Albany NY Touring Pro Event

What a treat, last Saturday night, to take a drive to Albany, NY and see bull riding!  Wow, was I a happy girl!  The Times Union Center hosted a PBR Touring Pro Division event and the place was filled with bull riding fans, cowboys and, of course, rank bulls.

To start off the evening, a stop at the bull pens was a must!  The big boys were chilling before the event, and this handsome guy caught my eye.

PBR riders Sean Willingham and Cody Nance made the trip to Albany to start racking up points for the 2014 season.

The bulls are loaded and the event is ready to get underway.  Of course, I could not resist a snot shot!

The big boy enjoyed his time in the arena.  He was not going to leave quietly!  Harold, our safety man for the event, had his hands full with this bull.  One of the bull fighters even got in on the action and tried to rope this big boy on foot!  Eventually, the bull left the arena, safely, all to the amusement of the crowd.

This bull came right at us, and his rider was trying as hard as he could to hang on for 8 seconds.

I'm always amazed to watch bulls chasing down cowboys.  With the bull fighters, arena crew, entertainer and the cowboy, somehow the bull always knows which one, out of all those people, was on his back!

This buck-off turned a little bit ugly, as the cowboy came off in front of the bull and there was not a lot of space for the bull fighters to work.  Thankfully, the cowboy got away clean and the two bull fighters did an awesome job of getting the bull distracted and out of the arena.

Clayton Baethge rides CRUNCHTIME for 81 points

Sean Willingham rides SKUNK for 75 points and is awarded a reride

Unfortunately, I can't identify this cowboy, and I was dodging the fence all night with my camera.  But I do like this action shot!

Shawn Best II started out with a good ride but failed to make the whistle on HIGH TIMES

Cody Nance had an outstanding ride on GET WESTERN from Mike Miller.  Cody was able to recover and center himself on the bull to make 8.

Together, Cody and GET WESTERN scored 88 points and one of the most exciting rides of the event!

Billy Robinson rides ST. PATRICK from Jeff Robinson for 84 points

In the Championship round, Gage Gay rides I'M BACK from Jeff Robinson for 89.5 points

In the Championship round, Billy Robinson rides SLIM'S GHOST for 79 points

Event Winner, Carlos Garcia, a native New Yorker, had the crowd cheering as he rode for 89.5 points in the long round and 87.5 points in the Championship round.  The New York crowd loved seeing one of their own win the event!

And one last note...to the few crazies standing in front of the building, holding up signs, here is photographic proof that NOTHING is tied up on a bucking bull!  Period!  Done!

I must confess I missed a few scores here and there, as I was trying to work my camera and my husband was writing down scores.  In the long round, at least 15 bulls were ridden for qualified rides.  In the Championship round, at least 6 bulls were ridden.  Most of the bulls in the Championship round were from Jeff Robinson, and I was happy to see The Clones (Slim's Ghost, I'm Back and Mr. Slim), Gypsy Boots, Stanley Studfinder, Cool Hand Luke and Mini Me.

It was a great event, and it sure fired me up for the start of the PBR season in January 2014.  Best of luck to the Cowboys as they get ready to kick off the new year.  And better luck to the bulls...I'm sure they will be ready to buck in January! ;)





Photographs by Susan Hanrahan