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THE TROY DUNN INVITATIONAL PROTECTION ATHLETES

06/02/2011

THE TROY DUNN INVITATIONAL
PROTECTION ATHLETES

(May 31, 2011) Professional Bull Riders Australia (PBR) President and former PBR World Champion Troy Dunn today announced the three-man bull fighting team who will put life and bodies on the line for the 2011 PBR Australian Cup Series that will tour Brisbane Entertainment Centre – June 18, Townsville Entertainment Centre – June 25, Newcastle Entertainment Centre – July 2 & conclude in Sydney’s Acer Arena on Saturday July 9 with the PBR National Finals.

In the action packed world of Professional Bull Riders, bull fighters or protection athletes as they are otherwise known, take on one of the most important roles where bull riders consider the bull fighters the angels of the sport and treat them with the utmost respect and admiration.

The bull fighting team for the 2011 PBR Australian Cup Series are reining Australian Champion Brendon Allen (Caloola, NSW), Shane “Mad Dog” Simpson (Mackay, Qld) and Darryl Chong (Rockhampton, Qld).

New South Welshman Brendon Allen is the defending PBR Australia champion bull fighter, having won the coveted title in 2008, 2009 and 2010, while Mad Dog Simpson is the team member with the most international experience, having worked extensively on the PBR Built Ford Tough Series in the US and fought bulls at a PBR World Finals. The third member of the team, Darryl Chong is considered the rookie of the team as he makes his second appearance on the lucrative PBR Australian Cup Series Tour.

“Bull fighters are some of the toughest, yet most considerate athletes in the sport,” PBR President Troy Dunn explained. “These guys put their personal safety aside to step in and distract bulls from the fallen riders. They’ll take a shot from a bull rather than let the animal have a chance of reaching the rider.”

Dunn continued. “Two of these guys have a lot of experience and cool heads, whilst Chongy who, despite his youth, has been around bulls his whole life.”

THE  2011 PBR AUSTRALIAN CUP SERIES BULL FIGHTING TEAM:

BRENDON ALLEN
Caloola, NSW – 36 years old – 175cm – 74kg
3 Times and reining PBR Australia Champion Bull Fighter
Brendon Allen is one of the most likeable blokes in Australian bull riding – full stop. A former bull rider, Allen has concentrated on his chosen profession for the past eight years, capturing the past three PBR Australia titles. The supremely fit, Brendon Allen uses his speed, agility and quick mind to out-step and out-think Australia’s massive beasts in the line of duty.

SHANE “MAD DOG” SIMPSON
Mackay, Qld – 36 years old – 187cm – 94kg
Shane “Mad Dog” Simpson, for three years he worked fulltime on bull riding’s biggest stage, the PBR Built Ford Tough Series in the US. Mad Dog is still considered amongst the top bull fighters in the world and is a true character of the sport. Mad Dog is one of the sport’s most recognised athletes and has an ever growing international fan base.

DARRYL CHONG
Rockhampton, Qld – 25 years old – 165cm – 72kg
Having grown up in western Queensland, Darryl Chong has been around cattle his whole life.  Darryl goes about his work with the bravery and daring of youth, mixed with a good turn of speed.

Come June 18, these three athletes will step away from their day to day work life as miners and farmers and step into the PBR Arena and full-fill one of the most important roles of the sport – literally the body guard for the riders.

The bull-fighter duty is certainly one that takes a unique individual to full-fill. It is not every-ones cup of tea to put their-own body in the firing line time and time again.

Watching the best of the best in any sport is great viewing and it is no different with the bullfighters as bewildered audiences come to terms on how precise these guys have to be with each and every move. It not only takes fitness and a cool head, but also having one of the most important ingredients, “Cattle Sense”, without this they are not much use to anyone, hence the reason why the best bullfighters in the business have done the hard yards and began their careers working on cattle stations and working with cattle in their natural environment.

June and July are shaping up to be the biggest pay days in the sport of Professional Bull Riding this country has ever seen with over $200 000 in prize-money up for grabs across the 4 Cup Series Events in Brisbane, Townsville, Newcastle and Sydney.

Tickets are now on sale by calling Ticketek on 132 849 for all events other than the Troy Dunn Invitational in Townsville, which is 0747 714000.