PBR takes center stage at Helldorado Days

By GILBERT MANZANO LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

9 years ago

J.B. Mauney rides Bruiser to the best score of the night, a 93.25, during the fourth round of the PBR World Finals Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014 at the Thomas & Mack Center. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

In this Jan 3, 2014, file photo, Reese Cates, from El Dorado, Ariz., rides Happy Trax in the Professional Bull Riders Buck Off in New York’s Madison Square Garden. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

J.B. Mauney rides Long Hair Outlaw during the third round at the Professional Bull Rider’s World Finals at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014. Mauney had the high score of the night with a 90.25 points. (David Becker/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Reese Cates has a sweet photo of him atop a bucking bull with Mandalay Bay towering in the background.

Cates has competed all over the world with the Professional Bull Riders the past 10 years and ranks the outdoor venue in Las Vegas for the Last Cowboy Standing as one of his favorites.

“I thought it was one of the coolest things that we do all year and maybe one of the coolest things I’ve done throughout my whole career,” Cates said, “because how many people have a picture of them riding a bull with the Mandalay Bay and all those casinos in the background?”

The Last Cowboy Standing, one of the PBR’s major events, moved last year from the Mandalay Bay Events Center to the empty lot across the street known as the Las Vegas Village.

Thanks to positive reviews, Last Cowboy Standing will remain outdoors this year, but the MGM Resorts’ site on Las Vegas Boulevard South will be filled with a lot more festivities.

For the the first time, Helldorado Days and the PBR will merge for a three-day show running Friday through Sunday. The Last Cowboy Standing is the headline event Friday and Saturday, with the annual Helldorado rodeo running through the weekend.

PBR CEO Sean Gleason has tried to unite with the historic Helldorado Days for the past five years. Gleason and Helldorado Days now plan to do business together for many years.

“We’re making a huge investment building all of this in a parking lot,” said Gleason, who took over as CEO last year but has been with the PBR for 17 years. “We’re spending several millions of dollars to bring all of this to life.

“We’ve signed up for multiple years with Helldorado Days. So failure isn’t an option.”

The festival opens at 11 a.m. Friday, with the rodeo starting in the main arena at 3 p.m. The Last Cowboy Standing begins at 7:50 p.m and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

Cates is in favor of the recent changes to Last Cowboy Standing and joining Helldorado Days, which has entertained folks since 1934.

“I think it’s going to be a great idea,” Cates said. “Gives us an opportunity not only to grow the venue but to grow the sport of professional bull riding. It’s just an opportunity for everybody to get together at one time and make this something special.

“Personally, I’ve never been to Helldorado Days, so I don’t know what to expect, but one thing is for sure that whenever you bring in this many cowboys to Las Vegas, it’s going to be a good time.”

Cates will be one of the top 50 riders from the Built Ford Tough Series to compete in the Last Cowboy Standing. J.B. Mauney, from North Carolina, is the reigning world champion and currently leads the standings. Brazilians Joao Ricardo Vieira, Fabiano Vieira (no relation to Joao) and Paulo Lima round out the top four.

The PBR continues to go abroad and has large fan bases in Brazil, Australia and Canada. Jorge Valdiviezo, ranked No. 28, is the first Mexican on the Built Ford Tough Series.

“The PBR has truly become an international sport, and there are plans to expand even more in China,” said Cates, a 27-year-old from Arkansas. “The competitors from Brazil have raised the standard. They’re very dedicated, very hard working. We have to step up our training now to compete with them.”

A new crop of young riders also has raised the bar. Jess Lockwood, 18, Derek Kolbaba, 20, and Nevada Newman, 23, already have made an impact on the PBR’s highest level.

The winner of Last Cowboy Standing potentially could walk away with $100,000 and 625 points toward the world standings.

Helldorado Days was started to entertain workers of Hoover Dam and as a way to lure them to stay in Southern Nevada once construction was complete.

The iconic event was a smashing success in its early years, but has recently lost some of its luster and has endured many changes to keep it afloat.

Gleason hopes his fast-growing sport can help revive Helldorado Days.

“It’s a chance for us to kind of take this great brand that has been around since 1934,” Gleason said. “One of the coolest events in the business and bring it back to life.”

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0492. Follow him on Twitter:@gmanzano24