This is not a rodeo
Results | World standings | Average | Photos | Archive
Rusty Riddle
Two-time world champion Justin McBride features prominently in the documentary.
It was the premiere of "This is Not a Rodeo!" in the Lion King Theater, a two-year labor of love for sports producer Joe Loverro. The documentary details the 20 intrepid bull riders who were willing to plunk down $1,000 apiece back in 1992 to form the Professional Bull Riders, Inc., an organization now valued at almost $100 million.
Loverro, a native of Philadelphia, wasn't the likeliest choice to helm a feature film about bull riding — at least, not seven years ago when he was chosen to take over the PBR broadcasts on the Versus networks.
"I knew very little of the Western world," says Loverro. "I laughed and said, 'I'm Joey from Jersey, how's that going to work?' But pretty much from day one, once I got to an event, met the cowboys, spent some time in this world, I was hooked."
The documentary, although disjointed at times, tells the compelling story of the PBR's evolution from the point of the view of the founders themselves; chiefly, Cody Lambert, Tuff Hedeman and Ty Murray, with cameos made from the likes of Jim Sharp, Jerome Davis and Michael Gaffney among others. But beyond being an historical re-telling of the decision that would change the world of rodeo forever, the film brings to life the human stories of the major players. And that, says Loverro, is exactly what he intended.
"It's meant to be a character piece, a great cowboy story, not just a piece about the PBR," says Loverro. "Because my great hope is that this will be something that will play well beyond our audience."
But perhaps the greatest accomplishment of the film is that, for the first time in public, estranged PBR founder Tuff Hedeman speaks about his acrimonious decision to split from the group in 2004. The film gives all parties involved a chance to tell their side of the story, and leaves it up to the viewer to choose a side.
Sam Applebaum, the first president of the PBR, especially pulls no punches.
"As much as all these other sorry mother------s want to take credit for it, Tuff was the one who made you believe," he says in vehement response to those who would discredit the role Hedeman played in the organization's early success.
But disagreements over sponsorship, riders' interests and a major personality clash between Hedeman and Randy Bernard, named CEO in 1994, eventually led to a rift that time has done nothing to heal. Even now, Hedeman's eyes belie a deep-seated hurt and indignation that hasn't gone away. The PBR's sale to Spire Capital, a venture capital media group out of New York City, for a reported $96 million, only fanned the flames — despite the windfall that all of the founding members, including Hedeman, received from the deal.
"How much of that is earmarked for the riders, did you get that figure?" Hedeman defiantly asks the unseen interviewer. "Zero."
But regardless of conflicts between founding members, controversial leadership and the sometimes tragic story of those who couldn't hang in long enough to see their payout (the Carrillo brothers, bull riding twins from Texas, sold their shares for only $14,000 several years ago during tough times), the documentary is, at its core, a story of the American dream fulfilled.
"In this time, when everybody wishes that their money was hidden away in a pillow somewhere, this really does give you hope," says Loverro. "Because if 20 bull riders could figure out a way to live their American dream on 20 grand — which even in 1992 was kind of naive — this does offer hope."
The film wants the viewer to believe that, even 17 years ago, that sense of the American dream was at the core of what those 20 bull riders set out to do — make a professional sports organization for bull riders and by bull riders. And for the most part, it does so convincingly, interspersing interviews with present day footage of PBR events to underline just how big the PBR has become.
"I knew the sky's the limit, but I didn't know how far up in the sky we could go," says PBR president and co-founder Ty Murray during the film. "It was baby steps, but the steps kept going up."
The PBR World Finals closes out its final weekend in Las Vegas and crowns its $1 million world champion on Saturday and Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center. Stay tuned to ESPN Bull Riding for coverage all weekend long.
For more on "This is Not a Rodeo!" and to watch the trailer, visit www.thisisnotarodeo.com.
Make sure to follow ESPN Rodeo + Bull Riding @ www.twitter.com/espnrodeo for live updates from inside the Thomas & Mack Center.
Results | World standings | Average | Photos | Archive
Check back with ESPN.com and pbrnow.com all week long for continuing coverage of the 2009 PBR World Finals in Las Vegas.
Back to Top
Got an opinion? Click ESPN conversation below to post your comment about this story.
