Pocono News Section

Professional Bull Riders Visit The Wachovia Arena

Professional Bull Riders Visit The Wachovia Arena - Friday, February 22, 2008 at 4:21PM EST

Reported by: Jill Konopka
Friday, Feb 22, 2008 @04:21pm EST
(WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP, Luzerne County) Looking for something to do this Friday night, The Professional Bull Riders Tour is riding in to Wilkes-Barre Township. "it's a dangerous sport, it's an extreme sport, but you’ll see the best of the best day in and day out,” PBR Producer, George Marshall. For two nights this weekend, some of the best names in bull riding will ride right in to the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township. Marshall added, "We actually have 50 bulls depending on the weather. We're going to buck rank bulls tonight, see some great cowboys for the night." For now, they're fighting the winter weather to get here, but already several tons of pure beef are getting a little workout in before the tour kicks off at 7:30 pm. Marshall stated, "There's 500 cubic yards of dirt on the floor ice underneath buck bulls tonight and tomorrow night, it'll magically transform it, take it back down." Cowboys from across the country will be here, Donnie Landis will also make ya' laugh with his no bull clowning' around... Landis said, "It's job security. I'm too lazy to work. Too scare to steal and not too many people want my job." Chris Rankin came in from Texas to announce the event. Rankin told WBRE News, "I rode steers and bulls when I was younger. It's not my cup of tea. I was a little chicken, so I wasn't going to do it but I wanted to stay in the industry, pretty good money and it's a fun job." The show is a qualifier for the World Finals in Las Vegas this November. The winner walks away with good money. Rankin said, "The winner, anywhere between five thousand and eight thousand dollars." But the cowboys aren't the only ones to leave banged up and bruised. Landis said, “I couldn't even begin to start, broken ribs, legs, neck and punctured lungs." It’s all a part of being with the largest group of professional bull riders in the world. The riders and the bulls get matched up with each other based on a lottery. Tickets are still available. The event lasts two nights, starting at 7:30 p.m Friday night at the Wachovia Arena.