BILLINGS — The PBR bucked its way into the Magic City this weekend for the 30th time, but there are some changes for fans as it now is just a two-day event citing rider pitch counts.
“We saw they were getting banged up, getting hurt the last couple weeks of the season, so we cut back on some of the events to decrease their bull count and maybe get them to the World Finals a little healthier out of respect for the riders," former rodeo clown Flint Rasmussen said.
"It's a lot of bulls. The good guys at a three-day event, they get on four bulls in three days. You do that two or three weekends in a row, that's a lot of bulls. So Sunday you can either catch the end of the Master's, or go catch the afternoon performance at the MSU College Rodeo."
Rasmussen also has seen an uptick in ride percentages throughout the season around the PBR, attributing that to the formation, growth and success of the Team Series.
“It's made guys step up. Even those veterans, they've kind of watched their workload about the number of bulls they're getting on so they're fresh here and in teams. It's raised the bar for everybody," Rasmussen said.
"What we've seen at the Teams events is accountability. Part of the allure of cowboys is the rugged individualism. They still have that, but they're accountable to the guy next to them in the same uniform."
The former funnyman is no longer gracing crowds around the country, either. Rasmussen is still involved heavily with the PBR in the broadcast booth and with fan engagement, so there’s still plenty on his plate. But a trip home brings the memories back.
“When I was in the sixth grade, my parents brought us to the NRA Rodeo Finals. My dad announced it. This was the biggest building I'd ever seen. Here we are. Same building, different roof," Rasmussen joked in reference to the 2010 Father's Day tornado.
Some changes have hit the PBR in recent years, but it continues to grow in popularity.
