Could Bull Riding Become the Next NASCAR?

April 10, 2005 — -- The wild sport of bull riding has always had its fans, but a group of cowboys wants more. It is trying to do for bull riding what NASCAR did for stock-car racing -- propel it into the big leagues.

With high-tech shows and big-money promotions, bull-riding competitions have been filling arenas from California to the Carolinas and building a loyal TV audience of millions of fans.

Bull-riding advocates say the sport appeals to more than just cowboys.

"You don't have to have a cowboy hat, you don't have to be from Wyoming, you don't have to have an agriculture background, it's just the sports fan," said Tuff Hedeman of the Professional Bull Riders Association.

Riders are drawn to this extreme sport by the lifestyle, the money and the drama -- the tough breaks, the close calls and the fact that a victory can bring a rider hundreds of thousands of dollars. But a defeat can be devastating.

Former rider Jerome Davis knows that firsthand.

"It's a dangerous business. I mean it's the most dangerous sport in the world. I've had friends get killed doing this. So it's no joke."

Davis, a legendary bull rider, was paralyzed in a bad ride. But the cowboy culture is a powerful draw, and he came back as a livestock contractor.

"It's funny, I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't stirring up some bucking bulls on the farm or bucking some calves or looking at mama cows," Davis said. "I don't know what I'd do, to be honest about it."

Bull riding is an unusual sport, with unusual characters. The leading bull rider in the country right now is from Brazil. His name is Adriano Moraes, and he is deeply religious and known to cheer for his competitors. He studies the bulls, convinced each has its own personality.

"Some bulls are happy," Moraes said. "Some bulls are grumpy. Some bulls are alert. Some bulls are just relaxed. Some bulls love to buck. And some bulls just hate the guys, and that's why they buck."