'Titanium Tough' sets consecutive events record
Luke Snyder has set the precedent for toughness in the PBR. The 13-year veteran had a record streak of 275 consecutive BFTS events and has only missed one event during his career.
FORT WORTH, Texas ― Some call it grit and toughness.
Others call it luck and fortune.
For Luke Snyder, his PBR record streak of 275consecutive Built Ford Tough Series events is "a hard question toanswer."
He went nine years without missing a single event in a sportthat is widely renowned as the most dangerous sport in the world.Sure he might have been fortunate and, perhaps, even lucky, but thestreak came with a physical price tag.
During that time he competed with a broken leg, broken hand andbroken nose along with numerous wounds ― which required stitchesthat would have sidelined many professional athletes other thanbull riders ― that resulted in a series of concussions.
However, stitches don't count as an injury says Snyder.
"You can get on if all you need are some stitches," Snyder said."It's when you start breaking stuff that it counts."
That said, yes, he's been fortunate throughout his 13-yearcareer.
He was lucky he didn't sustain any substantial injuries thattook him out of competition for a substantial amount of time, muchless one event along the way.
"For eight seconds, you can put the painaside."
The few times he might have missed an event or two, the injurycame up during either the summer break from the BFTS or in theoffseason in November and December-either situation gave him achance to recover in time without missing any BFTS events.
"It was something that would have ended if Doc Tandy (Freeman)told me I shouldn't be doing it," Snyder said. "But it was always asituation where he said, 'We can get through it.'"
As difficult as the streak is for him to explain, it's equallystrange for the Raymore, Mo., native to think something that had asmuch to do with luck as it did with his toughness is being honoredas one of the 20 greatest moments in PBR history.
Throughout its 20th anniversary season, the PBR will profile theTop 20 Moments in PBR History. "Titanium Tough Sets ConsecutiveEvents Record" is the latest in an ongoing series of moments.
Snyder's consecutive BFTS record streak began when he made hisBFTS debut in 2001 and continued until he missed the Iron CowboyInvitational in 2010 after not being ranked high enough to compete.He previously surpassed J.W. Hart, who earned the"Iron Man" moniker when he set the original record of 197consecutive events, in 2007 in Uncasville, Conn., by riding in his198th consecutive BFTS event.
Snyder's nickname came about when a sponsor, who had a line oftitanium jewelry, took it upon themselves to use "Titanium Tough"as a marketing tool.
"I kind of got stuck with that nickname," Snyder recalled. "Ty(Murray) was onto 'Man of Steel' and I was kind of liking the ringof that a little better. It was a lot better than 'TitaniumTough.'"
Today Snyder laughs at the name, but not nearly as much as hisfellow bull riders used to.
"My pals all hacked on me," he laughed. "'Hey, here comesTitanium Tough.'"
As Murray has said before, the best nicknames ― or the ones mostapt to stick ― are those that are least liked. When it came to thelikes of Murray, Hart, Jim Sharp, JustinMcBride and Ross Coleman ― all legendsand all in the Ring of Honor ― Snyder learned early on he hadbetter be tough.
If he wasn't tough enough to bare a silly name, how would he betough enough to compete at the elite level as a professional bullrider?
These were some of the toughest and grittiest riders known tohave ever competed in the PBR. So if Snyder planned on continuingto put his gear bag in a locker next to theirs he had no choice butto be tough in a sport comprised of the toughest athletes in theworld.
"Yeah," Snyder laughed again. "If they catch you whining― ah, yeah, you learned how to be tough.
"They were all way tougher than I ever even thought about being,and they took some licks that would have put me out. It's just sohard when people ask me about that streak. I don't know what tochalk it up to. I was very, very, very fortunate and lucky."
Then again, he added, "For eight seconds, you can put the painaside."
Yet, for so long Snyder was defined by the streak despite havingwon the World Finals event (2001) as a rookie. He was alsorecognized as the 2001 Rookie of the Year.
In 2011, a year after the streak ended, the right-handed riderwon the Last Cowboy Standing and it touched off a whole newdiscussion of just how good he could have been.
"That's all everybody ever wanted to talk about," said Snyder."I was like, 'I'm here trying to win some bull ridings and win somemoney and get some points, but it was pretty wild after it was allover to think I went to that many (events)."
Snyder is 11th on the PBR's all-time money list afterwinning nearly $1.7 million in career earnings in 361 events.
Of the current Top 40 riders in the world standings only one ofthem ― Mike Lee with 292 career events ― has evenbeen to more than 275 BFTS events. Only 13 of the 50 riders whocompeted two weeks ago at Last Cowboy Standing have ever had astreak of at least 50 consecutive events and only two others ―Sean Willingham, 187, and GuilhermeMarchi, 133 ― have had a streak beyond 100events.
As a matter of fact, Snyder has missed only one BFTS event inhis career and is currently amidst a streak of 86 consecutiveevents.
His durability is why no rider in the history of the PBR hasnodded his head more times at a BFTS event than Snyder. He'srecorded a PBR record 909 outs and Lee and Marchi would need untilthe end of the 2014 season to even remotely approach 900 careerouts.
Snyder's 10th on the all-time list of total outs in the BuiltFord Tough Championship Round and is one of only 11 riders torecord at least 300 qualified rides at BFTS events.
"It's crazy," he said.
The streak came to an unceremonious, if not disappointing,ending in 2010.
Sure it was bound to end. It had to end at some point.
Most people, including Snyder, figured he would eventually "getwrecked out." But along came the first Iron Cowboy Invitational inwhich the Top 8 riders from the final standings in 2009automatically qualified for the draw, which was filled out with thenext Top 16 riders from the current world standings.
Unfortunately, Snyder wasn't among the 24 riders who qualifiedfor inaugural event at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, butwith six initial qualifiers on the injured list and one alternateahead of him in the standings, Snyder had some hope of makingthe final draw.
Snyder likened it to a score you know is going to be 93 or 94points and then you get bucked off at 7.8 seconds.
"And there it ended," said Snyder. "Sometimes you'd almostrather get your head drilled into the ground as soon as you nodbecause it's such a frustrating feeling. You're frustrated to getone-jumped or two-jumped, but, man, you know if you just hung on byyour fingertips ― for like literally the time it takes to snap yourfingers - it's enough to break your heart."
Though heartbreaking as it was, that missed event, in many ways,spurned his current turnaround.
The past two years are two of only three years in which herecorded 30 or more qualified rides at BFTS events and he's earneda quarter of his entire career earnings over the past 36months.
Snyder might not knowingly be able to put his record-settingstreak into perspective, but it was simply as much a byproduct ofhis innate love of the game as anything.
"This is all I've ever known ― this sport ― since I was 10,"Snyder said. "To me, to picture being home on the weekend and notgoing and watching on TV was enough to drive me insane. I love theatmosphere. I love going. I could put the pain aside for the timeand go out there and try."
Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.