Total Bull
It’s the top cowboys vs. top bulls at the Cheeseburger Island Style PBR Hawaii All Star Challenge at the Blaisdell this weekend, and it’s guaranteed to get down and dirty
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Adriano Moraes sticks it on Here’s Your Sign for 93 points
and second place in the average, worth $135,000 and an
unprecedented third world title
a problem. His wife, Kylie, and 3-year-old son Brand, have gotten used to it.
“She’s pretty content. It don’t really bother her much. She knows the deal.”
The Professional Bullriding Association promises two-anda-half hours of fun and excitement that combine bullriding with Hollywood-style flair. And that’s not all. The guys will take part in a meet and greet at Schofield Barracks, Pearl Harbor and Cheeseburger Island Style in Waikiki, and an after party with Barefoot Natives, Willie K and Eric Gilliom, and a promotional event at the Dwight Yoakam concert Thursday (Nov. 16) at the Waikiki Shell.
Americans are becoming bullish over the sport, pun intended. According to PBR, live and televised viewership has increased from 33 million in 1998 to more than 104 million in 2004. One of the ways they have achieved this growth was to develop the sport in nontraditional locations such as Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Shoot, even big time stars like Jewel, Bernie Taupin and blue-collar tour comedians Ron White and Larry Engvall have put their money into bulls.
The bulls in the PBR are much like thoroughbred racehorses. They are selectively bred to exhibit the traits necessary to make them prime competitors. You don’t just take any old Jersey heifer from the field and make a champion out of him. And contrary to popular rumors, bull-riding does not hurt the animals. No rope is connected to the animal’s genitals, the flank rope is not imbedded with sharp objects, and the spurs riders wear are dulled and cannot pierce the animal’s skin. According to the PBR website, these types of things would actually hinder the bull’s performance, something that no one wants.
Not to mention it wouldn’t make financial sense. A basic bull will run you about $10,000. The top bulls go for even more. The owner of Little Yellow Jacket, voted best bull of the 2001 Built Ford Tough Series World Championships, turned down a $100,000 offer for his bull, and not so long ago a trucking mogul paid $500,000 and a Peterbuilt truck for half interest in the aptly named Big Bucks.
So, is bullriding something local folks will get into?
Shivers thinks you will. “Oh shoot, they’ll really enjoy it because it’s two-and-a-half hours of nonstop rough action.
It’s guys putting it all on the line each and every time to win first, and the bulls don’t take it easy on the guys, and sometime the guys don’t take it easy on the bulls.
“It’s a rough sport. Rough, danger and fear all put together - and I’ll tell you what, it’s an exciting thing for the fans.”
Though the bull will have something to say about it, Shivers is not too concerned about his co-star.
“Whatever he wants to talk about is just fine with me.”
Tickets for the Cheeseburger Island Style PBR Hawaii All Star Challenge start at $20 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-877-750-440 or at ticketmaster.com, at Times Supermarkets or by phone at the Blaisdell Center at 591-2211.
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