From the days of ranch hands testing their machismo atop bucking bulls in sixteenth-century colonial Mexico all the way to the professionally organized athletes of today, bull riding’s universal appeal has rested in the timeless conflict of man versus beast. In this one-on-one competition, humans are never truly the victor—most rides last fewer than eight seconds. The objective is perseverance in the face of mortal danger, and while the pressure to stay upright—not to mention alive—while straddling nearly a ton of muscle and instinct has always been immense for bull riders, a new wrinkle to the sport is multiplying that stress several times over.

Professional Bull Riders, the premier international organization of competitive bull riding since its founding in the early 1990s, announced in November 2021 that it would be launching a new Team Series concept bringing franchise branding, league-style play, an annual player draft, and postseason playoff brackets to the traditionally solo sport. It’s the fan-pleasing drama of the National Football League combined with rodeo’s heavyweight event. When a rider on one of the eight new PBR teams hops in the bucking chute, they know they are riding not just for themselves and their own families but for their teammates and their families as well.

“When it’s an individual sport, I still think they give 100 percent, but you kind of get to multiply 100 percent times five when it’s a team,” says Cord McCoy, head coach of the PBR’s Oklahoma Freedom, which finished the sport’s 2022 inaugural season third in the standings with a semifinal finish in the postseason championship bracket.

Oklahoma Freedom rider Chase Outlaw hangs on for dear life at a recent PBR competition. Photo by Bull Stock Media

McCoy—an Oklahoma native born in Durant and currently residing on a ranch in the town of Lane near Atoka—was an ideal choice to lead the Oklahoma franchise. He is a five-time saddle bronc and bull riding world champion through the International Professional Rodeo Association and a rodeo stock contractor who’s raised many bucking bulls to the level of professional competition. Many will also recognize him and his brother Jet as the fan-favorite contestant duo of Jet and Cord on The Amazing Race reality game show. That experience proves as relevant as any, because a key component of the PBR team series is the accompanying docuseries The Ride, streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video, which takes viewers through the various storylines of the Team Series season from draft night all the way to the championship finals.

That season consists of one event in every host team’s arena plus a couple of neutral site meets. Each event features multiple head-to-head matchups between two teams and their respective five-rider lineups. This year, the Oklahoma Freedom hosts visiting teams in September at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center. The other seven teams in the series—the Arizona Ridge Riders, Austin Gamblers, Carolina Cowboys, Kansas City Outlaws, Missouri Thunder, Nashville Stampede, and Texas Rattlers—also will host events.

Though the riding is the same, the team element, which means success isn’t entirely dependant upon a single rider, has been a reset for longtime PBR pros like Statesville, North Carolina, native Eli Vastbinder, who was the Freedom’s first pick in the inaugural league draft. Some of his teammates hail from nearby places like Kansas and Arkansas, and others are from as far away as Brazil.

“You didn’t have the option of whose team you went to, so it kind of pulled everybody out of their normal bubbles,” says Vastbinder. “Next thing you know, you’re hanging out with people you normally never would have hung out with.”

Adjusting to a team format was a challenge for all, but giving fans a chance to pull for a team and express local pride has the potential to grow the sport’s audience. And for the riders, the format injects locker-room camaraderie into a sport that has typically pitted single riders against an entire field.

“As long as you’re a good teammate—a positive, uplifting person trying to get the best out of your teammates—there’s nothing else to it,” Vastbinder says. “It’s still bull riding.”

The ride is the same, but the stakes are multiplied. And whether it’s for the thrill of victory or to avoid the unbearable agony of defeat, those are just more incentives to keep your grip.

The first season of The Ride is available for streaming on Prime Video. The PBR Team Series is September 8-10 at the Paycom Center.

Written By

Ben Luschen

Luschen joined the *Oklahoma Today*’ staff as Research Editor in 2021 and currently works as the magazine's Web Editor, managing the website and social media fronts. His past *Oklahoma Today* stories have ranged in content from the state's bee and quail industries to its vibrant art and music scenes. Not adverse to a road trip, Luschen is always on the lookout for the next big adventure. He is never out of opinions about the current state of Oklahoma City Thunder basketball.