SPRINGDALE (KFSM) - On Saturday night, hundreds of people were out at Parsons Stadium in Springdale to watch professional bull riders try to stay on a two-ton bucking bull for eight seconds.
Announcer Jeff Lee said professional bull riding has come to Parsons Stadium for decades. He said the object of the ride is for the cowboy to stay on the bull for eight seconds without placing his free hand on himself, the equipment or the bull or he is disqualified. One hand must stay on the rope. The event is scored out of 100 points.
"You'll see 35 of the top cowboys in the PBR and the Touring Pro....it's designed to give younger cowboys an opportunity to make it to that big level," Lee said.
He said the cowboys are from all over the United States and the world, including Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Australia. Rider Ben Jones is an international cowboy originally from Melbourne, Australia, and said once he rode a bull for the first time he was hooked.
"The eight seconds is peaceful for me," Jones said, "Everyone thinks it's different, but that eight seconds it's just me and the bull on top of the world."
The event started at 8 p.m. and went until 10:30 p.m. Tickets ranged from $15-$35. The next event at Parsons Stadium will be the Hispanic Heritage Event on September 13.