Professional Bull Riders Florida Freedom ready for first season in Sunrise

Marc Berman
| Specially for The Post

HOLLYWOOD — John Crimber, the 18-year-old bull riding phenom for the Florida Freedom, sat in the sand near the bull pen and read from the Bible.

The Florida Freedom, who will play their first season in the Professional Bull Riders League, were scheduled to perform a bull riding demonstration on the Seminole Tribe Reservation on Saturday. It was the conclusion of their first training camp in Broward County.

Members of the Seminole Tribe Fire Rescue unit were present with their red truck 30 feet away. Before the first bull ride, the event’s announcer led the fans in a prayer.

Bull riding has its occupational risks, but also its fanatical fans. One of the two Oklahoma City franchises has relocated to South Florida and the Freedom will hold their PBR league games at Amerant Bank Arena, home of the recently crowned Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers.

Maybe it’s a good omen.

Florida’s first home game is Aug. 2-4 at Sunrise. The Freedom hosts the New York Mavericks (Aug. 2), who play home at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, the Oklahoma Wildcatters (Aug. 3) and the Missouri Thunder (Aug. 4).

“Danger is everywhere,” Florida head coach Paulo Crimber said. “You can walk down the street and get run over by a truck. Danger is part of what we do. But we do it for love. I’m afraid of heights. But I can jump a million bulls.”

Crimber, a 44-year-old Brazilian who moved to Texas, retired from riding in 2012 after making a comeback from a broken neck. An injury kept him away from the Bulls for three years.

The sport is menacing, but perfect in its simplicity. A rider must stay on top of the bull for 8 seconds to score. Then he is assessed on the ride.

“I was trying to prove the doctors wrong, that I could ride again,” Crimber said. “I did it a little bit so my son could see me ride. I wasn’t good anymore because my body was limited, but I did come back for a year.”

Paulo made $3 million in his caretaker. His son, John, is now Florida’s most notable horseman, ranking second in the nation this year with $800,000 in earnings during the individual portion of the bull riding season.

“In one season he won a quarter of what I won in my entire career,” said Paulo. “He drives great. He is a phenomenon. He is the LeBron James of bull riding.”

John Crimber was indeed the #1 pick in the PBR draft. Crimber got his first mini bull at age 6 and a big bull at age 9.

“He has more natural talent than me, but it’s in the bloodline,” said Paulo Crimber. “I didn’t have anyone to teach me and I learned it myself. I helped him since he was a baby and showed him the tactics.”

Another young Florida star is 22-year-old Conner Halverson, who grew up around the rodeo in a town of 1,500 in Gordon, Nebraska.

“The rodeo came to my town every year and it’s something I’ve always loved,” Halverson said. “It’s dangerous, but I fell in love with it. You put the dangers of it in the back of your mind. We don’t think about it that much. We just focus on our work and doing what we love. But we know the possibilities.”

In South Dakota, Halverson ruptured his liver in 2019. Bull riding injuries do not usually occur as a result of a fall. The danger arises after landing on the dirt. On an unlucky day, it is inevitable that the bull will step on a rider, usually unintentionally.

“We get hurt because we fall in a bad spot, and then their legs happen to step on it the next time,” Halverson said. “A lot of times it’s not intentional. Wrong spot. Wrong time. Nothing we can control. But there are bulls that have a temperament that they need an extra action to go after you.”

Florida has the youngest team in the PBR league, with a handful of 18-year-olds and cowboys in their early 20s. Their oldest rider is 32; Trent Bennett III has had a slew of serious injuries but refuses to retire.

Bennett has broken both sides of his face, his femur, and has had ACL surgeries on each knee. His last injury occurred two years ago, when he broke his arm so badly that he had to have a plate put in.

Bennett, who lives in Houston, won’t blame the bull. “They’re harder to ride now, but not as mean as they were years ago,” said Bennett, who rode his first mature bull when he was 14.

Bennett was signed as a free agent, this being his first season in the PBR league. The big question is why continue after all the injuries. He points to his career earnings of $1.5 million.

“I’ve had a lot of success and I have a family to feed,” said Bennett, who has three sons. “Some retire at 35. Some retire earlier. But I’m good. I’ve had one of my best years ever and this new opportunity is like a new job. It’s refreshing. And my wife doesn’t care as long as I’m good at it and I’m making money.”

At the Hollywood Rodeo Arena Saturday, the Florida riders were all decked out in their cowboy hats, black Florida Freedom cowboy shirts and mirror sunglasses. But when it came time to get on top of the bull, the cowboy hats and easy air are traded for a protective black helmet and a touch of excitement. There were a few falls, but no injuries were reported that night.

“It’s really about finding the right path to go on,” Halverson said of what makes a successful bull rider. “There are a lot of riders in this world, but few are willing to take the path it takes to be professional and be successful in this industry. Some of them are just here to say they are bull riders and take it not serious, earn a living from it, learn the right basic principles. That’s super important.”

Learning a bull’s scout report is only part of the game.

“Some bulls have a pattern,” Halverson says. “Some of them, you know what they’re going to do. Some of them don’t. They’re just human. They have a mind of their own.”

More: Heading to The Show: Former Palm Beach Gardens baseball player makes MLB debut – as an umpire

Bennett says anticipating a bull’s action is overrated. “Usually they go right or left, but you try not to think about what they’re doing,” Bennett said. “You don’t have time to think about anything. It’s only 8 seconds and a lot happens in 8 seconds. It’s reaction.”

And it’s also a sensation that’s hard to understand. Halverson laughed when asked if it’s like riding the most dangerous roller coaster.

“It’s pretty hard to describe,” Halverson said. “Everything happens so fast. Your adrenaline is going so fast. There’s nothing else that compares to it. I don’t know what to compare it to. If there’s anything to compare it to, I haven’t done it yet. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime feeling for someone who doesn’t know what it feels like.”

More: Wimbledon 2024: Coco Gauff aims for second Grand Slam but struggles on grass

During training camp, the team went on a deep-sea fishing expedition off the coast of Fort Lauderdale. It was the idea of the head coach who has twelve riders on his roster.

“I love Florida,” says Paulo Crimber, originally from Sao Paulo. “It’s a beautiful place. The ocean is beautiful. We couldn’t be happier to be here. The weather reminds me of Brazil with the coconut and mango trees.”

And Crimber hopes the Florida Freedom will remind everyone of champions. CBS Networks has the television rights to the season, which runs from mid-July to mid-October.

“We went to the Panthers arena on Friday,” Crimber said. “Our goal is to bring another Cup to the arena that is equal to their Cup.”

nowplaying family centre

Professional Bull Riders Florida Freedom ready for first season in Sunrise

Recent Posts

Social Media

Advertisement