Professional bull riding brings excitement and revenue to Florida
Get ready for a wild ride. Professional bull riding is officially saddling up in Florida. Team Florida Freedom debuts as the Sunshine State’s first-ever professional bull riding team, but it’s not their first rodeo!
“We are ready to buck some bulls,” says Paulo Crimber, head coach of Florida Freedom and 10-time Professional Bull Riding (PBR) World Finals qualifier. “We wanted to mix it up and bring bull riding back to the state of Florida. Florida has both the weather, the community, and the large Brazilian demographic for it.”
Florida Freedom is competing in the PBR Team League. The league has transformed the traditional individual sport of bull riding into a team-formatted competition. Ten teams compete in a 12-event regular season.
Forbes Magazine called PBR “America’s Fastest Growing Sport.”
The New York Times Athletic says, “five PBR events on CBS in 2023 topped 1 million viewers” and “the bull riding broadcasts have also enjoyed growth in some of the key age demographics sought by advertisers, up 22 percent in adults ages 18-34 and up 11 percent in adults 18-49.” The PBR League’s 10 teams are based around the country, from New York to Nashville, Kansas City to Carolina. Two teams are owned by league members, and the rest are franchised. Like other sports, teams can trade riders until a deadline, with some riders being “protected.” All teams compete using standardized equipment and wear logo-branded apparel during matches, proudly representing their respective teams.
Florida Freedom, Florida’s first professional bull-riding team, gearing up to redefine the spirit of professional bull riding.
Florida Freedom competed during the PBR League’s first two seasons as the Oklahoma Freedom before relocating to Florida last November. The South Florida team has made Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise the official stomping ground for this year’s Camping World Tour Series.
Located at 1 Panther Parkway, it is the largest indoor arena in the state, hosting over 20,000 spectators and home to the Florida Panthers.
Florida Freedom is quickly gaining popularity, with over 44,000 followers and counting on its social media pages. The hashtag “Let Freedom Ride” is represented by patriotic colors and a mascot of an American Bald Eagle named Freddie Freedom.
Florida Freedom competes in the PBR Team League, where the traditional individual sport of bull riding turns into a team-formatted competition.
The team recently posted to Instagram, “Hats off to the FL Panthers for winning the Stanley Cup! Can their Florida Freedom roommates bring home another championship title this October?” The crossover video gained more than 5,000 likes from fans.
The basics of bull riding
The Professional Bull Riding website explains the PBR Camping World Team Series is “a groundbreaking shift where riders join forces, competing shoulder to shoulder as a cohesive unit. While the thrill of rider versus bull remains, the game has transformed into a stirring quest for team glory.”
“I was a bull rider for about 20 years until I was 28 and broke my neck twice. My riding days were cut short,” says Crimber, who previously coached the Arizona Ridge Riders. “I have a son who now does it and has the talent for it. I love teaching and sharing my knowledge with other riders. I am now a coach and work with the guys who want to get better with bulling bucking with PBR League and individual riding.”
Florida Freedom is quickly gaining popularity, with over 44,000 followers on its social media pages. BULL STOCK MEDIA / COURTESY PHOTOS
Crimber and his son John bring a rare dynamic to the sport, being the first-ever father-son duo within the league. A star rider, 18-year-old John Crimber was the number one overall pick in the 2024 PBR team’s new rider draft and recently finished second in the World Championship Race.
He also won one premier series event and added five runner-up finishes to his name during the regular season, going 29-for-66.
“He (John Crimber) started when he was about 3 years old riding sheep,” says Crimber. “It is going to be amazing coaching with my son in our league; he is very successful and knows a lot about bulls. Everyone wanted him on their team. It is a blessing, and our team has the best chance of winning every weekend.”
The South Florida team has made Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise the official spot for this year’s Camping World Tour Series.
Riders cannot participate more than once throughout a weekend event; if teams do not have five riders, they forfeit the game.
“Some riders do just the team matches and others also do individual. You can participate in both. We have 12 riders total, we can use seven on the weekend games and have five ‘reserved’ that we send off to individual bull bucking matches, switch out throughout the weekend event, or use if someone is injured,” explains Crimber.
The season begins in July and continues every weekend until the championships in Las Vegas in October. The PBR League teams travel throughout the United States and compete in at least one home match throughout the season.
The Florida Freedom team’s home competition will ride into town from Aug. 2 – 4 during the Freedom Days event. They will compete against the New York Mavericks (Aug. 2), Oklahoma Wildcatters (Aug. 3), and Missouri Thunder (Aug. 4).
Crimber explains that the PBR League utilizes a special system to select bulls for each weekend event. The director of stock is responsible for sourcing and pulling different bulls for each location and match. Florida Freedom owns bulls that are used for practice and training purposes. Still, the ones for official competitions are chosen to ensure fairness, along with the best competition and feisty entertainment.
“It doesn’t make a difference not knowing the bull. The best thing to do is ride the bull jump for the jump. Sometimes, if a rider is comfortable with a certain bull, they anticipate certain things and then get surprised when the bull behaves differently,” says Crimber.
Audiences and prizes
Through new broadcasting rights agreements in partnerships with CBS and Merit Street Media, all 140 of the league’s regular-season games and the Championship event on Fridays and Saturdays will be televised.
There will also be pre-and post-game coverage, PBR Now, and a one-hour weekly dive into the season. It will also be available on other sports streaming networks, including Paramount+ and YouTube.
Florida Freedom aims to claim the 2024 PBR Camping World Teams Championship title and proudly represent Florida. The winning team within the league will also be belted with the Championship Buckle, weighing almost 20 pounds and featuring a 24-inch base of solid sterling silver with gold detailing, valued at $100,000.
In addition, Crimber says the team is committed to positively impacting Florida by supporting local children’s hospitals and organizations and attending other sports teams’ games.
“The team is already planning on attending some Miami Dolphins games together, which my son is really excited about,” says Crimber.
The 2024 Championship will take place in Las Vegas, with prizes of $600,000 to the winning team and $450,000 to the ownership group.
Individual riders will also be awarded prizes, including a $100,000 League MVP based on the highest individual score total across the season.
Tickets for weekend matches can be purchased online through PBR League, SeatGeek, and at the Amerant Bank Arena Box Office or by calling PBR customer services at 1-800-732-1727. Tickets start at $20, and fans can receive a 20 percent discount on select price levels for three-day weekend packages.
Crimber is excited about the future: “We are really looking forward to being in Florida. It is going to be a lot of fun, and we are hoping to create a huge fan base here that will help us win the championship!” ¦
In the KNOW
Florida Freedom, Florida’s first professional bull-riding team
· Where: Amerant Bank Arena; 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise
· When: July – October; home match held Aug 2-4
· Info: pbr.com/teams/florida-freedom
· Social Media: Facebook.com/FLFreedomPBR, Instagram.com/flfreedompbr
The post Unleash the Beast first appeared on Bonita Springs Florida Weekly .
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