PBR's Rider Development Program Opens Doors for Bull Riders

Under director Joe Ernst, the program aims to prepare bull riders for the evolving demands of the sport.

Nathan Meyer Photography

If you ask the PBR, “There’s never been a better time to be a bull rider.”

In recent years, bull riding prize payouts have climbed to record heights and the bulls are faster, stronger and ranker than ever before. As the sport enters a new era, the PBR is making sure that the cowboys do, too.

One of the first steps of the PBR’s rider development program is to create a “standardized, repeatable curriculum,” said Joe Ernst, Rider Development Director for the PBR.

“There's nothing like that in rodeo in general, and bull riding particularly,” Ernst said. “I've searched high and low, and there's no such thing as a training guide for bull riders.”

Ernst has worked closely with bull rider, Joe Frost, to develop bull riding drills for this curriculum, many of which don’t even require equipment.

“Even if they don't own a barrel at home, they can do three-quarters of the drills in their living room,” Ernst said. “[Frost] has some very innovative ways to train these guys… where they can get the reps they need to build muscle memory.”

The program, he added, follows a holistic approach of developing bull riders as athletes rather than just working on bull riding technique. 

“Standardized training is going to build safer athletes, stronger performance amongst those athletes, and more marketable personalities,” Ernst said. 

Bulls Outpacing Cowboys

Bull Stock Media

Despite climbing prize money and opportunities, the number of roughstock athletes has dwindled over the years. Part of the reason for that, Ernst said, is that the stock’s development is outpacing that of the riders.

“We’re training bull riders like we did 30 or 40 years ago,” Ernst said, “but stock contractors are using all sorts of new techniques… I mean, these bulls have swimming pools where they can exercise.”

The goal is to even the playing field between bulls and riders from a development standpoint, Ernst said. 

One way the PBR is planning to close that gap is through biomechanical testing on its athletes. By using motion-capture sensors — the same small white dots you may have seen actors wear in behind-the-scenes clips — they can track riders’ movements with extreme accuracy.

“[We] can find asymmetries in their body, like one hip is lower, higher, stronger or weaker,” Ernst said. “[We] can create targeted training programs for these guys to get stronger and better.”

Stepping Up the Game

Nathan Meyer Photography

Improving performance is only part of the equation. With the degree of potential danger in bull riding, keeping riders as safe as possible is crucial. The key to that is proper training, Ernst said.

“We are working on drills… for how to get off correctly, where and when to get off that animal, and what side to get off,” Ernst said. “Then, we're also working a little bit on Jiu-Jitsu, in terms of, once you land, how you roll out of that.”

In addition to training drills, the rider development program plans to work with the Western Sports Foundation on a concussion protocol and is making strides to have strict guidelines in place for chute safety, Ernst said.

“We have immense training on chute procedure and the safety inside the chute,” he said. “We're limiting parent participation in the chute area. We're going to have professionals putting on that flank and helping get that bull rope put on so that it’s done really correctly.”

The rider development program isn’t just for new or inexperienced riders, Ernst said. In fact, they have set their sights on creating a “bull-riding combine” that would showcase top high school and college riders. PBR Teams coaches and college coaches can watch riders they may not have noticed before, he added.

“Coaches will be able to nominate their riders for this, and Joe [Frost], Josh Frost and myself will pick… the 20 best high school guys and the 20 best college guys,” Ernst said. “We’ll have the ability to work with them during the day and let them compete in the evening.”

For all of the initiatives coming from the rider development program, Ernst’s goals still go beyond bull riding drills and training.

“Our vision is that we're going to position PBR as the global leader in athlete development,” Ernst said. “We’re not just creating bull riders, but also professional sportsmen who have all the tools and equipment they need for success inside and outside of the arena.” 

For Ernst, the rider development program is about more than producing bull riders. It’s about ensuring the next generation of cowboys has the knowledge, support and opportunity to thrive in a sport that’s evolving faster than ever.

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