Posse: Young Guns of the PBR

Posse: Young Guns Of The PBR follows a group of the elitist of the elite in the sport of bullriding, several who ride in the major leagues of the sport, the Built Ford Tough series. We get to see a lot of hopes and dreams, triumphs and one incredible heartache.

Since they're all under thirty to some the group is all young guns. But the riders age fast in this dangerous sport. Of the group we saw Sean Willingham is on the late side of twenty when this was shot, but he's treated like an old pro here. Since he's been riding bulls for about a decade, that's definitely an old pro.

The idea is to ride as many bulls as you can, stay on the eternal eight seconds and win as many rounds and events as you can over the year. Every bull you ride, every round you win, every event you win counts as additional points. It all ends at the fall finals in Las Vegas.

Every year is different. In 2008 Guillerme Marchi just ran away with the competition from day one almost. In 2006 Marchi lost the title on the last bull ride of the year to his fellow Brazilian Adriano Moraes.

I've been to several events now and there is no sport out there right now that is as fan friendly as the PBR. Half the fun of going is being in the same hotel with the PBR crew and running into the riders, getting pictures/autographs from them, wishing them well during the day's event. Those are words I will eat the day that you can get in the New York Yankee clubhouse and rub shoulders with those athletes.

Some of my favorites got into this documentary including my favorite rider Kasey Hayes who has as of when I'm writing this come up on a streak of bad luck and was cut from the Built Ford Tough tour. That man has talent to spare and I have every confidence he will be back on the major league tour shortly. Watching the film I got the distinct impression that while Kasey loves riding bulls, he also loves the good things in life and is not going to miss them while he's still young.

The riders ride through injuries that in most sports would sideline you. You don't get to Las Vegas sitting out events. Shane Proctor whom we see court and wed Jessi Mauney in this documentary rode with a broken foot for some time, just took the cast off and put his boot on and rode. It's not riding that will hurt him, it's all in the getting off the bovine.

If Sean Willingham is the old pro here, the baby in the crowd was definitely Skeeter Kingsolver. Skeeter would win one competition hands down in the PBR, he is definitely the rider most likely to get carded at any establishment that sells liquor. It may be a source of annoyance to him that baby face, but I'm here to tell you that you will rue the day you actually lose it. A lot of documentary was dealing with a sports agent giving Skeeter quite the pitch in trying to get him to sign up. Later on that same agent is seen commiserating with Sean Willingham about how difficult it is to deal with these young kids.

We see triumph and we also saw some near tragedy. Ryan Dirteater made a great debut on the Built Ford Tough Series won a couple of events and became quite the fan favorite. I met him at a PBR meet and greet in Reno last year and found him to be a very humble and decent young man. He had fractured a vertebrae earlier in the year and was coming off that injury when he was riding in Reno that weekend. Later on in the year he sustained a second injury and tore up ligaments in one of his knees. When he's coming up we don't know, but I sincerely hope he makes it back and gets to pursue and fulfill his dream of a bull riding championship.

Posse is a fine film, a great introduction to those who are just starting to follow the sport of bullriding. And this review is dedicated to Kasey, Sean, Skeeter, and most of all to Ryan Dirteater for all the hours of thrills they've given me, doing their personal best at what they love.