Festivities for the return of the Professional Bull Riders
Touring Pro Division kick off Friday at Ridgemark Golf and Country
Club with a golf tournament and a carnival-like attraction with
vending booths and live music. The main event with the bull riding
starts at 6 p.m. Saturday after six hours of events at Bolado
Park.
Festivities for the return of the Professional Bull Riders Touring Pro Division kick off Friday at Ridgemark Golf and Country Club with a golf tournament and a carnival-like attraction with vending booths and live music. The main event with the bull riding starts at 6 p.m. Saturday after six hours of events at Bolado Park.
The celebration ends months of hard work for Dana Aviles and Laura Naccarato, who have worked endlessly to make the Hollister version of the PBR one of the best.
“Everything that I’ve heard has been great,” said longtime PBR bull fighter Joe Baumgartner.
And that’s why the soon-to-be retiring Baumgartner, 44, will use the Hollister event as one of his last.
“It’s kind of full circle,” he said.
When Baumgartner first started as a bull fighter – when he was 16 – Hollister was one of his first stops – and it’s only fitting that it’s among his last.
“When I heard who was involved and the type of event it is – I said, ‘sure why not,'” Baumgartner said on why he decided to go to the Hollister PBR on Saturday.
For Aviles and Naccarato, that’s been their ultimate goal – to create a world class event on San Benito soil – and with the list of bull riders coming to the area, they’ve done just that.
The highlight of the roster is Chicuahua, Mexico native Rocky McDonald, who is ranked 22nd in the Touring Pro Division. McDonald, 31, has been involved with PBR since 2004 and has routinely competed in the PBR World Finals.
“He is one of the best riders in the world – we are lucky to have him here,” Aviles said.
McDonald is coming off an injured knee, which he hurt last year after rider introductions at a competition in Canada. The injury forced McDonald to miss most of the 2010 PBR season.
In his career, McDonald has competed in 118 events – winning one. McDonald did not return phone calls before press time.
Overall 36 different riders will compete in the 2011 Hollister event including the city’s own Brendon Clark, who is ranked 33 in the touring division. Other riders include 23rd-ranked Tony Mendes, 72nd-ranked Jeston Mead, and 40th-ranked Cody Campbell.
And so far, tickets have been bought from all over the Central Coast – up to Sacramento, Naccarato said.
“People don’t realize but we bring a lot of money to the area,” she said. “A lot of people come.”
Creating that community benefit is an important piece to the two-day festivities, Naccarato said. Every year, the organizers try to establish some way to give back to local interest groups – such as 4-H. This year – with Ridgemark Golf and Country Club – the PBR donated golf clubs to the regional Special Olympics, who for the first time this year created a golf program.
“We want to give back to the community and the kids,” Naccarato said.
On Saturday, the PBR event begins with local mutton busting at noon. The main event begins at 6 p.m.
Tickets are still available at hollisterpbr.com. Tickets for children under the age of 10 are $10. General Admission is $20 and box tickets are $30.
See a full roster online at freelancenews.com
