HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – John Braska is excited about his trip to the Chicago area the first weekend in February.
Braska is from western Michigan who rides bulls for a living, and his venture to Illinois is a business trip – the 26-year-old will be riding for his first Professional Championship Bullriders title in his fourth trip to the season-ending event.
The two-night PCB Finale is set for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5-6 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and will feature the top 35 bull riders in the association who have earned the right to play for the biggest pay of the season by how they’ve competed through the rigors of the 2009 season – tickets are on sale at the arena or through Ticketmaster
And while still relatively young, Braska has been all business for quite some time.
“The first time you ride a bull, you can’t remember anything,” Braska said. “There’s so much adrenaline and it goes so fast that it overwhelms you. I’ve been doing this so long that I rely on my memory muscle and my ability. You don’t really have time to think about things. You just try to make moves with the animal.”
Braska hopes to close the season in a familiar, yet fine fashion. He won the season opener in Toledo, Ohio, and there’s plenty at stake when he wraps his hand to the backs of bulls inside the Sears Centre. He knows the dangers and excitement that come with the sport of bull riding, and he’s willing to take the risks in order to reap the rewards.
“I’ve had some unspeakable injuries,” Braska said. “One of the toughest was when I broke my jaw. I got plates on both sides of my jaw, screws. It was pretty rough, and I had to eat oatmeal for six weeks.
“But in this sport, you’ve got to keep riding unless both legs and both arms are broke. It’s a job, and the only way you get paid is to ride your bulls, whether you’re hurt or not.”
He’ll be testing his mettle against the top cowboys in the PCB. Braska comes to Chicagoland with a $1,600 lead over the field.
But it’s not just a bull riding. After Friday’s performance, country artist Jake Owen will put on a concert. The Chicago Tribune credited Owen’s “Easy Does It” as one of the top five country albums in 2009.
On Saturday night, Equine Extremist Tommie Turvey will showcase his extraordinary skills, right alongside some of the best athletes in the business.
