For the bull riding purist, the action and excitement of the original extreme sport remains, but one gets the sense that the filmmakers were looking for something deeper, something more meaningful than bright lights, pyrotechnics and the iconic myth of 'the cowboy'.
In trying to understand what makes these athletes tick, BULLRIDER doesn't fear to engage an often taboo subject in our modern age, that of religious faith. The film lays bare the meaningful faith of many of the riders, which should come as no surprise in a sport where the possibility of death looms with every opening of the chute.
The film features beautiful camera and slow motion work, with a musical score that gives it a rock video quality that younger viewers will appreciate, yet still captures the traditional essence of the sport.
The film also beautifully answers the ridiculous animal cruelty argument with the simple words of a stock contractor who clearly loves his bulls and chokes up every time he has to sell one.
But it is in the interviews with the bull riders themselves where the film moves out of the realm of pure sports documentary into a sort of philosophical treatise on life. It touches on profound questions, such as how many of us would we be willing to risk death to fulfill our calling?
These men, who embody a simple complexity, answer with an authority born of experience and truth that can only be described as enlightenment. The truth of BULLRIDER does not solely lie in the bull riding alone, but in the human stories and wisdom that surround it.
The passion, faith, and courage exhibited in BULLRIDER is something that everyone can learn from. Not just cowboys or their fans.
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Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
By Jeri L. Dobrowski
December 2006
BULLRIDER, a documentary on the winning-and-losing, living-and-dying world of Professional Bull Riders came to my attention too late for inclusion in previous gift lists. Impressed by the quality, content and message of the film, I asked Tri-State Livestock News Editor Aaron Nelson for permission to write a special bonus column. It’s that good!
Professional bull riding (www.pbrnow.com/#home) attracts more than one million live-event attendees each year to 100+ PBR-sanctioned competitions; 100 million viewers watch televised broadcasts. With more than 450 hours of prime-time programming annually, PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on the air.
Producers William Chessman and Maureen Holmes embedded a camera crew with the 2004 PBR tour. They followed 45 cowboy athletes to 28 cities over 10 months to tell the story of friends and brothers vying for the world championship. Oscar-nominated director Josh Aronson and Emmy-winning editor Kate Hirson winnowed live footage and taped interviews down to a whirling 90-minute, wince-and-cheer study of the sport.
Viewers leave home at sunup with rodeo-bound cowboys, attend church services, venture into the bowels of arena locker rooms, duck and dodge with bodyguard bull fighters and witness surgery—up close and personal—in the operating room. The cast runs the gamut: bull riders Adriano Moraes, Justin McBride, Mike Lee and Tony Mendes; bull fighter Rob Smets; former bull riding champions Jim Shoulders, Ty Murray and Tuff Hedeman; PBR Physician Tandy Freeman; PBR Minister Todd Pierce; stock contractor H.D. Page; celebrity bucking bulls Little Yellow Jacket, Mossy Oak Mudslinger and Bodacious. And then some.
Adriano Moraes won an unprecedented third Professional Bull Riders’ title in November 2006. For his efforts, the 36-year-old Brazilian earned a $1.346 million dollar payday. It put him over the $3 million dollar career-earnings mark and made him the PBR's all-time money leader with $3,369,623.
The 2006 storybook ending was a far cry from how Moraes finished the 2004 season. With PBR World Championships in 1994 and 2001, Moreas was intently focused on a third. At the finals in Las Vegas, he tore the biceps in his riding arm. Cameras captured the grimace on his face the instant the injury occurred. Remarkably, Moreas continued to ride in successive rounds, at one point managing a more-than-respectable 93-point ride. In the end, 21-year-old Mike Lee, himself riding with a dislocated shoulder, took the title.
An unforgiving sport, bull riding pits a cowboy’s fragile body against the fury of an animal that knows no rules. It isn’t always pretty, but it’s not the bulls who are harmed. A vivid example replays Tuff Hedeman’s October 1995 encounter with bull riding’s bad boy, Bodacious.
Wimps don’t make it in the PBR.
Those who succeed overcome any number of falls, fractures, concussions, contusions, dislocations and disappointments. Faith, family, friends—and the talents of a proficient orthopedic surgeon—carry them to the pay window. There are no atheists in a fox hole or in bull riding. Moreas says he and other riders rely on God for protection, strength and knowledge to ride bulls. "When we nod our heads [for the gate to open], we feel so alone. We pray, God help us."
Issues of animal welfare are addressed, leaving no doubt that those who own the bulls have a vested interest in keeping them fit and healthy. One stock contractor admits developing deep attachments to the bulls he raises, making it difficult to part with them when the time comes to sell.
The cinematography and editing are exceptional. The slow motion action/audio sequences are stellar. BULLRIDER will make a memorable gift for the bull riding fan in your family. But, you don’t have to be a cowboy or even be aware of the PBR to be mesmerized by the content. This film captures the illogical drive of the sport, the humanness of the contestants and their profound faith.
The DVD sells for $24.95 plus $4.95 priority shipping. Order BULLRIDER on-line at www.bullridermovie.com/. One dollar from every purchase goes to the Resistol Relief Fund. The fund benefits anyone injured in the sport of bull riding: high school, college and professional bull riders, as well as those who work in the sport of bull riding. jamsession@robscabinets.com
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