When you think bull rider typically you think cowboy with some tight Wranglers, a pearl snap shirt, and a southern draw. Think what you want, but times they are a changin'. Although black bull riders has played an instrumental part in rodeos since the late 1800s with guys like Bill Pickett, Jesse Stahl, and Charles Sampson, it seems the only sport outside of hockey with fewer African-American participants had to be rodeo. Not only is Championship Bull Rider Craig Jackson helping to continue knocking down the racial barrier in the sport, but he is bringing a whole new culture with him.

Along with Craig Jackson comes long dreadlocked hair, a grill (the gold front teeth variety, not to cook hot dogs), and a love for a type of music rarely heard around bull riding.

With rodeo has always come country music, just like peanut butter and jelly or shoes and socks. And like rodeo, country music has always embraced black performers, they have just been few and far between. Guys like Charley Pride, and more recently Darius Rucker, have made it more "normal" to have an African-American singing cowboy music.

So when you hear Craig Jackson is also a musician along with being a bull rider one would by and large assume he sang country music. Wrong again! Jackson is a rapper. Not even a Cowboy Troy-like "hick-hop" rapper, but a real hip-hop rapper. At first glance it seems out of place, but it's kind of like peanut butter and honey, seems weird until you try it. It's actually pretty good.

Thanks to native Texan and CEO Damon Laffell, from Hip Hop Cowboy, Jackson can combine his two passions and entertain the crowd, along with well known rapper Juvenile and others, for a rodeo like you’ve never seen before. Jackson's rap music, including a rap about bull riding, has become so popular among fans that he released a CD, BTB Vol I, and some tracks for iTunes.

As far as bull riding goes, Jackson is pretty darn good at that too. He is currently ranked in the top 15 of CBR World Standings, and has won the CBR tour stop in El Paso, Texas the last two years.

When he’s not in the arena or the studio, Craig is father to a two-year-old daughter, Kayleigh. She and Craig’s two nephews are among his biggest fans. “My mom had to put up with my dad being a bull rider and me being a bull rider. That makes me glad I had a little girl,” he says.

Craig Jackson rapping (***language may be offensive to some***)

Craig Jackson bull riding

Championship Bull Riding presented by Carls Jr. at Budweiser Events Center in Loveland Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now. Click here for tickets and information.

For the second year in a row The CINCH CBR Tour will make its way through Loveland “On the Road to Cheyenne” where the CBR World Championships are held. Bull riders from the US, Mexico, and Brazil will compete in The Carl’s JR. Championship Bull Riding which is the final stop before the CBR Finals and will determine who will be invited to compete for the $100,000 World Championship prize!

 

Bull chutes are located in the north end between sections C and U. All seats are reserved except $15.00 seats in the south end between sections H-P, which are General Admission. All patrons ages 2+ must have a ticket.

 

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