Carmen Macri
PBR Unleash the Beast comes back to Jacksonville
Words by Carmen Macri
Any day with a front-row view of professional bull riders — tight pants, cowboy hats, the whole deal — is a good one. No complaints. Ever. But this isn’t about my cowboy daydreams; it’s about the raw talent and adrenaline that the top 40 bull riders in the league brought to the arena.
On the sunny afternoon of Feb. 23, our creative director Ambar Ramirez and I found ourselves front and center — literally in the dirt — as the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena shed its usual skin for a full-blown rodeo. The scent of freshly churned soil filled the air, cowboy hats outnumbered ball caps, and the roar of the crowd was only rivaled by the snorts of 1,500-pound bulls ready to launch the toughest riders in the game sky-high — and that they did.
Now, this wasn’t my first rodeo. I’ve been going to PBR events for years — even covered last year’s competition — but the rush of watching a bull ride never fades. I was just as hyped last weekend as I was four years ago, but this event was different as they were in the process of filming a new Michelob Ultra commercial, so, things were a bit theatrical.
Sunday marked the second and final day of the PBR Unleash the Beast Jacksonville contest, and every rider was locked in, ready to top their performance from the night before. The energy in the arena was akin to that of a Jacksonville Jaguars playoff game—rare, but absolutely electric.
The rider introductions felt straight out of a blockbuster, complete with fire, fireworks, rock music and emcees rattling off names and hometowns like a roll call for adrenaline junkies. After the not-so-swift introduction of the 40 riders and four rodeo clowns, the night kicked off with rider Trace Redd on top of Rockville, who has an 87% buck-off rate, and proved that fact when he launched Redd off his back after only 5.60 seconds.
If you caught my last PBR article (and if not, what are you waiting for?), you’d know my dad is a die-hard bull-riding fan. But even more than that, he’s a die-hard Cool Whip fan—not the dessert topping, but the No. 9 ranked bull in the league with a 98% buck-off rate. Yeah, you read that right: 98% of riders don’t last 8 seconds. As my dad put it: “That is one mean, badass bull.”
Is it wrong to root for the bulls during this?
For those unfamiliar with the system, a score is based on two key factors. First, the rider must stay on the bull for a full eight seconds without touching themselves or the bull with their free hand. The second part of the scoring is split into two categories, each worth 50 points: one half evaluates the rider’s control, style and ability to stay composed, while the other half scores the bull’s performance—how hard it bucks, spins and challenges the rider. If the bull doesn’t meet the judges’ standards for difficulty, the score may take a hit or the rider could be offered a re-ride. On average, bulls score around 43.5 points per ride, so the rest comes down to the cowboy.
Next up, Alan de Souza took on Hoka Hey — and delivered exactly what we were all waiting for: total domination. He stuck it out for the full eight seconds, racking up a solid 82.25 and sending the crowd into a frenzy. As the Long-Go got underway, every rider left it all in the arena. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — these guys make it look effortless. Like they were born to ride bulls. And, to be fair, most of them were.
As I mentioned earlier, we had the ultimate mud-side seats—and I’m not exaggerating. We got up close and personal with the action, dodging heart attacks and wearing our fair share of arena mud. At one point, a bull blasted out of the chute and slammed straight into the railing in front of us, sending everyone (and everything we had set down) flying backward. We had to stand up, shake off the dust, and accept the reality that we now had dirt in places dirt was never meant to be. I even turned around to see an 8-month-old covered head-to-toe and her proud father holding her, boasting about how this was “her first rodeo and she’s handling it like a champ.”
As the Long-Go continued, the anticipation was climbing. Everyone in the arena was ready for section 4 to commence — the top riders from night one and none other than kid-legend John Crimber, the 19-year-old bull-riding phenom. Watching Crimber gives me the false hope that I too could hop on a bull and ride it with ease. It’s a dangerous thought. A foolish one, really. I have the balance and coordination of a newborn deer, but anyway, this isn’t about me.
Crimber rode Velvet Revolver like a pro, putting up a perfect 8-second ride and scoring a solid 87.50. That performance landed him in 5th place, just behind Keyshawn Whitehorse, Manoelito de Souza Junior, Kaique Pacheco and Felipe Furlan.
After the Long-Go, it was time for the Short-Go — the championship round. This is where the top 12 highest-scoring cowboys face off for the chance at first place. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint. The energy was off the charts as Austin Richardson, Sage Kimzey and Brady Fielder each delivered stunning 90-point rides.
Richardson atop Eyes On Me wound up taking the crown for the event with his outrageous 91.50 ride. To say the crowd went wild would be a severe understatement. The man had a spectacular performance both days. But hold onto your horses — or bulls in this case — because I had the opportunity to sit down with Mason Taylor, ranked 37th in the world, for a quick chat about life under the reins. Here’s how it went.
Carmen: So you performed in the 2021 PBR World Finals with a broken jaw, right?
Taylor: Yes.
Carmen: What was going through your mind before each ride, knowing that you risked further injury?
Taylor: Just don’t get hit in the face. That was really all I tried to do, you know? Because they told me if I got hit in the face again, it was going to be a bad deal because everything was already, you know, broke. So, that was a risk that I had going into it. But, there’s a risk every time you get on a bull. So I kind of figured, you know what? I’m pretty good at doing what I do. So, whenever, I had a helmet on. It was going to take most of the hit anyway. I was a little nervous on the first bull. And once I figured out that it didn’t hurt while I was riding, it was a little sore and hurt after I got off, you know, from hitting the ground and stuff like that. But yeah, nothing that I couldn’t manage. So after the first bull was under my belt, it was just ready for the rest of the week to get rolling.
Carmen: That is terrifying… You started riding as a kid, but was there ever a moment when you questioned if bull riding was the right path for you?
Taylor: You know, there’s been a couple of times where you go through a rough patch, and you don’t know if the next one’s going to get you out of it or not. But that’s kind of what I like about it. The unknown that comes with riding bulls for a living. For me personally, not really. Just because this is all I’ve ever wanted to do. So just getting in a bad spot and not riding very many bulls is going to happen. That’s just what comes with the sport. So as long as you keep going, you’ll eventually get out of it.
Carmen: Well, that’s nice. Your high-marked ride was 91.5 points on I’m Busted. What made the ride so special? And do you think you have an even better one in you for this weekend?
Taylor: You know, absolutely. That bull there, I’ve had several people tell me that I was cut short of a few points on that. But it is what it is. I ended up riding him, and he was one that not very many guys got by. I still think to this day that I and only three other guys stayed on that bull ever in his career.
Carmen: Wow.
Taylor: He was that tough. So yeah, when I was able to snap him in Sacramento, it was the best ride that I had up to that point. And it was a really cool moment just because literally nobody ever rode that bull. So whenever I rode him, it kind of gave me a sense of confidence that I belong at this level. It’s still one of my favorite rides to this day.
Carmen: So only three riders have ever done that?
Taylor: Yeah. He was very, very tough. We were like, well, dang, he can be ridden. It was a year and a half later, I think Keyshawn rode him. He would go six, eight, 10 months without somebody. He was just that tough of a bull.
Carmen: I wonder what goes into a bull being that tough. Why some of them are, not docile by any means, but easier to ride than others?
Taylor: Yeah. He never really had a set pattern. Like, he was always trying to jump away from you, jump out from underneath you. He would switch ways in a split second.
Carmen: He’s just trying to get you off of his back, huh? Bull riding is as much mental as it is physical, so how do you prepare yourself mentally while you’re in the chute before you get out there?
Taylor: Just try to stay calm and, as crazy as it sounds, we can move before the bull does. And if we move before the bull does, it’s not going to go well. Whenever I’m getting ready, I just try to focus on taking it one jump at a time. And whichever way he goes, I try to follow it as best I can.
Carmen: You’ve battled injuries throughout your career, obviously you’ve had your broken jaw, but that also includes a hip injury that sidelined you for part of 2023. How has your approach to training and recovery changed over the years?
Taylor: You know, I used to be able to show up to the event, sit in the locker room and just get there in enough time to be able to lace on my rope, put my spurs on and put my riding pants on. I could walk straight out there and get on a bull. But, yeah, things have changed nowadays. I got to get there a couple of hours early. I got to make sure I warm up. I got to make sure that I did my workout warm up routine to make sure everything’s moving right the way it’s supposed to because of me having that hip surgery. Some things, they just get tight nowadays. And if I get on with everything tight, you know, most of the time it doesn’t go good and I’m sore for three or four days after that. So I got to get there and you know prepare nowadays.
Carmen: What would you say is the biggest misconception people have about professional bull riding?
Taylor: Probably you know, that we tie their nuts up with a flank.
Carmen: Ha ha ha!
Taylor: It’s just like us wearing a belt. It’s on super tight, but it’s not on anything that’s going to hinder the bull from bucking. It’s just like us having a belt around our waist. It’s on there snug and it just gives them something to try to kick off. There are some bulls nowadays that are going to do the same thing without a flank because they’re just bred to.
Carmen: Yeah, I thought it was tied around their nuts this whole time.
Taylor: Ha ha ha. Yeah. No, it’s not on their junk for sure.
Carmen: OK. Good to know. It makes it a little less cruel. So you’ve competed in places like Madison Square Garden and other major arenas. What has been the most unforgettable crowd or moment in your career so far?
Taylor: There’s probably two of them. Madison Square Garden is probably the coolest arena I’ve ever rode in. The fans are unreal over there. There’s a different type of energy in that building. And it’s honestly one of the neatest venues I’ve ever been able to ride in. And the other one, the only reason why it’s over Madison Square Garden in my book is because it’s our Super Bowl. Whenever our World Finals were in the T-Mobile Arena. They had that place sold out in Vegas. It’s loud, it’s rowdy, and there’s 25, 30,000 people screaming your name. It’s a really cool feeling.
Carmen: That sounds like it. Outside of bull riding, what is something most people don’t know about you? Like, do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
Taylor: Yeah. I’m a big golfer. So whenever I’m not riding bulls, I’ve probably got a golf club in my hand or I’m at the golf course practicing, trying to get my game better.
Carmen: Those are on two opposite ends of the spectrum. Your job is crazy dangerous and you like to wind down and just golf.
Taylor: Yeah, and I think that’s why they go so well together. Because I can get out on the course and forget about everything and just golf. A hard enough sport as it is. In that time I get a break from bull riding. I’m not worried about what happened last week or what bull I got that next weekend or anything like that. I just keep my mind off of it.
Carmen: What’s your favorite course you’ve played?
Taylor: Probably Payne’s Valley in Branson, Missouri. Tiger Woods’ [designed] course.
Carmen: Oh, nice.
Taylor: Yeah, it’s very, very, very, very nice.
Carmen: Have you done the course here? TPC?
Taylor: No, I have not. That’s one of my bucket list. It’s $1,000 a round over there, but I thought about paying it several times just to get the experience.
Carmen: I’m sure you could pull some strings. Oh, you don’t know me? I’m a professional bull rider. Come on.
Taylor: Ha ha, yeah, maybe.
Carmen: If you had to compare your riding style to a song, what would it be and what makes it the perfect fit?
Taylor: Oh, well, I don’t know. I have no idea. I’ve never had that question asked before. I don’t know, probably, “Don’t Let Go” by Justin McBride.
Carmen: That’s a really good one. This is our last question, but if you had to ride a different animal for eight seconds, besides a bull, what would you choose? And how do you think you would do?
Taylor: Like, easy or crazy?
Carmen: I mean, it’s your choice, whatever you like. I guess we’ll go hard because you could just say a sheep.
Taylor: Yeah. Probably a shark. I don’t know. That’d be hard. Have you ever seen the videos where they jump 12, 15 feet out of the water? It would be pretty hard to stay on.
Carmen: I feel like you’d just slip right off.
Taylor: Yeah, probably.
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