The international bull riding competition lands on U.S. soil for its early February championship.
Get ready, world: There’s an exciting new development at the Professional Bull Riders Global Cup for its next edition February 9–10 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event itself is an Olympic-style matchup of bull riders from around the world competing on behalf of their respective countries, but this edition is extra special because it will feature the first-ever exclusively Native American team.
Coming together to represent Team USA for the 2019 edition are two sets of accomplished riders, the already established Eagles and the new Native American team, the Wolves. This is also the first edition of the Global Cup on U.S. soil. It was held in Canada in 2017 and Australia in 2018.
“[Adding the Wolves to the competition] is a unique and special way to continue to build PBR’s longstanding relationship with the Native American community,” said PBR CEO Sean Gleason.
Fans can expect to see well-known names in Arlington, such as J.B. Mauney on the Eagles and Marco Eguchi representing Brazil.
All teams are coached by former champion bull riders. Team Wolves coach Wiley Petersen (Shoshone-Bannock Tribes) will lead his seven riders and an eighth alternate representing multiple communities. There’s a rising star on the Wolves in the form of Keyshawn Whitehorse (Navajo Nation). The 22-year-old Utah athlete rose to prominence in the PBR last year when he clinched the 2018 Rookie of the Year title.
Whitehorse explained that America’s long history with rodeo and cowboys, coupled with its growing inclusion of Native athletes, will make this event especially exciting for fans. “I think [Native Americans] are a big [part] of the history of the country, and being implemented into the Global Cup, showcasing our talents, but also not forgetting who we are, I think it’s a big deal,” he said. “Doing that is going to impact a huge amount of our youth — not just from the Navajo Nation but all tribes across the country — to go out and do things on a professional level.”
Tickets for the PBR Global Cup are available here, and find out more about PBR here.
