The Long Ride: Bull Riding Goes Back To Its Roots

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Photographs by Erick W. Rasco

A version of this piece appears in the April 2021 issue of SI.

Most years, Pro Bull Riding’s Elite series events are held at major arenas like Madison Square Garden and AT&T Stadium. In 2021 PBR is going back to the sport’s roots, touring outdoor venues and other historic sites in the South and West. In February that meant a stop at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, built in 1908 as the first indoor rodeo arena in the U.S. SI was there for a behind-the-scenes look at bull riding’s celebration of its rich heritage—and at a slate of riders shaping its present and future.

João Henrique Lucas was briefly the center of attention in Fort Worth—emphasis on briefly. His two rides lasted a combined 3.93 seconds before he was tossed.

Other riders also competed in the PBR Can-Am Invitational, the fifth event on the PBR Unleash the Beast tour. The 2021 circuit finished last month with the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas.

2018 PBR world champion Kaique Paheco mentally prepared in the Coliseum’s spartan locker room. 

Riders tend to their equipment and hands while prepping for what may be just a few seconds of action in the ring.

Jose Vitor Leme (with phone, and fellow rider Dener Barbosa), a former semipro soccer player in Brazil, was the 2020 PBR world champion. After breaking his ankle in PBR’s January season opener he returned to the circuit in Fort Worth—and won.

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