Event Review: 2010 Cowboys For Kids Touring Pro Event

It was a dark and stormy night. The wind was howling, lightning and thundering were all abound, and the rain was coming down hard. Oh, wait a minute, that was the night before the event. Fortunately, for the fans, the conditions were better the day of the event.

We attended the Cowboys For Kids Touring Pro Event on Saturday, April 24, 2010, in Cleburne, TX. The weather the night before was not a pretty sight. The night of the event, the temperature was warm and the skies clear. However, due to the storms the night before, the arena dirt was more conducive to making mud pies than bull riding. We arrived an hour and half before the event, and promptly met up with some friends that we had originally met in Las Vegas at the PBR finals and another PBR friend and her daughter that we had just met recently. We got our seats, of course as close to the chutes as you can, and then went exploring. Talked to several riders and then saw Matt Bohan. I had been wanting to do a Q & A with several riders for the blog and I decided to pounce on my first victim. He was very nice and surprisingly we talked for what seem like a long time, but I think it was about 15 minutes. I will post his interview on Monday 3, 2010.

Well the time went by fairly quickly as we sat in the stands talking before the event. The riders were getting their gear on, stretching and getting ready to get on the beasts from the pens. Just before the event started we noticed that Paulo Crimber was on top of one of the chutes and was going to be one of the judges. It was then 8:00pm and time for the event to start. You have the opening introductions, the prayer, the National Anthem and before you know it, the first rider is flying out of the chute. In this case, the first rider was flying off the bull, in short order. This night belonged to the bulls. There were 38 riders in the long go, but by the end, the riders had only conquered six bulls. The long go was divided into two sections. In the first, there were four rides, one belonging to Cord "The Amazing Race" McCoy, with a score of 86.50. The other rides, Wallace de Oliveria 86.50, Dusty LaBeth 85.00, Kolt Donaldson 85.50. There were a number of riders that landed in the mud and water, of which, the best one was Matt Bohan. He did not get the ride, but he got the award for the best mud bath.

In between the two long go sections, they had a team calf roping contest and a steer saddling contest. In the steer saddling contest, two guys had to hold on to a steer and pull it to a point, then another guy had to put a saddle on the steer, then ride it across a line. They had two heats and it was some funny riding, or attempting to ride. Also, they talked about the Cowboys for Kids organization. The Cowboys for Kids is a non profit organization, from a "cowboy" perspective, that helps kids that are disadvantaged, handicapped, abused or suffering from illness. This event was in conjunction with the Childrens Advocacy Program, which helps raise money for abused children. While this was going on, it was time for my dinner, according to my growling stomach. The concession stand had the usual assortment of rodeo burgers, hot dogs, nachos, frito pies, and BBQ sandwiches. In my case a BBQ sandwich, chips and a Dr Pepper.

On to the rest of the event. In the second long go there were only two rides. One being an 86.50 by Pim Rosa and a 69.00 by Luis Blanco. The second section went quickly and now we are off to the short go. The short go was made up of the top 10 scores, only problem is, there were only six. They drew names for the other slots. The four lucky riders that were called were: Matt Bohan, Scottie Knapp, Travis Morgan and Colby Scallions. The night was starting to get a little cool outside, but with a light jacket, it was perfect weather.

After a short delay, the short go started. A little side note: because Matt Bohan had bucked off earlier and was completely covered in mud, he had already changed clothes. With him being called back for the short go, he had to go back and put on the wet and muddy shirt, hat and gear. During the short go Travis Morgan got an 88.00 score, Matt Bohan had the best ride and score of the night with an 89.50. The only other ride during the short go was Dusty Labeth with an 87.50.

The final standings were: 1) Dusty LaBeth 172.50 2) Matt Bohan 89.50 3) Travis Morgan 88.00 4) Pim Rosa 86.50 5) Cord McCoy 86.50 6) Wallace de Oliveria 86.00 7) Kolt Donaldson 85.50 8) Luis Blanco 69.00.

Note: Dusty Labeth, while being interviewed in the winners circle, thanked the fans and the charity and then announced that he was donating the buckle, that he had just won, to the Childrens Advocacy Program. The buckle will be auctioned off and the money given to the charity.

After the event, it was time to hang around and get autographs, pictures and just visit. We said our goodbyes to friends and mulled around a bit. I got the chance to interview Cord McCoy, which I will post on Wednesday, April 28. I also had a long conversation with Reese Cates which will be posted on Friday, April 30. I talked to a stock contractor that had several bulls at the event and will be getting some information from him, in the coming weeks. He had a nasty gash over his left eye, after getting hit by one of his own bulls. He looked like he got into a fight and lost badly and told me he was going to have to go to the hospital to get stitched up. Well the night was coming to a close, the stands were empty, most of the bulls were loaded and many of the riders and fans had gone. It was time to head to our "Built Ford Tough" Expedition (with a PBR sticker in the back window and PBR hitch cover). As we headed to the vehicle, for the 2+ hour drive home, I noticed there were only about 10 vehicles left in the parking lot. I guess that shows the dedication to staying as long as it takes to get the story, or it just shows the addiction that can occur when you get interested in bull riding and the PBR.