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Once just a part of rodeo's around the world, bull riding has become a pro sport and for the last decade has shown incredible growth.

The main reason for this is most likely because bull riding is the most exciting, unpredictable, and dangerous of all rodeo events. In fact there is a saying in bull riding that most participants agree is true. "It's not if you get hurt, it's when."

The rules of bull riding are not that complicated. Just wrap one hand real tight in the reins, don't touch the bull at any time with the other hand, and hang on to that 2000 pounds of really angry bull for just 8 seconds without getting thrown off and trampled to death.

Fans of rodeo find the concept very exciting.

Well actually, it's a bit more complicated than first meets the eye.

First of all there are two judges. They both score the performance of the rider and the bull. The meaner and tougher the bull, the higher his score. So a perfect ride would be 100 points if both bull and rider give a perfect performance. A score in the 90's is considered exceptional, with only a single 100 point score ever recorded.

The reins are actually a bull-rope that is very thickly braided. At the end there is a cowbell attached. The bell acts as a weight so the rope falls safely from the bull once released. The rope goes around the bull, with the remainder wrapped tightly around the cowboys hand. Rosin(a sticky substance) is used to increase the grip on the rope.

The main goal of the bull rider is to just last that 8 seconds without his free hand touching the bull and without being thrown to the ground before the 8 second time limit.

Mental and physical preparation are both necessary to a bull rider. As is physical conditioning and courage.

The sport exploded into prominence with the birth of the PBR-The Professional Bull Riders tour in the early 1990's. The belief was that bull riding could stand on it's own from the rest of rodeo and a group of 20 riders broke away and formed the PBR. The original investment was $1000 for each of the 20 bull riders and today, over 800 bull riders from around the world hold memberships.

Big name sponsors backed the PBR and that was one of the main catalysts for the incredible growth of bull riding as a spectator event. Sponsors like, Ford, Bud Light, Wrangler, Jack Daniel's and the city of Las Vegas were instrumental in bringing the sport into the limelight, and in just ten years prize money has reached almost ten million dollars.

It wasn't long before major television jumped on board and literally brought bull riding into the living rooms of America.

Bull riding is a sport that had it's roots firmly in American culture and the PBR has turned it into a captivating, on-the-edge sporting event.

The entertainment level is so compelling that often bull riders perform in front of sold out crowds, including an event in Georgia that took place in front of almost 35,000 spectators.

There's little doubt that bull riding is the fastest growing professional sport as it looks like the PBR will enjoy even more growth in the second ten years of it's existence.

Learn more about this author, Ray Fauteux.
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