Tickets for the bull riding event at the 2019 King Abdulaziz Camel Festival have sold out in record timing, revealing a growing interest in the sport. Rodeo organizers have imported 150 American bulls, mounted by professional riders, and set the winning score at 80 seconds.
Dubbed “the most dangerous eight seconds in sports,” bull riding is pretty popular in the US. It is not to be mistaken for Spain’s bullfighting sport that involves humans and animals attempting to publicly subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations.
The 2019 bullriding event in Saudi Arabia is the first of its kind to be held abroad. According to the organizers, no Saudi rider has yet applied for partaking in the event, given that the dangerous sport takes years of developing skills and training in order to survive a round with minimal harm.
In a first, American cowboys will compete outside the US and with a foreign audience. It is worth mentioning that the scheduled bullriding rodeo consist of both a race and a timed bull riding segment—most importantly, festival organizers reaffirmed that animal rights will be upheld.
The King Abdul Aziz Camel Festival, in its third edition, is hosting daily bullriding performances from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Tickets are being sold at a SAR 50- SAR 100 price range that varies according to seating.
The entertainment festival, witnessing the participation of over 80 countries, offers both media and the public a look into the Kingdom’s transformative nature dedicated to not only improving the livelihood and welfare of citizen and residents, but to also attract tourists from around the world.
