SAO JOSE DO RIO PRETO, Brazil (July 26, 2010) - Among the bull riders at the annual Rio Preto Rodeo Country Bulls event last weekend, Helton Barbosa was one of a handful recognizable in the United States.
The 30-year-old, who first debuted on the Built Ford Tough Series in 2005, was not among the competitors. Like countryman Guilherme Marchi, Barbosa was behind the chutes encouraging his friends and fellow riders. But he said he hopes to return to compete in the U.S. later this year or next year, depending on how the rest of his 2010 season plays out in Brazil.
“In Brazil there are a lot of good riders, as you see here,” Barbosa said.
Barbosa, who has ridden in 39 BFTS events and carries a career riding average of 44 percent in the U.S., talked Saturday about the aspirations of those riders.
“You see the guys riding tonight, and all the guys have a dream of riding in America and riding in the Finals,” Barbosa said. “For all the riders it’s a dream.”
Having spent substantial time in the U.S., Barbosa speaks English fairly well. But he recognizes the challenges many young Brazilians face because of the language barrier and cultural differences.
“When some of these guys go to the United States, can you imagine how hard it is for them?” asked PBR Brazil Ambassador Camila Bellintani Pereira. “Some don’t know Portuguese, even. They live on farms and don’t know proper Portuguese.
“I have to get their passports for them, the visas for them, and I can see that the dream is much bigger than how afraid they are. The dream here is much bigger, so they’re going.”
Barbosa agreed.
“And when they go the United States and come back, they are celebrities here,” he added. “They recognize it’s much better than if they wouldn’t go.”
If the up-and-coming Brazilians have one advantage over young guns from Canada, Mexico, Australia and the United States, it’s that by the time they qualify for the BFTS or the World Finals, they’ve already become accustomed to riding in front large crowds.
Last weekend in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, the riders rode in a four-day event for tens of thousands of fans.
“This is a big event, but it’s normal for Brazil,” explained Barbosa. “The PBR in Brazil is very good right now—good events, good cowboys, good bulls and the PBR, in Brazil, the people love it because it’s a little bit different.”
In fact, the organization has grown to the point that a few American riders – Reese Cates and Matt Werries among them – recently traveled to Brazil “because we have good events, good money,” Barbosa said.
