to learn more and to get involved with the bucking bull industry. -sb

Matt brennem

an

Just as the PbR crowns a champion each year,

so does the abbI.

I T s I n T H e

blooD

Julio Moreno (second from left) accepts his check for Troubadours win after round 3 of the 2007 PBR World Finals.

34 Inside the PBR

R anDy beRnaRD, THe PRo-FessIonal bUll RIDeRs chief executive officer, remembers when the thought of a cowboy earning $1 million in one season seemed far-fetched.

I remember sitting in a board of directors meeting around 1996 or 1997 and Jerome Davis asked me: Do you think that well ever see a cowboy make $1 million in a year? said bernard, adding that he advised Davis that he would resign if the goal wasnt achieved in the near future.

The PbR began awarding a $1 million bonus to its World champion in 2003, and the biggest beneficiary of that coveted seven-figure prize has been Justin Mcbride of elk city, okla., who snared world titles in 2005 and 2007.

The two $1 million checks helped push Mcbrides career earnings to over $5 million, by far more than any competitor has ever earned in any type of professional rodeo or bull riding association.

after winning the aug. 29-30 bFTs tour stop in nashville, Tenn., Mcbride was just $1,200 shy of crossing the $5 million mark. When Mcbride earned $41,518 at the nashville show, that pushed the 10-year pros earnings to $4,998,799.54. by the end of the first round of Grand Rapids, Mcbride was the 5 million dollar man.

It was always a goal of ours to see a bull rider earn $1 million and its been a dream of ours to see them go on and win $5 million, bernard said. I hope Justin can win $10 mil-lion, and the way that hes riding, he can win $10 million in our organization. but I also want to make sure that we see more $1 million and $5 million bull riders in our organization every year.

Its exciting and its the best thing that can happen to our sport right now.

by comparison, the top money winner in the Professional Rodeo cowboys association is Joe beaver of Huntsville, who has earned more than $2.9 million in calf roping, steer roping and team roping.

beaver, 42, has been competing in the PRca since 1985. Mcbride, 29, has been competing in the PbR since 1999.

The PbR was founded in 1992 by bull riders who had lofty goals of offering top com-petitors much more prize money than they were earning on the pro rodeo circuits. The PbR conducted its first season two years later and has thrived on matching all-star cowboys against the toughest bulls around with big prizes at stake.

Though Mcbrides success is a clear testi-mony of how PbR organizers have achieved their goals, bernard says that the PbR isnt content.

Were very excited about it, bernard said of Mcbrides success. but we have to have many. I dont think that we should celebrate until we can see, 10 or 12 or 15 cowboys in that area. but at the same time, its a great step and were very proud that Justin is the first one because of the great cowboy athlete that he is.

cody lambert, a PbR founding father and the associations longtime livestock direc-tor who was one of the top PRca competi-tors in the late 1980s and early 1990s, said Mcbrides earnings show just how far the PbR has advanced during the past 15 seasons.

When I was up there in rodeo in the bull riding and all-around races, I would win about $100,000 in a year, lambert said. but Justin earned almost $100,000 at just four built Ford Tough series events this year.

lambert said Mcbrides earnings of almost $5 million was the kind of success that the PbR founders hoped for.

We didnt know how far we could take it and here we are 15 years later and we still dont know how far we can take it, lambert said. but we do know what were going to try to do. -KRc

andy W

atson

Justin McBride (fifth from right) breaks the $5,000,000 mark during

the first round of the 2008 Grand Rapids Built Ford Tough Series.

McbRIDe becoMes Richest cowboy

in histoRy

36 Inside the PBR

a: oh, theyre very grateful. If youre at a bar you dont have to buy a beer. of course, we dont ask em to do anything for us because thats our job. our love in life is doing our job or we wouldnt be there. Theyre dang sure grateful, and theyd take really good care of us if wed let em, but we try to hold our own. Were all in it because everybodys trying to survive. The camaraderie around the bull rid-ing is second to none.

Q: speaking of Guilherme, everyone seems to think its a foregone conclusion that he will win the world title, unless, of course, he gets hurt. That said, do the Dickies Durabullfighters feel that much more pressure to get him out of the way after he rides?

a: no, not at all not at all. every one of them guys is a human and theyre our friends, and I could give a dang less about a world title. I want to make sure every one of em walks out of the arena, and if they dont, then you feel like you hadnt done your job, but some of the wrecks you

cant help. but nobody gets special treatment. I mean, everybody gets the same and every one of us will give our all for one of the guys that are nodding their head that night.

Q: Its a tough job mentally and physically to be a bull-fighter and youve obviously established yourself as one of the best bullfighters ever. so how much longer do you want to keep doing this?

a: I dont know. If it ended tomorrow I could look back and be completely happy with what Ive done, but at the same time Im going to do it until I feel like Im not doing as good as I expect I could be or should be. When I feel like that myselfand you never know, an injury could take you out tomorrow - but until I feel like I cant do my job the way it needs to be done Ill stay in that arena. When that day comes, I have no idea. -KRc

Question: We know what you do in the arena, but what do you do when youre not in the arena?

answer: outside the arena Im usually at home on the ranch hunting with some dogs. We got quite a few hound dogs and I enjoy hunting with them and spend-ing as much time as I can with my family.

Q: What made you become a bullfighter?

a: When I was 5 years old, my idol at the time [Wes birch] I was scared of heights and Ill never forget it we were on the top of a Ferris wheel and they stopped

it, and he told me he was mov-ing from california to Texas to become a bullfighter. I was devastated that I was going to lose him, so I told him I wanted to be a bullfighter and Id go with him ever since that day thats all I ever wanted to do.

Q: at what point do you realize a ride is going bad, a wreck is about to happen and that youre going to have to step in there and take a hit?

a: Well, I guess you have to have a good attitude in that the wreck isnt as bad as it could be until its all over. you can read where theyre going to land just by watching their upper body. Most of them bulls you get to know a little bit know their habits and you have a pretty good idea before they ever even nod their head theres a pretty good chance for a wreck. you cant look for a way out of the wreck until youre in the middle of it, cause if youre looking for a way out before youre in it, then youre not going to get in it. you get in the middle of it and then figure out how youre going to escape it. sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt.

Q: In football, MVP quarterbacks often take care of their offensive linemen by taking them out to dinner and making sure they buy them nice christmas presents for protecting them. How about the cowboys? Do they take care of the bullfighters?

Seth Shorty Gorham, shown here making a save in Vegas last year, is working his third PBR World Finals.

andy W

atson (shorty Gorham

saving Tyler Pankew

itz) (Gorham

saving steven shelley); Matt brennem

an (shorty Gorham

candid)

6sH RTyS I X W I T HGorham on the bullfighting life

38 Inside the PBR

RB

Must be 18 years or older

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OCTOBER 31NOVEMBER 9

Featuring his hitShow Them to Me

The blogs gave the PbRs ever-growing fan base interested newcomers and savvy longtime observers alike an insiders perspec-tive from the likes of veteran Mike White and newcomer Reese cates as well as funnyman Flint Rasmussen and longtime commentator Justin McKee.

Rasmussen, an award-winning barrel man, has been a popular fixture on the dirt at every built Ford Tough series event for nine-plus years, and offered his weekly insight into the way things really work on the built Ford Tough series.

McKee, the Voice of the PbR, provided a regular journal that gave readers a behind-the-scenes look at all the Versus broadcasts along with his expert insight regarding the new bull team competition.

White, on the other hand, the 1999 PbR Rookie of the year, who has qualified for the World Finals every season hes competed on the bFTs, provided an honest and forthright recollection of the trials and tribulations from the point of view of a cagey veteran bull rider as the 2008 season unfolded.

but it was the wit and candor with which 19-year-old cates shared the ups and downs of being a wide-eyed rookie that captured the hearts and imaginations of bull riding fans from around the world. The arkansas na-tive shared the joy and frus-tration of competing against the best in the world bulls and riders alike and even took readers along for a wild and wooly trip to canada.

Weekly blogs werent the only new addi-tion to www.pbrnow.com.

The site also became the premiere location on the World Wide Web for daily Web fea-tures, the latest injury updates and all the news

and notes from inside the Toughest sport on Dirt.

The PbRs dedication to providing expanded coverage of bull riding also led to an enhanced video player offering the top rides and rankest wrecks of the of year. -KRc

Matt brennem

an (Justin Mckee), JT

sumner (M

ike White) (R

eese cates); a

ndy Watson (Flint R

asmussen)

Major Improvements@ pbrnow.com

extra! extra! Read all about it!

Justin McKee (above), Mike White (left) and Flint

Rasmussen (below) are regular contributors to the

PBRs blog.

Screenshot of PBRs blogs. www.pbrnow.com/blog.

T He 2008 season was documented by the insights of fan favorites and bull riding experts at www.pbrnow.com/blog.

19-year-old Reese Cates captured the hearts and imaginations of bull riding fans around the world with his blog posted on PBRs web site.

beGInnInG ocT. 31, you wont have to wait for the weekend to watch the Toughest sport on Dirt. PbR.TV, a new broadband network, will allow fans to watch

hours of high-quality footage online. Tune in for highlight action from previous events. Watch behind-the scenes interviews with your favorite riders. listen in to podcasts from

Ty Murray and cody lambert. Watch Flint Rasmussens outside the barrel show. Its all there, its all-new, and its all free. Visit PbR.TV today.

PbR.TV: all the video thats fit to watch

40 Inside the PBR

2008 PBR World Finals - Part 1

Documents

Transcript of 2008 PBR World Finals - Part 1