Published: May 16, 2008 06:53 pm            

BRETT HOFFMAN: PBR is scoring big

The Professional Bull Riders scheduled a show in Palestine on May 17, and anytime that I hear that the PBR is in the area, it brings back lots of memories of covering the association over the years.

Even when the PBR was in its beginning stages, I sensed that I was writing about the start of something big. When the PBR conducted its inaugural World Finals in Las Vegas in 1994 and the total purse was only $275,000 (the purse at the 2007 World Finals was $3.2 million), it was obvious that they had the right sports business model.

That first year, the PBR had the world’s top bull riders at the MGM Grand Hotel for a two-day finals (it’s now seven days). They also had a TV contract with The Nashville Network and they were paying their star competitors very well.

Those fundamental elements are still in place and growing. Today, it’s networks such as Versus, NBC and Fox that are handling the broadcasting and making bull riding a sport that both fans and the media can easily follow. No other western sports association broadcasts its top regular-season shows on a continual basis and posts the world standings on national TV immediately after the performance.

“We are a sport that’s followable on television,” said seven-time world all-around champion Ty Murray, a PBR founding father. “Rodeo is the same on television as it is in person. It’s a show that you watch. But ours is a followable sport that’s live that you can tune in and follow it every week.”

The PBR World Champion now receives a $1 million bonus and also has great opportunities to earn prize money during the regular season. That helped 2007 world champion JustinMcBride finish the year with more than $1.8 million, a record for any western sports organization.

A more recent example of big prize money is Clayton Williams earning $525,000 after winning the Copenhagen Challenger Tour Championship title in Oklahoma City in February. He also won the same show in 2007 and earned $215,000. So, Williams pocketed $740,000 for winning two weekend bull ridings.

The Palestine show is called the Boston Porter Memorial and it is classified as a Discovery Tour event, which is a lower level tier tour. But it will help competitors qualify for the 2008 PBR World Finals in November in Las Vegas. It also can help competitors earn a spot on the 45-man Ford Series. It was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. on May 17 at the Anderson County Youth Livestock Arena. For ticket information, call 713-906-3263.

The PBR also has scheduled Built Ford Tough Series tour stops in San Antonio on May 17 and in Dallas on June 21-22. For more information, visit www.pbrnow.com.

Brazile on the move

Trevor Brazile, the defending world all-around champion from Decatur, finished in the money at three Texas rodeos last weekend and took the lead in PRCA standings.

After earning $8,424 in Bridgeport, Beaumont and Conroe, Brazile leads Josh Peek by $2,397, $75,101 to $72,704.

The main reason Peek had an early-season lead was a result of winning a $50,000 bonus for winning the tie-down roping title at RodeoHouston in March.

But Brazile rallied by consistently winning an abundance of smaller checks. At the Bridgeport rodeo, Brazile pocketed $3,496 after placing in all three steer roping rounds and winning the title.

Briefly

• Mary Burger, the 2006 world barrel racing champion, set an arena record of 15.61 seconds at the Mesquite Championship Rodeo on May 10.

The Oklahoma cowgirl also held the previous record (15.62) at the Resistol Arena.

• Nine-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Stran Smith of Childress, five-time world tie-down roping champion Cody Ohl and former NFR qualifiers Houston Hutto and Josh Peek are scheduled to compete in the featured match roping May 24 at the Windy Ryon Memorial Roping in Fort Worth. The 35th edition scheduled for May 23-25. For more information, visit www.windyryon.com.

Brett Hoffman is a 20-year rodeo columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. He can be reached at brett@myrodeoinsider.com.

        

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