Bull Riding sells out Mountain America Center
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Professional Bull Riders has sold out the Mountain America Center Friday and Saturday.
The PBR Touring Pro Division will award $20,000 to the winner. Thirty-five of the best riders in the world, including Blackfoot’s own Brady Oleson, are in the running.
Arena officials said no event outside of a Spud Kings game has ever sold as many tickets, or sold them as quickly. Tickets dried up nearly a month ago.
Organizers were still setting up for the two-night event Thursday afternoon. It takes more than 30 people to bring the production together, event promoter Adam Libby said.
“It took about six hours,” Libby explained. “Brought in 580 cubic yards to be able to fill this entire arena up with eight inches of dirt from where we have it set to all the way back to the back pens. So we start with that.”
“Then I have another guy who works for me everywhere who brings in an arena,” he continued. “And the entire arena is actually coming in on one semi.”
Much of the thrill comes from the pyro and pageantry, frequently compared to “a rock n’ roll show” by participants. The rest of the appeal comes from the danger.
Chase Outlaw is a legend of the sport. The nine-time world finalist has suffered a laundry list of injuries, once breaking 30 bones in his face and narrowly escaping death. However, he wouldn’t want it any other way.
“It’s the most dangerous sport on dirt, if not the Earth,” Outlaw said. “I mean, there’s no whistle, no referee, no time-outs. So I mean, it’s the real deal. And we’re the last, really, gladiators, if you think about it.”
