Professional Bull Riders Florida Freedom ready for first season after ending training camp

HOLLYWOOD — John Crimber, the 18-year-old bull-riding phenom for the Florida Freedom, sat down in the dirt near the bull pen and read from a Bible.

The Florida Freedom, who will compete in their inaugural season in the Professional Bull Riders League, were about to perform a bull-riding exhibition Saturday on the Seminole Tribe reservation. It was the conclusion of their first training camp in Broward County.

On hand were members of the Seminole Tribe Fire Rescue unit with its red truck 10 yards away.  Before the first bull ride, the event’s public-address announcer led fans in a prayer.

Bull-riding has its job hazards but it also has its rabid fans. One of the two Oklahoma City franchises has relocated to South Florida and the Freedom will host their matches in the PBR league at Amerant Bank Arena, home of the newly crowned Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers .

Maybe it’s a good omen.

The first homestand for Florida is  Aug. 2-4 in Sunrise. The Freedom host the New York Mavericks (Aug. 2), whose home is Brooklyn's Barclays Center, Oklahoma Wildcatters (Aug. 3) and Missouri Thunder (Aug. 4).

“Danger is everywhere,’’ said Florida head coach Paulo Crimber. “You can walk out of a street and get run over by a truck. The danger is part of what we do. But we do it for the love. I’m afraid of heights. But I can hop on a million bulls.’’

Crimber  a 44-year-old from Brazil who relocated to Texas, retired from riding in 2012 after making a comeback from a broken neck – an injury kept him off bulls for three years.

The sport is menacing but perfect in its simplicity. A rider needs to stay atop the bucking bull for 8 seconds to score. Then he’s judged on the ride.

“I was working to try to prove the doctors wrong, that I was able to ride again,’’ Crimber said. “I did it a little bit for my son to be able to watch me ride. I wasn’t any good anymore because my body was limited but I did come back for one year.’’

Paulo made $3 million in his career. His son, John, now is Florida’s standout rider,  second-ranked  in the country off earnings of $800,000 this year during the individual  portion of the bull-riding season.

“In one season, he won a quarter of what I won in my whole career,’’ Paulo said. “He rides great. He’s a phenom. He’s the LeBron James of bull-riding.’’

Indeed, John Crimber was also the No. 1 pick in the PBR draft. Crimber got on his first mini-bull at 6 and a big bull by 9.

“He has more natural talent than me but it’s a blood-line thing,’’ Paulo Crimber said. “I didn’t have anyone to teach me and I learned on my own. I’ve helped him since he was a baby, showing him the tactics.’’

Another of Florida’s young stars is 22-year-old Conner Halverson, who grew up around rodeo in a town of 1,500 in Gordon, Nebraska.

“The rodeo came to my town every year and it’s something I always took a liking to,’’ Halverson said. “It’s dangerous but I fell in love with it. The dangers of it, you put in the back of your mind. We don’t think about it that much. We just focus on doing our job and doing what we love. But we know the possibilities.’’

In South Dakota,  in 2019, Halverson lacerated his liver. Bull-riding injuries usually don’t occur because of a fall. The peril is after landing on the dirt. On an unlucky day, the bull is bound to step on a rider, mostly unintentionally.

“We get injured because we fall off in a bad spot that happens to be where their legs are stepping next.’’ Halverson said. “A lot of times, it’s not intentional. Wrong spot. Wrong time. Nothing we can control. But there are some bulls that have the temper that might take an extra act to go after you.’’

Florida has the youngest team in the PBR league, with a handful of 18-year-olds and cowboys in their early 20s. Their oldest rider is 32; Trent Bennett III has experienced a litany of serious injuries but refuses to retire.

Bennett has broken both sides of his face, his femur, underwent ACL surgeries on each knee. His latest injury occurred two years ago, breaking his arm so severely, he needed a plate inserted.

Bennett, who lives in Houston, won’t blame the bull. “They’re harder to ride now but not as mean as years ago,’’ said Bennett, who rode his first adult bull at 14.

Bennett was signed as a free agent, this being his first season in the PBR league. The big question is why continue after all the injuries. He points to his career earnings of $1.5 million.

“I’ve had a lot of success, and I have to feed a family,’’ said Bennett, who has three sons. “Some retire at 35. Others, the fire goes out sooner. But I’m good. I had one of my best years so far and this new opportunity is like a new job. It freshens it up. And my wife don’t care – as long as I’m good at it and making a living.’’

At the Hollywood Rodeo Arena Saturday, the Florida riders were all decked out in their cowboy hats, black Florida Freedom cowboy shirts and mirror sunglasses. But when it was time to go atop the bull, the cowboy hats and easy air are traded in for a protective black helmet and a waft of tension. There were a couple of falls but no injuries on this night.

“It’s mainly finding the right path to go down,’’ Halverson said of what makes a successful bull rider. “There’s a lot of riders in this world, but few are willing to take the path of what it actually takes to be professional and succeed in this industry. Some of them are just here to say they’re bull riders and not taking it seriously, making a living out of it, learning the correct fundamentals. That’s super important.’’

Learning a bull’s scouting report is only part of the game.

“Some bulls have a certain pattern,’’ Halverson said. “Some of them, you know what they’re going to do. Some you don’t. They’re like humans. They have a mind of their own.’’

More: Headed to The Show: Former Palm Beach Gardens baseball standout makes MLB debut - as an umpire

Bennett says anticipating a bull’s action is overrated. “Usually, they go right or left but you try not to think about what they’re doing,’’ Bennett said. “You don’t have time to think about anything. It’s only 8 seconds and a lot is happening in 8 seconds. It’s reaction.’’

And it’s also a thrill that can’t be understood. Halverson laughed when asked if it is like going on the most perilous rollercoaster.

“It’s pretty hard to describe,’’ Halverson said. “Everything happens so fast. Your adrenaline is going so much. There’s nothing else like it. I don’t know what to compare it to. If there is something to compare it to , I haven’t done it yet. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime, feeling for the person who doesn’t know what it feels like.’’

More: Wimbledon 2024: Coco Gauff seeking her second Grand Slam but has struggled on grass

During training camp, the team went on a team-bonding deep-sea fishing expedition off the Fort Lauderdale coast. It was the idea of the head coach who has 12 riders on his roster.

“I love Florida,’’ said Paulo Crimber, originally from Sao Paulo. “It’s a beautiful place. The ocean is beautiful. We couldn’t be more glad to be here. The weather reminds me of Brazil with the coconut and mango trees.’’

And Crimber hopes the Florida Freedom remind everyone of champions. CBS Networks has the television rights to the season that runs from mid-July to mid-October.

“We went to see the Panthers arena (Friday),’’ Crimber said. “It’s our goal to bring another Cup to the arena to match their Cup.’’

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Professional Bull Riders Florida Freedom ready for first season after ending training camp