Bull riding star coaching Native American team in Professional Bull Riders “Global” Cup
For the first time ever, the United States will be the host country to the Professional Bull Riders Global Cup.
Because we’re the host country, we get to have two teams competing. The American team and the Native American Team.
The coach of the Native American team is our own Wiley Petersen. He holds a title from the 2007 PBR World Finals.
We caught up with Petersen at the Shoshone-Bannock rodeo grounds. That’s where he started his career riding bulls at the tender age of ten. He went on to great success nationally.
He retired a few years ago but got called out of retirement to coach the Native American bull riding team, the Wolves.
They’ll be competing against teams from Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.
“I’ll watch tapes with them,” said Petersen. “We’ll take notes and watch the tendency of the bull. Does he like to come out and turn right, turn left? We don’t get to pick our ‘pen’ of bulls, but once that’s been done we can decide which team member rides which bull. I want my riders confident about the bull they’re getting on.”
The bull riding event is being held in Arlington, Texas February 9th and 10th. This is the only ‘nation’ versus ‘nation’ bull riding event. Team USA won the first year, to gain the title ‘Toughest Nation on Dirt.’ Brazil won last year. The purse is $750,000 for the winning team. So that is certainly one incentive to participate. Still, it’s a crazy extreme sport and you have to wonder why anyone would do it.
“That’s what I started thinking when I was getting older. Why am I doing this? ” asks Petersen with a smile. “But when you’re a young man with all that testosterone, you just want to live life to the fullest.”
Petersen is now becoming a physician’s assistant.
He plans to work at the tribal health clinic.
” I was thinking,” said Petersen wryly. “I’ve had so much medical care as a bull rider I might as well work in the medical profession.”
Tickets are on sale now for just ten dollars.
Purchasing information can be found at SeatGeek.com, PBR.com, or by calling PBR Direct at 800-732-1727.
You can watch the event at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, February 9th and 10th on ridepass.com.
