Published: Saturday, January 6, 2007
A taste of the West comes downtown
A Medina County native on the tour said bull riding has always been his dream.
By SARAH POULTON
YOUNGSTOWN — The smell of nachos and popcorn didn't stand a chance against the smell of the 58 bulls waiting patiently to throw a brave soul off their back as about 750 people donned their cowboy hats, zipped their boots and let out a big "yee-haw" to watch the Professional Bull Riders Battle of the Bulls event.
Everything from Brooks and Dunn to Big and Rich was played over the loudspeakers Friday night at the Chevrolet Centre as the 19 riders geared up to see who could stay on the bull for more than eight seconds in order to qualify for the Built Ford Tough finals, which will begin in October.
Chris Woodruff, event producer, said the stop in Youngstown was part of PBR's newest competitive series, which featured both current and upcoming stars. He said the bulls they use in these competitions are tough, and it takes a heck of a rider to stay on them.
"Top Gun is the one to watch out for tonight," Woodruff said. "Between the horns and the 1,800 pounds of force, it's rank, vicious, fast and deadly."
Competitor from Ohio
Those are some of the characteristics Ohio native Chance Riley loves about the competition. Riley, 23, from Seville in Medina County, said he has been competing with PBR for two years but has been riding professionally for four years.
Riley said it always has been a dream of his to be a bull rider, so it was no surprise to his family when he started competing professionally. He said it felt great to be riding close to home where loved ones could watch him work his magic.
"It don't get any better," Riley said. "Pretty much everyone here knows me or has heard of me. There's no better place than your hometown."
He said he's a regular on the tour, and he drives himself to every event. He was in Youngstown just for Friday. He said that today he was going to hightail it on down to Louisville, Ky.
He's traveled all over the country to get thrown from a bull, but there's one place he's never been. "Haven't been out West yet," Riley said. "These days, you don't have to."
Local fans
Luckily for Jim Callahan, Riley's right.
Callahan, from Warren, said he gets excited about bull riding. He said he started watching it on TV and began to recognize some of the regular bulls; he's been hooked ever since.
"This is an exploding sport," Callahan said. "It's nice they come here."
For some, bull riding is an extreme sport. For others, it's a way for fathers and sons to spend some time together.
Donny Murphy and his son, Andy, 6, of Canfield, were going to go roller-skating Friday. Their plans changed when Murphy found out about the PBR event. He said he knew Andy would have a great time, and he was right.
"I like it when all the people fall off and when the bulls get excited," Andy said.
There will be another PBR event at 8 tonight.
spoulton@vindy.com
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