PBR: Celebrating 30 Years tells the story of how a group of determined cowboys took control of their own destiny and turned rodeo’s featured event into a global phenomenon. The story is told through the lens of PBR’s official photographer Andy Watson, who has spent his career documenting the toughest sport on dirt. From the early days in small outdoor arenas to showcasing the sport in Times Square, Hollywood and even on the deck of an aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington, Andy shares an inside look at the cowboys and bulls who have kept the Western lifestyle at the forefront of American consciousness.
You’ll meet the founders, a band of brothers who bet all-in on themselves along with the builders, who gave everything to provide a means to make a living for riders, stock contractors and support staff. You’ll meet the champions, who strapped in and became the best of the best as well as the greatest bovine athletes ever assembled and the devoted men and women who care for them. And you’ll get a close up look at many of the riders and bulls who each week entertain the most loyal fans in sports, giving PBR it’s unique personality and place in the American sports landscape.
From modest beginnings, the 20 founders have grown to more than 500 bull riders from around the world who hold PBR membership cards. They compete in more than 200 annual PBR events in the United States, Brazil, Australia, Canada and Mexico for the opportunity to win the most coveted prize in all of Western sports, the PBR World Championship gold buckle. PBR is now seen in more than 400 million households in 90 countries and territories.
Celebrating 30 Years allows us to pause for a moment in time and an opportunity to reflect on who and what brought us to where we are today. Andy’s unique vantage point is that he was on the dirt to capture nearly every great moment of our sport – a lifetime passion that he is now sharing in one place. Colleague Kacie Albert narrates the journey along with the voices of the cowboys who lived it.
This unforgettable collection of photographs captures the pivotal moments in the history of the Professional Bull Riders as the organization turns 30. It tells the captivating story of what is and what was and it will give you a glimpse into what’s to come, for the chute has just opened and the ride is just beginning.
Photos from Andy Watson, the man who captures it all on the dirt
