For bull riding, the details are in the dirt

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) It takes more than 200 tons of dirt to create the surface for an indoor professional bull riding event. Work is well under way on a Tuesday afternoon at the Clay County Regional Events Center. [Order this photo]

The key to a good time in Spencer this weekend is 30 dump truck trips, 200 tons of dirt and a lot of bull.

Setting up an arena for bull riding at the Clay County Regional Events Center is no easy task, but the final details are coming into place according to Scott Hallgren, the general manager for VenuWorks at the Clay County Regional Events Center.

The Maurer/DemCo Touring Pro PBR event comes to Spencer on Friday, Nov. 20, and Saturday, Nov. 21. The touring pros of PBR will begin bucking bulls at 7:30 p.m. each night, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

An events center staff member was setting up folding chairs Tuesday afternoon as wheel loaders brought scoops full of northwest Iowa dirt into the arena.

"It's in, it's down, it's rough-graded and our promoter is here now and he's actually working with us to fine-tune it," Hallgren said, a day later.

"Until I got into this business, to me, dirt was dirt," he later added. "But, once you get in this business you learn you need a certain kind of dirt."

Aside from an additional load to level off any uneven spots, Hallgren said the bull-riding surface is ready to go. They'll be bringing in all of the panels, chutes and gates Thursday.

"The dirt is a huge issue," said Sonny Smith, who is promoting the weekend event through S&G Bucking Productions.

If the dirt is too spongy, it makes the bulls unsure of the footing and they don't buck as well. Riders also want a reasonable landing for the moment they jump off or otherwise find themselves encouraged to disembark.

The surface needs a good balance of sand and clay. The stuff in the events center is 10 to 12 inches deep, which is ample for a bull-riding event, according to Smith.

"We happen to have what appears to be very good dirt in here," he said. "I'm really pleased with the way the county handled it. They did a great job."

This is the second time bull riding has been featured at the Clay County Regional Events Center, but the first time Spencer is hosting a competition with the PBR brand attached to it. PBR is the same circuit that typically gets televised. It's considered the top name for bull riding, according to Hallgren.

[Order this photo]

Smith said the bull riding circuit does 6 to 10 indoor events a year. Some outdoor events take a few hours of work, but an indoor event takes several days. The added cost makes event sponsorships critical to the success of the event.

"This is probably my fifth trip to Spencer this year," Smith said. "I started coming up here in late spring and I've been here several times. As a matter of fact, I was here in August, I was here in September -- actually that was at your county fair. I was back Oct. 11 to finish up everything and then back this time to get the event set -- the dirt ready, the pen ready, the sound ready, the lights ready -- everything it takes to make a good show."

Even the bulls have to adjust before a performance. They'll get a walk-through Friday afternoon.

"We'll let them make their rounds and get used to the surroundings," Smith said. "We'll play a little music so they're all ready to go. Believe it or not, they're pretty smart and the more you can acclimate them to the building and what's going to be happening, the better they perform."

The advantage is a climate-controlled setting for the audience, but not all bulls are cut out for the energy of an indoor event. It's louder inside with no breeze. They can't see the sun.

Instead, they'll get indoor fireworks, rock music and country hits, according to Hallgren.

"It depends on the bull's personality," Smith said. "Some bulls love it and some like it better outdoors. You'll find that certain bulls buck better under certain conditions. Most of the bulls we'll be bringing here buck indoors all of the time. They're used to it."

Smith added: "It's a good little place to do a bull ride. The staff here is wonderful, the Spencer community is so clean and neat. I liked that. The sponsors were more than willing to help, so it had all of the ingredients it takes to have a successful event."

The cleanup begins Monday and it's going to take more than a portable vacuum to get the arena ready for its next event.

"We'll start Monday morning at about 7 or 8 a.m. and in about half a day, we'll have all of the dirt out," Hallgren said.

---

IF YOU'RE GOING:

Tickets are on sale now. Reserved tickets are $26.50, $19.50, and $15, based on seat location. Tickets can be purchased at the Events Center Ticket Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com, charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000, or any Ticketmaster outlet. PBR fans can visit PBR's Web site at www.pbrnow.com for more information.

Ticket sales are picking up as area farmers wrap up the harvest. There are still good seats available.

"It definitely something different that you normally don't see inside the events center," said Scott Hallgren, the facility's general manager. "When you walk in, it will be amazing. It's fully transformed into a full, indoor dirt arena, just like any other show you'd see around the country."

ABOUT PBR:

Headquartered in Pueblo, Colo., the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. was created in 1992 when a group of 20 bull riders broke away from the traditional rodeo scene seeking mainstream attention for the sport of professional bull riding. They felt that, as the most popular event at a rodeo, bull riding deserved to be in the limelight and could easily stand alone.

Owned today by 44 cowboys, management and Spire Capital, the PBR celebrated its most successful year of existence in 2007, establishing milestones in organizational revenue, bull rider earnings, record-breaking performances, and media attention. It still relishes the title of being the fastest growing sport in the country.