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Photos by Andre Silva
Pendleton Whisky Velocity Professional Bull Riding Tour will be coming to Baltimore for the first time this weekend, Saturday and Sunday (January 17-18) to continue their competition season at Royal Farms Arena. Though PBR has been before, this is the first time the Pendleton Velocity Tour will be competing here. These 8-second events make bull riding one of the most dangerous sports to participate in, cowboy versus beast style. Bull Riding is one of Americas original extreme sports, clutching American culture.
One of the bull riders participating in the Baltimore Invitational is Bryan Titman. While he was participating at the Denver PBR Chute Out at the National Western Stock Show in Colorado, we were able to catch up with Titman about this upcoming weekend in Charm City. Bryan Titman is a 31-year-old from East Bernard, Texas who has been professionally bull riding since 2011, but he started riding much before that. Bryan won his first event in 2014 in his home state of Texas. Bryan followed in the family tradition and has no plans of ending his career anytime soon. It is clear that this is everything he has wanted to do, even putting aside college football at TCU, where he got a scholarship to be a part of the team. Every day, Bryan gets to get up and do what he loves and what he has been training for his whole life. Last year, Titman recorded seven Top-10 finishes, including two third-place efforts, and concluded the year as Number 63 in the world and Number 13 on the Velocity Tour
The riders will be touring through September and will end the year with the 2020 PBR World Finals in Las Vegas the first week of November, leaving the winner with a $1 million bonus.
Bryan, the rest of the competitors, and of course, the bulls will be at Royal Farms Arena January 17 and 18. Tickets range from $15- $100. For more information, visit royalfarmsarean.com or call 410-347-2020.
What got you started in bull riding?
My dad and grandpa rode bulls, so it's all I've ever known. Since I was a little bitty kid, that's all I ever wanted to be and that's what I pushed to be.
How has the sport changed in the last decade?
It's changed a bunch in a lot of the safety equipment we have to have nowadays, and is all required. If you're born after 1992, you have to wear a helmet now, and now that we wear vests, it's come a long way, and it's done great for the sport.
You’ve been professional bull riding since 2011. What keeps you motivated, and how long do you see yourself staying at the pro level?
Just do it as long as I can, as long as my heart stays in it, and I feel good. I love this sport so much that no matter what it takes, I'm going to push my body and push myself to do it. I love doing it and I couldn't see myself doing anything else. Just being able to be on the road, talking to people and seeing people, and getting on bulls all over the world, it's a blessing.
Tell us some of the experiences you've had and some cool places you've visited because of bull riding.
Just meeting new people every single weekend is an awesome deal. Seeing the kids and putting smiles on their faces and remembering myself being in that same situation. Going to an event and being able to watch the bull riding and just talking to people and [other] bull riders talking to you is an amazing deal. I really don't have a [favorite city]. I just get to see new places. Every place is different. Everyone has their own unique spot. It's different just to be able to see what's going on out there.
Are you doing anything special to prepare for this weekend in Baltimore?
No. I'm just looking at every single [event] the exact same. I look at every single bull the exact same. I don't set a plan up for anybody. I'm out in Denver tonight [January 14], that's pretty cool. We'll just knock one out here and then I'll head to Baltimore.
Many people around here have never been to a bull riding event. What can they expect?
You're going to see the best bulls versus the best guys. It's something you don't really don't want ever want to miss. You can get a seat for anybody, invite your grandma, anybody in your family. It's just a fast, action-packed show. Anyone able to come there and have a seat, and they're going to love it. They're going to buy a seat, but they're not going to sit in it.
