Eight seconds of excitement
BRIDGE CITY CHRYSLER/LA TOWING PBR CHALLENGE BEGINS TONIGHT AT ENMAX CENTRE
One man does his best to stay on the bull.
The other, if need be, gets directly in the path of the bull.
Either way, it’s an adrenaline rush for both bullrider Zane Lambert and rodeo clown and entertainer Brinson James as the battle of man — and clown — versus bull kicks off tonight with the Bridge City Chrysler/LA Towing PBR Challenge at 7:30 p.m. at the Enmax Centre.
Before beginning another summer on the circuit, both the rider and rodeo clown were on hand at the Exhibition Pavilion Thursday afternoon to press the flesh with PBR fans.
“It’s a good weekend and we’re looking forward to kicking off the PBR Canada,” said Lambert of the first stop on the Canadian Touring Pro Division circuit.
“It’s a good one to start with, they bring good bulls and lots of money, so it’s a two-day event and we can enter twice and some of us can get in twice. We’re definitely excited about being here and getting 2017 off to good start and get a little bit of money into my pocket at the beginning. It adds up at the end of year to get another title.”
“We’re looking forward to the new bulls that are coming out,” added Lambert. “A lot of contractors have been bucking some bulls this winter, buying some bulls and some old bulls coming back. We’re going to see a good pen of those and putting together some rides. I know the crowd will be into it. They like seeing good rodeos and Lethbridge is kind of a country town. People around here know bullriding and they know what a good bullride looks like. It’s good to be applauded when you do make a good ride.”
Decked out in his rodeo clown makeup, James was not only looking forward to another season, but noted the growth of the event locally.
“For our first stop on the PBR in Lethbridge, it’s one of the best spots to start it off,” he said. “This is my fifth year to come back to Lethbridge and each year it grows and grows. When I came the first year, we had a bit of trouble with seats about five years ago, but now we were sold out last year on Saturday night. That’s my favourite part about Lethbridge is the fans because this is a cowboy town and they know the sport of bullriding in and out. So when you have a bunch of people that know the sport, they come out, kick back and know how to have fun.”
A PBR champion four years ago, Lambert said it’s high time for another one.
“I’ve only got one title in 2013, so that one is getting a bit stale, so I need to win another one of those,” said the rider who hails from Ponoka and is a five-time qualifier at the Canadian Finals Rodeo. “You always put your goals high and shoot for them. That one is not out of reach by any means, that’s the goal this year, to get another Canadian title and go into Edmonton and have the Canadian team win a million dollars there.”
“The year is just starting, but I would like to make the World Finals one more time and get that under my belt,” added Lambert. “I’ve qualifed once and been there a few times, but it’s the biggest stage for bullriding and it would be pretty cool to be back there one more time.”
Hailing from Micanopy, Fla., James comes from a bit farther away to take part in the weekend’s events.
His ability to not only distract grumpy bulls, but also entertain a grandstand of fans is in his bloodlines.
His father, Cliff Harris, is the famous rodeo clown Hollywood Harris.
“He’s been all over the U.S. and the Calgary Stampede a couple of times. He’s 57 and still going. We’ve worked together since I was two until I was about 18.”
But it was a rodeo mishap that thrust James into his father’s role.
“He had bad accident that broke his leg in Boston,” he said. “He was up on a fence and a bull came through and hooked him down. I was right there and saw it all. I was 18 years old and it was very traumatic. He broke his ankle and was out of commision for a little while and I stepped up and took over his job. That’s what when people could see I could work by myself because I had been under my dad’s footsteps my whole life.
“That’s when Richard Jones of the PBR brought me to Lethbridge. That was one of the first ones by myself and it’s been a rocket ever since.”
James hasn’t sustained the type of injury his father was dealt, but there have been a few close calls.
“I get in the barrel quite often, so I get banged around in the barrel,” said James. “I got bumped in the butt one time, but that was a little too close. I like to stay on the other side of the fence.”
But as he dons his colourful duds and gets into the ring tonight, James does so not only to entertain the crowd, but make the riders have the atmosphere they need to succeed.
“I’m there to make sure these cowboys have the energy they need because bullriding is all about good vibes and it’s all about one cowboy wanting another cowboy to do better for the crowd and cheering them on,” he said. “Whenever I can help this crowd get to that level of really wanting a bullrider to do well, he might step out there and do a 90-point bullride because he’s all about the feeling and believes in himself. It’s my job to get the crowd to that level to get these cowboys to do well.”
The second night of the Bridge City Chrysler/LA Towing PBR Challenge continues Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Enmax Centre.