United Bull Riders Rodeo

Country music sensation Garth Brooks once sang, “Well it’s bulls and blood, it’s dust and mud, it’s the roar of a Sunday crowd, it’s the white in his knuckles, the gold in the buckle, he’ll win the next go ‘round, it’s boots and chaps, it’s cowboy hats, it’s spurs and latigo, it’s the ropes and the reins, and the joy and the pain, and they call the thing rodeo.”

If anyone knows rodeos, then it’s “Nutty” Jerry Nelson and his Frontier Rodeo Company, whose list of awards includes being named the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Stock Contractor of the Year for many consecutive years.

Nelson’s Maverick International will once again produce the United Bull Riders Invitational Appreciation for Industry Professional Bull Riding at Ford Arena for a two-night affair Friday, July 29, and Saturday, July 30, both nights beginning at 7 p.m.

The toughest cowboys in the country will showcase their skills on the “baddest” bulls on the planet that come from Nelson’s Frontier Rodeo Company, which sits on 10,000 acres of land near Mooreland, Oklahoma. The ranch has approximately 300 head of bucking horses, mares and colts; 80 or so bucking bulls and breeding stock; 300 head of roping steers and 100 head of bulldogging steers.

“The Appreciation for Industry Pro Bull Riding has become a great tradition in Southeast Texas, and I’m proud that we’ve established this event as Ford Arena’s annual bull riding,” said Nelson. “It’s a great way to showcase the country’s best bull riders and the best livestock.”

 And who says the bull riders get to have all the fun? Fans can try their hand at bull riding on a mechanical bull, and the stars of the United Bull Riders will be signing autographs and taking photos inside the Family Fun Zone. Cirque La Vie Circus stars will also be performing, and kids of all ages will be treated to face painting and balloon animals. Those with a paid event ticket and admission to the Family Fun Zone will be able to watch the bull riding from their reserved seat or at ground level inside the zone.

Kids ticket prices (ages 2-12) are $10-$50. Adult ticket prices range from $20-$50. Family Fun Zone tickets are $5. Tickets can be purchased at the Ford Park box office at 5115 Interstate 10 South in Beaumont or online at ticketmaster.com.

 Junior cowboys and cowgirls can also get in on the action with the popular Mutton Bustin’ event for those 5- to- 7-years old. Mutton bustin’ showcases children that clamber aboard a wild, wooly sheep and try to hold on for six seconds on both nights. For those interesting in registering their kiddoes, they can do so online at frontierrodeocompany.com before July 22.

And if that’s not enough, rodeo superstar JB Mauney is bringing the heat with the Ultimate Bullfighters. The UBF is the ultimate Man vs. Beast competition and the hottest ticket in western sports and rodeo. In freestyle bullfighting, a bullfighter competes for 60 seconds against a fighting bull to score points for skilled maneuvers. But unlike traditional bullfighting, the animals are not harmed or killed. These modern-day cowboy/gladiators are judged solely on their ability to perform dangerous stunts as close to the raging bull without getting hit. With a rapidly gaining fan base, the UBF is becoming a massive phenomenon in Western sports and beyond.

 A pre-party is scheduled for Thursday, July 28, at Madison’s (4020 Dowlen Rd.) in Beaumont where fans can meet Mauney, a two-time PBR world champion, Mexican bullfighters and enjoy mechanical bull rides.