Up Close With Pro Bull Riders

Photos by Jen Davis, Words by Jonathan Zeller 1/10/2017Updated 11/4/2019

On January 6, Pro Bull Riders (PBR) held night one of its annual “Buck Off” in New York City. The competition is chance to see cowboys make their living by hanging onto 1,500-pound bucking bulls for eight seconds at a time. PBR packs 750 tons of dirt into the Garden, entertains fans with pyrotechnics and a rodeo clown, and may well employ the toughest athletes in the world (just listen to Guilherme Marchi laugh about the time he punctured a lung). Here are our favorite photos from the opening round.