Behind the Bull: A Night With A Professional Bull Rider (PHOTOS)
Put on your boots, buckle that belt, and prepare to be amazed.
Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
The goal? Work only eight seconds a day.
In the world of professional bull riding, riders have a minimum of eight seconds to cling to bucking beasts to move on in the ranks, and to get paid potentially big bucks. Justin Patton, 23, has been riding professionally for 2 years, but is only a week into his first tour with the Professional Bull Riders 2016 Tour. The Nero, Australian native grew up on a ranch, and his father and older brother were bull riders as well. While Patton says Bull Riding is getting more popular in Australia, the United States brings bigger, more regular crowds.
Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
A bull peers behind his holding cage prior to the event. Tonight, Patton has been paired with the bull Slick Rick, whom he’s ridden before but says it was “unsuccessful.”
Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
As a pre-party raged on in the Madison Square Garden theater, Justin Patton stretched in a quiet spot behind the main stage. Patton says he doesn’t have any pre-show rituals or superstitions, just likes to stretch and gather his thoughts.
Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
Patton stretches in his spurs before he takes the main stage. He explained that the tape on his wrist is precautionary and not from an injury.
Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
Madison Square Garden was nearly packed to its eighteen thousand plus capacity during the The 2016 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series. Justin Patton has toured in the Untied States as a Bull Rider before, but this is his first time in New York City.
Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
Out of the gate, Justin Patton and Slick Rick battle it out.
Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
Unfortunately Slick Rick defeated Patton once again, throwing him off in the first round of the event. Patton has two more nights of the New York event to win it back, and 8 more months of this riding season.
Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
Justin Patton looks up at the replay of his ride and heads back to the locker room.
Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
Thousands of New Yorkers, many of which donning cowboy hats, watch as the rodeo plays on.
Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.