YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Hemmed into a narrow steel cage for a weigh-in, Tyrone’s eyes were aflame. He heaved out a furious snort that revealed his power and impatience.
Tyrone is a rather large and particularly aggressive bull.
You wouldn’t want to be perched on his back when he is seeking freedom.
But this weekend, some bull rider will do just that.
The PBR Velocity tour will return to Covelli Centre for competitions at 8 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday.
Tyrone and a group of large football players came face to face in front of the arena Thursday to publicize the event and demonstrate how they compare in terms of muscle and weight.
The bull was led onto the scale while the players – the corps of offensive linemen for Youngstown State University’s football team – looked on.
The big brute tipped in at 1,945 pounds.
Next came the linemen, who stepped onto the scale one by one. It took eight of them to outweigh Tyrone, peaking at 2,070 pounds.
The linemen at the event were Desmeal Leigh, Shane Keenan, Isaac Perkins, Nick Nielsen, Mason Ludwig, Matt Keeley, Rex Lahr, Clay Lawrence and Vince Luce.
In a PBR event, a rider has to hang on to a raging bull for at least eight seconds to garner a score. About 40 will try their luck at this weekend’s events.
As the bull riders’ tour likes to put it, there are two athletes in the ring at these events: the rider and the bull.
“When the gate opens, it’s pure strength, balance, instinct and intensity, packed into eight seconds,” said Ryan McCarthy, the PBR spokesman at the event.
The pace and movement of the bull are factors in determining the rider’s score.
Justin Cornwell, who raises bulls for PBR at his Cornwell Bucking Bulls near Lima, Ohio, agreed that the bulls are also star athletes. He trucked in Tyrone and about 50 other bulls for this weekend’s competitions at Covelli.
Cornwell said he raises the bulls to be competitors, keeping his eyes on the ones who are especially fast and mean. That’s the way PBR likes them.
A bull, by the way, can also move pretty quickly.
Cornwell couldn’t say exactly how fast they gallop in terms of miles per hour, but noted, “They can run faster than you can.”
Tickets for this weekend’s PBR shows at Covelli are available at the box office and at Ticketmaster. Click HERE for Friday’s event, and HERE for Saturday’s.
Pictured at top: Tyrone will be part of this weekend’s competitions at Covelli Centre.