Interview with The Professional Bull Riders Of Australia: Coffee Table Book

Professional Bullriders of Australia

It’s not every day you get to chat some professional sportsmen, let alone two professional bull riders of Australia!  Hachette has recently published a fabulous coffee table book which showcases some of the top bull riders in Australia along with some fantastic photos, all wrapped up in an embossed hardcover. It’s a really wonderful book gift for any lover of bull riding, cowboys, or Australiana!

Check out my Q&A with two of Australia’s best professional bull riders below.

 

Lachlan Richardson

Bull riding is bursting with adrenaline, stamina and danger. The wins must bring euphoric highs, but how do you cope with the down days?

You have to take the good with the bad. You can’t win them all but as long as you understand where

you went wrong and try to fix that in your next ride. It’s all about learning from your mistakes and

most importantly not dwelling on the rides you didn’t make, but rather focussing on how you are

going to make your next one.

Your brother is also in PBR. What are the pros and cons of having a sibling compete in the same professional sport as you?

There are no cons of having Cliff compete in the same sport as me. We have always competed

alongside each other, and been each other’s biggest support. PBR is a family affair in the Richardson

household; my parents and other siblings have all played a huge role in my bull riding career whether

it is physically being there in the crowd to support me or on the other end of the phone from back

home in Australia and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What’s your take on talent vs skill? Is talent overrated? Do practice, hard work, and perseverance get you over the line?

Like any professional sport, you get out only what you put into it. The harder you work the better the

result.

Each and every bull is different so getting on practice bulls will help perfect technique but it is also

important for me to ensure I keep my fitness up; I train every day that I am not competing, focusing

on my core strength and flexibility. Another big part of it is your mental attitude – you have to be

mentally strong and alert to be able to react. You have to be in the right mindset to ride a bull.

 

David Kennedy

Firstly, congratulations on being the only professional Australian bull rider to win the PBR Australian Championship four times! Do you see any young pups coming up who are worthy of stealing your crown?

Thank you. There are plenty of bull riders competing in the Australian PBR at the moment with

the talent to overpass what I have achieved. All it takes is willpower and a drive to want to be the

best, then they will get there.

When was your first professional 8-second ride, and how did it feel?

My first professional 8-second ride was so long ago I can’t remember, but every 8-second ride is a

great feeling full of adrenaline, pride and self-belief.

How does Australian PBR compare to the American sport? Is Australian PBR gaining crowds and followers since you first started in the sport?

PBR Australia is continually moving forward to keep up with its counterpart in the USA, but still has a

way to go. The Australian PBR has had tremendous growth in the last 5 years. The fanbase is the

most obvious because the fans now follow their favourite bull riders and bulls throughout each event.

Advertisement, prize money and venues are all creating bigger events which increase the crowd size

and that is what the bull riders like to see.

 

Grab a copy of this stunning coffee table book for yourself, or as a wonderful book gift here with 35% off!

Professional Bull Riders of Australia ($39.99), published by Hachette Australia.

Follow the Professional Bull Riders of Australia at @pbraustralia and here