The Buckeye Equestrian & Events Center was bursting with suspense, danger and excitement on the evening of Oct. 12 during the Battle of the States bull riding event.
Battle of the States is a unique event hosted by the Challenge of the Champions Tour which transforms what is typically a solo sport into a team event. Teams of three riders represented seven states: Oregon, California, Utah, Washington, Arizona, Texas and Idaho. On Team Arizona were part-time Wickenburg resident Dawson Branton, San Tan Valley resident Hunter Kelly and Desert Valley resident Gabe Jacques. Together they were the victors of the night.
The event is usually hosted in Montana. However, after the Buckeye Equestrian Center partnered with Challenge of the Champions for events earlier this year, the CCT organizers chose it for the Battle of the States, as well.
“It brings a lot of different people to town,” said Tammy Nahrgang, assistant general manager of the Buckeye Equestrian Center. “A lot of them patronize different businesses and that kind of stuff. I think it’s a huge asset to the community plus the entertainment.”
Entertainment indeed. It’s hard to look anywhere but the massive bulls as they launch from the gate with a rider on their backs — holding on as tight as they can in an attempt to reach eight seconds. Eight seconds doesn’t sound that long, but when you’re on the back of a bull, it’s an eternity. The spectators were glued to the spectacle.
TEAM ARIZONA
Branton has rode bulls since he was five years old, the rodeo industry being a family affair. He spends half of the year in Arizona and the other half in Oregon. This wasn’t his first time competing, having won the event in a prior tournament representing Washington.
“I’ve competed in [Battle of the States] before so wanted to bring a good Arizona team,” said Branton. “I have a lot of pride in this state.”
Kelly is a professional bull rider born and raised in San Tan Valley. Like Branton, he’s been around bull riding since childhood. Despite the danger, it’s a way of life.
“It’s a dangerous sport, but it’s something that all of us have been around mostly our whole life,” he said. “We’re all a little bit of adrenaline junkies. Both of my parents rode bulls actually professionally and it’s just something that came along always in my life.”
“My cousins rodeoed and they were all team ropers and then I always was interested in bucking horses and bucking bulls,” he said. “When you’re taking all the power away from something that’s so powerful and big and he’s trying to buck you down and you stay on him and all your buddies are hooting and hollering on the back of the bucking shoot, there’s nothing like it.”
RODEO FOR THE PEOPLE
The Buckeye Equestrian Center hosts numerous events, rodeo related and otherwise, throughout the year including the Grand Canyon Pro Rodeo Finals and country musician Easton Corbin, both in November. These types of events are a celebration of sorts, said Mayor Eric Orsborn, who attended Battle of the States.
“It’s us celebrating agriculture and that western lifestyle and the heritage of Buckeye. It’s so fun to see people from all over the state come and be part of this,” he said. “If you get an opportunity to come on down and experience this event, even if you’re not really into rodeo, it’s an incredible experience to come down and hang out with some really, really good, salt-of-the-earth type people and just enjoy rodeo or bull riding or the other events that they’re putting on.”
Armstrong, a Mesa resident, said she spends a great deal of time in Buckeye supporting and cultivating the rodeo community through events such as Battle of the States. A large part of what she does is help support the sport through maintaining sponsorships that create a symbiotic benefit.
Events like Battle of the States bring together the community around shared interests, as well, said Miska: “Everyone kind of does the same thing here. We all grew up around this. … We all kind of, like, get along and it’s one big community in Buckeye.”
