PBR Unleash the Beast Tour in LA

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

By Barbara Pinnella

There were a lot of changes at the CRYPTO.com Arena (change number one; this was formerly the Staples Center) in Los Angeles in February. The event was originally supposed to be the two day Iron Cowboy. That exciting event has been pushed back to a location yet to be determined, while at the same time, the PBR renamed it to the PBR Pluto TV Invitational, and made it one day only.

We will get into the main reason for those PBR changes shortly, but let’s focus on the plusses. There was a great crowd on hand to watch the event, and they were really into the action. We got to watch both veterans of the sport we love as well as some young guns, which is always great to see,

The standout star of the show was Daylon Swearingen. In the first round, he covered Lights Out, a bull hauled by Diamond Bar Cattle / Premier Ag to a score of 89.25. He was obviously the man to catch in the Championship Round, and was one of only two of the 12 who tried to stay on their second bull.

For that second round, Swearingen handpicked the WSM / Clay Struve / Dakota Rodeo / Chad Berger bull WSM Nasty Wishes. There was nothing nasty about that bull for Daylon, and he received a big 91.25 score to win the round, and the event. It was also announced that he also became the number one man in the world standings.

Kudos also to Derek Kolbaba, who was the only other man to ride both of his bulls. And he did it with ligament damage in his right ankle which occurred less than two weeks ago. He scored an 85.85 on Ranch Water, a Paradigm Bull Co / D’Anna & Lance Waller bull, in the first round. For the Championship Round, he chose the Paradigm Bull Co / Marquis Metal Works bull, Marquis Metal Works Coriolis Effect. With this bull, he scored an 88.50.

Once inside the arena, this PBR event was like most others; good bulls, good rides, a lot of excitement, and fans who were just plain happy to be there. But outside the arena, the atmosphere was different, and not at all carefree and cheerful. Why, you ask?

Because the loud, misinformed or just plain uninformed minority has been trying for a long time to get Los Angeles County to no longer allow any western sports. Driven mainly by Councilman Bob Blumenfield, they have the ears of the L.A. City Council. But enter the Western Sports Industry Coalition, bringing knowledge, accurate information, and research in their effort to preserve our western sports heritage.

Along with the many supporters of the Western Sports Industry Coalition, those also in attendance included Sean Gleason (CEO of the PBR), James Pickens Jr., (best known for his role in Grey’s Anatomy), Reginald T. Dorsey (actor, team roping and team penning champion), Forrie J. Smith (best known for Yellowstone), the Compton Cowboys, the Buffalo Soldiers, Luke Branquinho

Photo by Andrea Kaus

(5-time World Champion Steer Wrestler), and several Charros, one of whom did some rope tricks for us. There were some great Mexican dancers as well.

Sean Gleason – “We had just really started to establish our presence here in Los Angeles in 2019 and 2020 right here in this arena and we sold out events, and then the pandemic forced us to buck our bulls in other states across the country.

“But as I stand here today and we are allowed to bring our event back to Southern California, a pandemic of a different sort is threatening to make this the last western sports event to be held in Los Angeles. It is a pandemic born from lies, misinformation and sensationalism, all driven by the radical animal rights activists who are on a mission to put us out of business.”

Gleason pointed out that this is an attack to everyone who embraces the western lifestyle and all they stand for; their honesty, commitment, integrity, and hard work.

Derek Kolbaba

Photo by Andrea Kaus

“Under a cloud of darkness and in the midst of the worst stages of the pandemic, somehow, the L.A. City Council found the time to pass a motion that directed the city attorney to write an ordinance that was clearly aimed at bull riding, rodeo, and all western sports.

“The City Council will tell you that this isn’t an ordinance that bans western sports, it’s an ordinance that bans the use of devices that they, in their infinite wisdom and uneducated and ill-informed opinions, claim are devices of torture. That’s their narrative.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he continued. “Those of you that follow PBR know that we have two great athletes in every ride – one human, one bull. Both of those are respected and treated like a professional athlete should be. PBR bulls are born and bred to buck.”

James Pickens Jr.

Photo by Andrea Kaus

James Pickens Jr. – “I didn’t grow up with a ranching or farming background, I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. But I love horses; I’m a child of the 50s and grew up watching every western show on TV. When I moved to New York to be a Broadway actor, the first thing I did was find a place to ride horses. It was in Central Park.”

Since coming to Southern California, Pickens has put on some of the bigger team ropings in Southern California, with proceeds going to several charities. One of those is a cowboy camp for kids.

“This is the kind of impact that the equestrian tradition has had here in California. It got to me way on the East coast. So let’s not be fooled, and let’s not be drawn into the misinformation, agenda, and the buzz words, that you may hear from the other side. We have to keep our side going. (The western lifestyle) helps everybody to learn discipline, hard work, and fair play. There is another side to this. It is our side, and it’s the right side!”

Reginald T. Dorsey

Photo by Andrea Kaus

Reginald T. Dorsey - “Rodeo is here to stay, regardless of whether we do it here, or somewhere else. But we’d prefer to do it here in L.A., because the public appreciates what we do. And you know, it’s funny what people take an issue with.

“In L.A., right around the corner from here, we have homeless people. They need places to stay, they need health care, they need food. This ain’t the issue we should be dealing with right now, especially the City Council! So if you feel the same way I do, please get involved and let people know how you feel about this issue.

“In closing let me say that rodeo and cowboys teach a certain ethic, and a certain moral principle that is passed on from one generation to the next. This is what these kids need today. They need to be able to look up to people who are about their word, taking care of their livestock, and taking care of one another.”

Forrie J. Smith

Photo by Andrea Kaus

Forrie J. Smith - “We’re all gonna come together and beat this thing! First thing I want to do is thank all the farmers and ranchers out there for feeding us – Americans. Yes, when they eat that nice salad, cut into that steak, pull on that warm sweater, thank a rancher, then a farmer! That’s where it came from.

“Now, a bit of history. Rodeo started in Southern California. Way back, cowboys ran their cattle all together. When the roundup was over, they started having contests; ‘Hey, I have a guy that outrode yours. I have a bucking horse that none of your guys can ride.’ Word got out and guys came to watch. That’s how rodeo began. Rodeo was going on right here in California before the term ‘cowboy’ ever existed.

“I think a big part of the problem is that people have moved here from other places, and they just don’t know or understand the western lifestyle in rural America. It is part of our heritage and part of our culture. But the western lifestyle breeds independence.

Photo by Andrea Kaus

Well, it’s time right now that we all come together and fight this, to keep our culture and our heritage.”

So let me remind you, the silent majority is real, and the vocal minority is winning. If we want our western sports to continue in L.A. County, or any county, do something! Don’t think it cannot happen where you live, because it can.

Research and ask questions. If there are misconceptions about the care and welfare of the four-legged rodeo stars in the sport of rodeo and bull riding, try to educate people. Otherwise, the slippery slope just becomes more slippery and steep. The attitude of some people who claim to know what is best for the livestock is not common sense, it is nonsense.

[Editor’s Note - For more information about the Western Industry Sports Coalition and watch a video of the press conference held during the PBR Pluto TV Invitational, visit their website www. westernjustice.info]

Photo by Andrea Kaus