PRAIRIE GROVE -- Critics of the Professional Bull Riders Touring Pro Division, which held "Buckin' At The Ranch" at Prairie Grove last weekend, might not be aware of a typical ranch day.
For PBR fan Jacob Hudson, who recently moved to Prairie Grove from the Baldwin area hoping to start a farm once he can acquire land, the issue isn't complicated for stock contractors.
"That's his whole income based on taking bulls around the country -- you sell out their performance just like an athlete and it takes a lot," Hudson said. "Bulls are athletes the same as the bull riders. A lot of people are against that, [such as] animal activists."
But Hudson, who was raised near West Helena before his family moved to Pearcy near Hot Springs and began farming, said the bulls do their job in the bucking arena and are the best taken care of animals around.
Rough stock owned by Ogden Ranch, which hosted the event, turned in notable performances. "King Richard," a bull owned jointly by the Ogden Ranch along with Jerome and Tiffany Davis, was in a pasture with cows recently for breeding purposes.
Stock contractor J.W. Hart and his wife LeAnn Hart were so enamored with the bull's 44.5 score while bucking off Texan Andrew Alvidrez with a 0.98 time Friday that they told event promoter Nathan Ogden, "You need to breed him before every event."
"He scored a 44.5, that's a dream," Ogden said.
"King Richard" racked up a 44.0 score Saturday while bucking off Mauricio Moreira in 3.21 seconds.
"That bull ["King Richard"] has got one qualified ride on his back by two-time world champion, J.B. Mooney, and I'd say I think the bull had an off-day that's why he rode him," Ogden said.
Another bull named "Kern River" owned jointly by Ogden Ranch and Lance Lee and his family made its first outing since June with Kyle Jones scoring 85 Friday while the bull earned a 41.5 score. Brannon Eldred, of Sulphur, Okla., scored 87.5 aboard "Kern River" Saturday with the bull getting a 42.5 score.
"So there's another local bull owner that has a bull in the PBR that's up in the big 'Unleash the Beast' events," Ogden said, which fit right in line with his purpose of hosting the event -- granting local people opportunity to participate, something which Hudson appreciates.
"It's a great deal for local farmers and livestock raisers throughout the state of Arkansas," Hudson said. "You get to bring the whole State of Arkansas together in a pasture and put it together for local citizens and the Northwest Arkansas area."
"I know guys who brought bulls who drove four hours to bring animals here to buck bulls to make an income and also to provide an income for the boys that rode [bulls] here tonight," Hudson said after Friday's performance.
From his perspective covid-19 sanctions make things difficult for those involved in what he terms "an agricultural-based sporting event" to make a living.
"If it wasn't for the farmers you wouldn't have the bulls and if it wasn't for the bulls you wouldn't have the bull riders," Hudson said.
"A lot of people disagree with that, but they don't come out here [to a working ranch] and see it. They don't see that they [bulls] are fed three times a day."
Hudson learned agriculture while growing up raising pigs and participating in 4-H and FFA where he was introduced to electrical shop and welding. He chose to pursue a medical career at the University of Arkansas earning a degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Biology.
"However, agriculture was what calls home so that's where we are right now," Hudson said. "We don't just raise animals to be a hamburger at McDonald's. We take care of them."
Farmers and ranchers get up before the sun comes up and go to bed after the sun goes down, because, as Hudson describes chores, that's what it takes to treat the animal the best it can be treated.
"If it weren't for us they'd be wandering around the woods starving," Hudson said.
Hudson counts four horses he's rescued, the latest a mare left in a field to die. He recalls looking at the mare one day and thinking "looks like she's pregnant, we better take her to the house just in case she is."
He named the horse, which he describes as a beautiful paint mare, "Miss Mayor," saying, "She's boss of the town." Four months ago the mare birthed a foal Hudson named "Buttercup Like A Flower."
Horses and bulls each played a major role in the PBR "Buckin' At The Ranch" event, a unique happening in the history of Prairie Grove which Hudson hopes establishes a precedent.
"This is the type of events we want to see more of them," Hudson said. "We want to see these farmers [and ranchers] provide an income for themselves."