 "Photo: Nicole Padilla")
In the blink of an eye, darkness blanketed the arena. Two pairs of glowing eyes flashed like rubies in the mist of snarling smoke blown from the snouts of two menacing bull-head statues.
The feeling of tension in the crowd was almost as strong as the odor of dirt, leather and stale hay. In Anaheim, the sports event stronghold of Orange County, this is not your typical scene.
But the people in the stands couldn't care less. They came to see one thing--professional bull riding at it's finest.
The Professional Bull Rider's eighth stop on the Built Ford Tough Series Tour rode into the land of Disney.
The annual Anaheim Invitational at the Honda Center culminated in two-and-a-half hours of stamina, strength and skill from the world's top 45 bull riders as they put themselves to the test against the weight and power of wild gangs of bucking bulls.
Riding on this competition was a $24,500 prize along with the chance at a million dollar purse at the World Finals in Las Vegas in October.
One of the couples in attendance at the event was Casey Arbiso and former Cal State Fullerton softball player Amanda Fernandez.
"We've been here every day this weekend. It's entertaining and it's a family event too," Arbiso said.
The riders kicked off the event holding on for dear life under the thrashing bulls.
With dirt and dust flying everywhere under the bull's hooves (including the mouths of everyone in the front rows), the riders had to focus themselves on one main goal- stay on the chaotic, one-handed hell ride for eight seconds without getting "bucked," or thrown off, in order to qualify for a score by three judges.
"It's a rush," Fernandez said. "The adrenaline and the hits they take and the way [the bull riders] get back up and get back on the bull no matter what is exciting."
The action rolled on throughout the afternoon with some bone-crushing highlights of man versus beast.
When it came to the bone crushing, the beasts usually won.
Each rider took individual turns in two preliminary "Go-rounds" until only the top 15 riders were left to compete in the final round, the "Short-Go," in which the winner would be named.
For a newbie to the world of PBR, an event like this may have seemed like a bit of a culture shock.
Clusters of western-clad tail-gaters converged on the arena as country music blared from a booth near the entrance. Cowboy boots clacked on the cement up and down the aisles. The event had been raging since Friday and Saturday had also experienced a huge turnout.
Cyndi Gilbert co-owns the Diamond G bull team alongside her husband Steve Gilbert out of Tocquerville, Utah.
This was one of the competitions fiercest groups of horned Goliaths.
"It's a pretty expensive hobby," Gilbert said. "My husband was a bull rider when he was young and he always wanted to come back to it. The PBR has really brought the bull riding back. I mean, people will buy bulls for a million dollars."
Though she is an experienced professional when it comes to raising bulls, at heart, Gilbert treats these animals like her kids. Her biggest bundle of pride and joy happens to be a gigantic frosty-colored terror named "White Magic."
The host of the event turned out to be as much of a highlight as some of the bulls.
With a face covered in clown paint, a star spangled shirt and a pair of red and white Air Jordans, Flint Rasmussen put on a better show than any newcomer to the PBR could have possibly imagined.
Not only did he crack everyone up with his country-boy comedy, but he even gave people in the nosebleed section something to take home as he fired bunched-up T-shirts through a mini bazooka that flung them all the way to the upper deck.
However, Rasmussen's finest accomplishment that night came when he managed to get a middle-aged Wrangler-jean-wearing, brass-belt buckle-sporting cowboy named Bill to get up in the stands and bust a move to the song "I Like Big Butts" by Sir Mix-A-Lot.
Brazilian rider Paulo Crimber ended up winning the contest in the "Short Go-round" atop "All In," a bull from the Naccarato Bucking Bulls team, with a score of 90.5 out of a possible 100 points. Crimber showed the control and heart of a dedicated champion as he fought and swung his free arm to gain position in the tight tornado-like spins of the bull.
According to www.pbrnow.com, Crimber was more than happy with his performance at the BFTS bull riding tour.
"I sure can't complain," Crimber said. "I'm healthy this season and riding well. I'm drawing good and I think right now I have the whole package. I'm ready for a gold [championship] buckle."
