The worlds of professional bull riding and motocross are colliding. Red Bull is producing a commercial featuring CBR President Tuff Hedeman, two CBR bull fighters and three bull riders along with freestyle motocross champions and world record holders Travis Pastrana and Robbie Maddison.
The commercial promotes Red Bull X FIGHTERS, a world wide freestyle motocross tour that will be making a stop in Fort Worth on June 14. The commercial will be voiced in over six different languages around the world. According to CBR board member and VP of National Sales Director Danny Correll, Red Bull is pulling out all the stops to make this event spectacular.
"The event will take place outside on what is known as 'the back 40 acres' across from Billy Bob's. Red Bull is hauling in 1,000 loads of dirt, plus building a 25,000 seat grandstand that will be torn down after the event. It will be aired on FOX in the U.S. This event is costing Red Bull millions to produce," said Correll.
Rodeo meets motocross is the general theme of the commercial. Filming took place in Fort Worth on the streets of the historic Stockyards, Billy Bob's Honky Tonk, and Cowtown Coliseum. CBR bull fighters making an appearance in the commercial are Ray Clary and Sid McKissick. The bull riders are Hedeman, Laddan Ledbetter and Layne McCasland.
Ledbetter said filming the commercial was a really cool experience. According to Ledbetter, he and the other bull riders tie a bull rope on to a motorcycle in a bucking chute while speaking "chute talk" in the back ground. Then, Maddison blazes out of the chutes on a motocross bike and chases the bull fighters around the arena. "I was a fan of motocross before I was asked to be in the commercial. It was a great experience to meet the motocross guys and they were both really cool. We as riders could relate to them on a personal level. I'm excited about the possibility of the CBR working with professional motocross. I've always thought the fans that enjoy bull riding would also like motocross and vice versa," said Ledbetter.
Pastrana and Maddison are world famous in the sport of freestyle motocross (trick jumping on dirt bike type motorcycles) and motorcycle racing. Maddison set the world record for motorcycle distance jumping on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas when he jumped a football field at 322 feet, 7 inches. Pastrana is known as a "media darling" and "king of crazy" when it comes to freestyle jumping as he performs traditional tricks called "the kiss of death", "the candybar", and "saran wrap," but often invents new tricks along the way.
"My strengths and weaknesses are the same thing. I've got the willingness and the stupidity to try anything," said Pastrana during a televised freestyle competition.
According to Correll, Hedeman and the CBR will also have a roll in the actual Red Bull X FIGHTERS event. Details of the CBR's involvement are still being worked out. CBR national sponsor Crown Royal will be involved with VIP hospitality at the event.
"Everyone in the CBR and Tuff are honored that we were able to take part in such a mega Red Bull worldwide event," said Correll.
About the CBR
Championship Bull Riding, Inc. (CBR) - Led by bull riding icon, Tuff Hedeman, the CBR is a nationwide bull riding tour with over 450 television hours in 2007 on SD and HD channels, including 104 hours of weekly primetime coverage. CBR has been voted the #1 Fan Favorite Special Interest Show on the Outdoor Channel three consecutive years. Labeled the "fastest hour on television", and the first in the industry to broadcast in High Definition, the CBR promotes high quality, professional level bull riding. CBR events are now on RFD-TV, on Wednesdays 10pm EST with repeats airing Wednesdays 12pm EST and Saturdays 11am EST. RFD HD airings include Thursday 12am EST, Thursday 10am EST and Saturday 11pm EST. For more information on the CBR or a schedule of the 2008 events, please visit www.CBRbull.com. CBR is committed to the riders, the fans, the sponsors, and all those involved in the professional bull riding industry.