PBR brings bull riding, Western vibes to UBS Arena as NY Mavericks host event

It’s football season and New Yorkers are chanting for the cowboys.

No, not the Dallas Cowboys. Get real.

Professional Bull Riders, a sport that mixes rodeo grit with arena-sized spectacle, is making inroads in New York. On Thursday, the New York Mavericks — the city’s pro bull riding team — kicks off a three-day homestand at UBS Arena in Elmont, drawing other riding teams from across the nation and fans from across the metro area.

It’s a long way from the early days.

Professional Bull Rider Kody Lostroh attends the premiere of "Daybreakers" at the SVA Theater on Jan. 7, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Mavericks head coach Kody Lostroh rode at Madison Square Garden at the debut event there in 2007, when PBR execs had to hand out tickets on 7th Avenue to get people in the seats. Lostroh, a 2009 PBR World Champion and 10-time World Finals qualifier, grew up in Northern Colorado and thought it looked like fun.

“My mom signed me up to ride a steer at 7 years old. I got hooked,” he said.

From Beyoncé’s country album, Cowboy Carter, to Shaboozey’s chart-toppers and Yellowstone dominating TV ratings, Western culture is everywhere. And New Yorkers — not exactly known as rodeo country — are starting to buy in.

“New York fans are so awesome,” Lostroh siad. “Even if they’re not super familiar with our sport, they get into it! Let’s face it, New York fans are the greatest fans in the world.”

Bull rider Kody Lostroh competes during the opening night of the Professional Bull Riders' three-day stand at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York, in 2009. (Craig Warga / New York Daily News)

Founded last year, the Mavericks joined the PBR League as part of its first expansion. They’re backed by owner Marc Lasry, former Milwaukee Bucks owner.

Unlike traditional rodeo, PBR Teams turns bull riding into a head-to-head sport: five riders versus five bulls, scored inning-style, like baseball. Wins and losses matter,
coaches set lineups, and walk-off victories keep fans on edge. The regular season stretches across 12 events, leading to a March Madness-style playoff in Las Vegas.

Riders need to stay in the bull for eight seconds to qualify, with their free hand raised in the air. The bull is scored as well. Judges deliver the scores and the team with the highest score after a round of rides wins that matchup.

PBR’s 2025 run at Madison Square Garden sold out all three nights for the first time. The Mavericks made their Brooklyn debut last summer at Barclays Center, and now UBS Arena is bracing for crowds across three nights of competition.

Wearing a New York Rangers hockey jersey, Professional Bull Rider John Crimber prepares inside the locker room before competing in the PBR 2025 Unleash The Beast Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden inside Madison Square Garden in New York City on Jan. 5, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Schwartz)

“They are young, but they are a group of guys who bought into the system of training hard, working hard and building trust within the team,” Lostroh said. “Every guy can count on each other to do their part and that forms a real brotherhood.”

There is a reason it’s called “the world’s most dangerous organized sport.” With bulls like the champion Manhater (a bull every rider wants to ride) you have to be in top form.

“Our riders have respect for the bulls. We understand the job and its’ intense situation. There’s little room for error. We have immense admiration for these powerful animals.”

A view from the opening night of the Professional Bull Riders Camping World Team Series in Brooklyn, New York, on Aug. 9, 2024. The New York Mavericks earned an upset win against Kansas City Outlaws during their hometown debut at the Barclays Center. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

As to the sport’s growing popularity, Lostroh credited that to a growing appreciation for the Western way of life.

“There’s an authenticity to western culture: integrity, honesty and hardworking people— it’s super appealing. It’s people doing what they love,” he said.

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