Only one question remains: Can these bull riders hold on for an 8-second ride?

Starting today and continuing Saturday, 40 bull riders will converge at the Ozark Saddle Club Arena for the Professional Bull Riding (PBR) Bordertown ShowDown event.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for ages 6-12. Children under the age of 6 and military personnel in uniform will be admitted for free. Gates open at 6 p.m., with the event to begin at 7:30 p.m.

“It is an official stop of PBR’s Enterprise Tour,” said Mary Turner, a spot contractor within the PBR. “PBR breaks down into four different levels, the lowest level being the discovery tour, then the enterprise tour, then the challenger tour, then the Ford Tough Tour. A lot of it is the PBR is trying to promote their events and their stuff out into some of the smaller towns. And by doing some of these lower-level events, we can bring into some of the smaller towns and give a certain opportunity to see some of the bulls they might see on TV every week. It basically is something that helps with the fan-base and keeps them in touch with the riders and the bulls.”

Turner said there will be some area talent at the event, including three bull riders: Matt Bohan of Missouri, Dustin Hall of Mt. Vernon and Dusty Labeth from Kansas.

“They get to see the people that are actually pretty close that they have seen on TV,” said Turner.  “Most of these guys are 25 years old and less.”

The bulls that they will be riding weigh on average 1,800 pounds, with the ultimate experience to stay on for the 8-second ride.

“It has to be one-handed. The rider can’t slap the bull with his free hand or he is disqualified,” Turner noted. “Basically, the guys work off of a point system and money.
And what they can do is once they actually earn enough points and money to get a PBR card, they continue to travel to these events and continue to gain points and money until they reach the point of being in the top 45 money winners. Then they advance to the bull riders series you see on TV every week. And the thing of it is that a lot of the guys that are already competing on that level, they continue to compete at these smaller (events) because that earns them money and points as well.”

In October, the PBR finals will be held in Las Vegas.

This is the second time the PBR has made an appearance in the area. Last time, it was at the Seneca Arena. It was to be held at the Bordertown Casino in Seneca, but due to a last minute change, it was moved to the Ozark Saddle Club Arena. And the crowd is great according to Turner.

“We are bringing in a whole new arena and seating, so basically, we are going to come out and use the saddle club’s dirt, and we are going to build an arena inside and put seats in there,” said Turner. “So every seat should be a great seat. The bleachers and stuff like that, we will not use. We bring in our own and set that all up.”

These bull riders spend a lot of time and a lot of years training, Turner said.

 “Most of these guys start out riding sheep, at 4 or 5 years of age, then they gradually move up to calves, then steers. There are a lot of bull riding schools that go on, so a lot enter them,” said Turner.

The event will be held rain or shine and Turner said that the event would be a very professional one.

As an added treat, there are two events transpiring. The first is each night live music from the Mark Chapman Band will perform. And the second is from 2-4 p.m. Saturday at the Bordertown Casino in Seneca, where people can meet the athletes, take photos, get autographs and talk with the bull riders.

For more information, visit the Web site at www.pbrticketsnow.com.