There’s no need to travel out west this summer since the Professional Bull Riding League recently added the New York Mavericks, a team of Brooklyn-based bull riders, to their slate, with competitions kicking off at Barclays Center on Aug. 9.
Cowboys are turning the Downtown Brooklyn venue into an action-packed rodeo for the first time ever and fans are invited to enjoy their new take on bull riding. The sport, which is traditionally an individual-based competition, is coming to the area with a twist. Instead of it being one cowboy versus one bucking bull, 10 cowboys split between two teams will take turns riding to see which team can last the longest and score the highest.
Chris Pantani, general manager for the Mavericks, said this new concept will be much like watching a basketball game, where people will have a home team to root for and an easier way to understand the competition.
“The team concept makes things so much easier for people to follow and get excited about. Plus it gives you someone to root for. You may not know the specific riders or the bulls but you’ll know the New York Mavericks,” Pantani told Brooklyn Paper. “It’s taking a nontraditional Western fan and bringing them into our sport as a way to follow it and be excited about it.”
Also unlike other sports, leaders plan to make the team of riders much more approachable than other athletes. This sport is more family-oriented where the audience is invited to get to know the cowboys outside of the matches.
“It’s not like professional teams where we’re kind of hidden away after the event,” Pantani said. “We’re outside signing autographs, talking to people, taking photos at a festival before the event. We’re going to be very rooted in the market itself.”
A rodeo may not be the first thing people think of when they think of Brooklyn, but according to Pantani, there’s a lively Western fanbase in New York. The Mavericks’ launch comes after a surge in PBR ticket sales in the area. Unleash the Beast, a league event that’s taken place at Madison Square Garden for the last 17 years, has had three sold-out showings in the last five seasons, with more and more people coming out each year.
“Everyone wants to be a cowboy. It’s chic to wear jeans again and to go to places at night time in a sport coat,” Pantani said. “We’ve seen people coming out to our event at MSG with cowboy hats. They used to bring them in a bag and put them on when they got there, but now it’s okay. It’s part of that Western culture, the persona people want to go back to.”
As the competition gets closer, Pantani hinted at PBR partnerships with local Brooklyn businesses, including entertainment, host hotels and borough-based brands.
The Mavericks have already started their season, riding in arenas across the nation. They’ll make their way to Brooklyn in August for a multi-weekend face-off. Tickets and schedule details can be found on the official PBR website.
“We’ll sell you a whole seat but you may just be at the edge of it,” Pantani said. “We’re ready for some great entertainment.”
