ARDMORE, Okla. (June 3, 2010) - “It’s a marathon.”
In a special summer edition of “In the Bull Pen,” that was how Cody Lambert described the American Heritage Derby, which takes place Friday evening and all day Saturday in Ardmore, Okla.
Lambert’s entire 10-minute Podcast can be heard by visiting www.pbr.tv.
The Derby is hosted by United States Bucking Bull, a non-profit division of the ABBI, and is being held at Hardy Murphy Coliseum.
According to a press release posted at www.americanbuckingbull.com, a total of $540,000 in prize money will be awarded. Saturday morning, 167 two-year-old futurity bulls will be competing. Friday and Saturday night will feature 91 three-year-olds in a two-round derby that doubles as a PBR-sanctioned Touring Pro event. There is also a junior futurity for youth contractors.
“It’s three different contests, really,” said Lambert, who added that the majority of the bulls will be seen for the first time. He said it’s a year-long process in qualifying and entering the event.
Lambert will be there, and while he’ll see some bulls he’ll likely use in future Built Ford Tough Series events, he won’t form any real opinions, because the bulls are still two years away from being considered.
Drawing a comparison to a college coach scouting high-school talent, Lambert said, “I won’t look at them as hard as a college would … but if one really catches my eye, I might watch his career from here on out.”
While the 2-year-olds buck for 4 seconds with mechanical dummies on their backs, the 3-year-old competition in the evening will feature PBR riders. However, despite the event’s central location, the draw is not likely to be dominated by top riders from the BFTS.
“This is about the breeders and the owners of these young bulls,” Lambert said.
The ABBI will be providing live streaming video of the entire event on its Web site at www.americanbuckingbull.com.
