The next time someone says that 8 seconds isn’t a long time, let them try riding a bull. This is my second time covering a professional bull riding competition and what I’ve realized is that 8 seconds is an eternity when you’re on the back of an angry bull. Bucking bulls snarling, snot and dirt flying every where; I mean who wouldn’t want to photograph this? And the best part for me is that I had an up close view of it all.
When you think of a professional bull riding competition you think of huge belt buckles and even bigger hats. Parking lots full of raised trucks with country music blaring and you know what, you would be right, but the thing is the main characters of a professional bull riding competition aren’t the bulls; it’s the bull riders. These guys either have balls of steel or are just plain crazy. Perhaps a mix of both.
Being a sports photographer I’ve seen my share of injuries, but I’ve never winced as much behind my camera as I do with bull riding. I witnessed thousand pound, angry animals stomping on the riders after they’ve been bucked off or even chasing them down. On the first day of the event a bull threw a rider into the first row of the stands. I saw dislocated elbows, bulls putting their entire weight on riders and guys who had concussions from being thrown so hard onto the ground.
And as crazy as it sounds to ride an angry bull, it is so much fun to photograph and even better to watch. These riders are some amazing athletes and you’re guaranteed a great time. You’ll be Oohing an Aahing the entire time. I can’t wait to go back next year to photograph bull riding again.
Check out my gallery with more photos from the 2025 PBR event
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