Bulls, Bands & Barrels Prepares for its 2024 Finals Event as it Continues to Modernize the Sport of Rodeo
Renowned basketball coach John Wooden was once quoted as, “It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.” This insightful argument accentuates the fact that the conclusion of every endeavor is vital. When people remember something, they rarely recollect the start or the middle stages of a journey. Instead, what resonates with someone are the culminating stages. Legends are made not in the beginning, but after the results are known. The reason for this phenomenon is that the initial stages occur frequently. However, persevering through the hardships and inevitable obstacles is tough. To accomplish that, it takes resolve, and an unwavering commitment to the ultimate objective. Faced with adversity, people tend to get lost in the shuffle and completely abandon the process. Others start on a new road, hoping to find something that better matches their needs. The people who remain are battle tested and strife overcomers. Making it to the end is an accomplishment and its celebration is a token of appreciation for the participants and an atonement for their challenges endured.
Opelika, Alabama-based Western sports association Bulls, Bands & Barrels (BBB) proudly proclaims that, “this ain’t your grandpappy’s rodeo”. With just one glance at the orange and black color scheme inside of the arena, an audience understands that the event is meant to grab your attention and never let go. The aesthetic is intentional as BBB wants to change an audience’s perception of rodeo by appealing to a contemporary crowd. To accomplish this goal, Hunter Price, CEO & Founderof BBB, created a trailblazing format centered on the rodeo disciplines of bull riding and barrel racing. He combined themwith a musical concert after the event to create a full night of entertainment. Later, the format expanded to include freestyle bull riding. Price explained this decision to the newspaperOpelika-Auburn News as, “We’ve taken what everybody really comes to the rodeo for and just cut it down to what everyone really wants to see. What we’ve done is cut it down and added the band part to make the aspect of a whole family entertainment so everyone can enjoy it.”
Bulls, Bands & Barrels Logo. Photograph Courtesy of Bulls, Bands & Barrels
While BBB has enjoyed a strong foothold in the Southeast for over a decade, in 2024, the association debuted its inaugural nationwide tour. The ambitious 21-city itinerary includes numerous stops in the South and Midwest. To ensure that the tour runs smoothly, BBB partnered with renowned live entertainment companies Peachtree Entertainment and Premier Productions. Price elaborated on the importance of embarking on a nationwide tour as, “The tour is a game-changer. It’s our most ambitious undertaking to date. We’re thrilled to partner with the esteemed live entertainment powerhouses, Peachtree Entertainment and Premier Productions, enabling us to expand our already thriving venture to a national scale. We’re excited to revisit the cities that have become part of our extended family, but we’re equally eager to welcome new fans in uncharted markets. It’s the next step in our incredible journey.” This next step includes the Bulls, Bands & Barrels 2024 Finals event is set for August 23rd and 24th at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. Set to join as performers are emerging country artists Josh Meloy, Ty Myers, Sam Barber, and Clayton Mullen. In addition, two-time PBR World Champion Chris Shivers is scheduled to make a special appearance. At the event, the yearly champions in bull riding, barrel racing, and freestyle bull fighting will be named.
Bulls, Bands & Barrels 2024 Finals Event Poster. Photograph Courtesy of Bulls, Bands & Barrels/Cowtown Coliseum
BBB has steadily advanced through the years to arrive at their current status. Price has a background in livestock caretaking in Opelika, Alabama. He grew up in a family that raised and showed champion horses, cattle, and bucking bulls. From that experience, he learned what an audience wants from a Western sports event. He turned his perception into action as he formed a production company, Ole South Entertainment. Ole South Entertainment began running BBB events from Texas to Alabama in 2013.
A BBB event is three hours of non-stop action and excitement. An audience is guaranteed to witness the toughest bulls, quickest horses, and trending country music artists at every gathering. Starting off the event is bull riding. Up to 30 top bull riders are entered into the draw, each seeking to ride for eight seconds and earn a qualified ride and score. A mark provides the possibility of advance to the championship round. A buck off ends the rider’s night. Once the bull riding concludes, barrel racing begins as competitors proceed in a cloverleaf pattern to record the fastest time. During intermission, there is the riveting freestyle bullfighting segment with the aim of producing the highest score. After the athletic events, a full concert concludesthe night.
The 2023 BBB Bull Riding Champion is Laramie Craigen. The 2023 BBB Barrel Racing Champion is Courtney Cuevas. For the 2024 season, BBB proudly includes Boot Barn, Blue Otter Polarized, the Marines, O’Reilly Auto Parts, BRUNT Workwear, and Alamo Saddlery as corporate sponsors. Western sports fans looking for a behind-the-scenes encounter can purchase BBB’s Behind the Chutes VIP Experience. Among the perks of this package are drink tickets, an exclusive merchandise coupon, a tour of the bucking chutes, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sit on a live bull in a closed chute. Additionally, VIP guests will listen to event competitors sharing their stories and insights and have access to a private pit in front of the stage during the concert. Artists who have performed at a BBB event this year includes Warren Zeiders, Alexandra Kay, Kameron Marlowe, Shane Smith & the Saints, Treaty Oak Revival, Ian Munsick, Wyatt Flores, Gavin Adcock, Flatland Cavalry, Pat Green, Charles Wesley Godwin, and Oliver Anthony.
During the two-day Bulls, Bands & Barrels 2024 Finals event atCowtown Coliseum, an audience will enjoy the music of Josh Meloy and Ty Myers on August 23rd and Sam Barber and Clayton Mullen on August 24th. Meloy is a Stillwater, Oklahoma-raised country music artist. While his family had a background in music, he selected sports and did not pursue a career in music until he attended Oklahoma State University. He began performing at age 19 and since then has cultivated a unique sound. His style is inspired by his Stillwater surroundings and includes elements of the Red Dirt genre. While honoring those that came before him in the Stillwater scene, his gritty vocals provide his own distinctive sonic footprint and separates himself from others. His music has received significant streaming traction, with 2022 single “Porch Light” receiving over 160 million streams on Spotify. Recently, Meloy released his latest album “Where You Came From”. Myers was born outside of Austin, Texas and raised on a cattle ranch owned by his family for more than six generations. LikeMeloy, he has a sports background but gave it up to focus on music. His first two singles, “Tie That Binds” and “Drinkin’ Alone” have over 7 million and 15 million streams on Spotify respectively. That success led him to sign a record deal with RECORDS Nashville/Columbia Records. Myers’ recent single is “Too Far Gone”.
Barber was born in Frohna, Missouri and raised on his family’s farm. He was a dedicated athlete and did not get involved in music until he was 16. He accidentally fell into music by experimenting with his grandfather’s guitar and discovering his vocals. Shortly after, music became his passion. The singer-songwriter’s music mixes elements of the country and acousticfolk genres. Barber’s music received traction while he was enrolled at State Technical College of Missouri. His single “Straight and Narrow” went viral on TikTok and led him to signing with Lockland Springs/Atlantic Records. His current singles are “Streetlight” and “Tear Us Apart”. “Tear Us Apart” is from Twisters: The Album’s soundtrack. Mullen is a transplant to the Texas music scene as he was born on the West Coast and raised in the Northeast. He started writing songs and getting involved in music while he was enrolled at TCU (Texas Christian University). His music is modern in approach as he blends Red Dirt with pop country. His 2023 album “Where the Time Goes” garnered attention and prompted his move to Nashville. He was selected to share the stage with Warren Zeiders for his Pretty Little Poison 2024 Tour. His latest single is “Set on You”.
Tickets for the Bulls, Bands & Barrels 2024 Finals event are available now for purchase on BBB’s website.
Those looking to stay updated on BBB, Josh Meloy, Ty Myers, Sam Barber, and Clayton Mullen can follow them online at bullsbandsandbarrels.com, joshmeloy.com, tymyersmusic.com, sambarbermusic.com, and
Bulls, Bands & Barrels has taken the traditional world of rodeo and refreshed the format to successfully appeal to a present-day crowd. The attractiveness of the format is proven by the participation of Western sports’ elite athletes and country music’s most promising artists. To further honor the surging association’s achievements, the best in athletics and artistry will converge at the iconic Cowtown Coliseum for the upcoming Bulls, Bands & Barrels 2024 Finals event.