'The Olympics of bull riding' has its first All-Native American team

[mahatmakanejeeves]

If you're like me, first of all, I feel sorry for you. But never mind that, because if you're like me, you were watching the Professional Bull Riders on the TV yesterday. The event was the third annual Global Cup. To not much surprise, the Brazilians won again.

Brazilian bull riders win Global Cup at AT&T Stadium

BY BRETT HOFFMAN SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM

FEBRUARY 10, 2019 07:30 PM, UPDATED 19 MINUTES AGO

ARLINGTON -- Brazilian bull riders ride with a lot of grit and determination and they can be hard to throw off.

That was apparent when a team of Brazilian cowboy athletes strapped on their spurs at AT&T Stadium and clinched their second Global Cup title on the Professional Bull Riders circuit.

Winning the third annual Global Cup, which was Saturday and Sunday, had everything to do with which team could have the most riders stay on their bovines for the required eight seconds. The results were based on aggregate scores.

After the dust settled, Brazil stayed on one more bull throughout the two-day show than the Team USA Eagles, which was among two United States teams that competed in the 2019 Global Cup.
....

Teams represented the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Australia. As the article, there were two teams from the United States; the Eagles, and the Wolves. The Wolves were composed to Native American riders. That's a first.

‘The Olympics of bull riding’ has its first All-Native American team

by Jourdan Bennett-Begaye Feb 1 -edited

Updated: First major sports league to reach out to Indian Country

There’s a first for everything. And the Professional Bull Riders will include an All-Native American team to compete in the 2019 Global Cup next weekend. ... PBR chief executive Sean Gleason said they are the first in major sports league to make such a move. ... Since the Global Cup is all about the home country defending its soil from foreign lands and “given the sovereignty of Natives in the U.S.,” Gleason said it only seemed fitting to have a Native team.

The AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas hosts the six teams from counties: Team Australia, Team Brazil, Team Canada, Team Mexico, Team USA Eagles and Team USA Wolves. ... “The PBR has a significant number of Native Americans that all ride on a very high level on our tour,” he said. “Celebrating the Native American lifestyle has been near and dear to my heart and there are many Native American riders that would represent their nations well.”

Team Wolves, the All-Native team, is one of the two USA Teams to compete. The other USA team of non-Native bull riders is Team Eagles. ... Gleason said he consulted with the team, [mainly] Keyshawn Whitehorse, Stetson Lawrence and Ryan Dirteater, on their name and logo for the event.

Dirteater and Lawrence were the first two chosen for the team. From there they had direct input on who would coach them. Other riders, Native and non-Native, recommended Wiley Peterson, former professional bull rider. ... Once Coach Petersen came on he chose the rest of the team, which “wasn’t a tough decision,” he said. ... The Shoshone-Bannock citizen, and now a physician’s assistant, used the top standings to help him choose and also wanted to recruit younger guys who haven’t been on the big stage.
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(Photo courtesy of the Professional Bull Riders)

{I took the picture from Petersen honorsed to be Team Wolves coach.}

I'm not sure I'd consider bull riding a major sport. If you're going to do that, you need to consider the representation of Native Americans in lacrosse.

I noticed that they were wearing a lot of padding under their jerseys. I suspect that this is in reaction to the death of Mason Lowe three weeks ago:

Mason Lowe, 25-year-old professional bull rider, dies from injuries at Denver event

[dlk]

1. Cool!