CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As their inaugural 11-event season got underway at the iconic Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Ridge Riders, Arizona’s first-ever professional bull riding team, announced the launch of “Every Second Counts,” an extensive philanthropic campaign dedicated to making a positive impact in each state the team competes in throughout the 2022 season.
Through “Every Second Counts,” the Ridge Riders will select a different charitable partner in each market the team travels to during the 2022 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series schedule. In addition to hands-on volunteer work, motivational visits, and more with the athletes and coaches, for every second the Ridge Riders athletes put on the clock at the event, whether or not the qualified 8-second mark (to earn a score) is made, the Teton Ridge-owned team will donate $50 per second to its philanthropic partner in each event market.
“The Ridge Riders believe in leaving our communities better for everyone,” said Colby Yates, Team Manager of the Ridge Riders. “We want to leave a lasting impression, not just with our rides, but with our hearts.”
The 11 501c3 partners were selected because they demonstrate shared core values of preserving and protecting areas in need within their communities.
The team’s season-premiere partner for the Cheyenne Frontier Days two-day event on July 25 and 26, which opens the 2022 PBR Team Series regular season, is CHAPS Equine Assistive Services. Based in Sheridan, Wyoming, CHAPS was originally established as an adaptive riding program to serve children and adults with special needs.
Over the years, the program has expanded to offer adaptive carriage driving, equine facilitated psychotherapy, and equine assisted learning. Those impacted and assisted by the dedicated nonprofit now include not only individuals but also groups of veterans from the Veterans’ Home of WY, Volunteers of America, as well as seniors with early onset dementia and public servants such as law enforcement and emergency personnel.
“Teton Ridge is committed to strengthening, enriching, and furthering Western culture, so being able to make a positive impact in the communities we travel to is even greater than a game win for our team,” said Ridge Riders General Manager Casey Lane. “Our athletes are dedicated to empowering those who need us most and to making a difference in their lives. Just as our riders have to overcome and out-ride their fears and challenges, we hope to inspire, support and share the stories of others as they do the same no matter what they are up against.”
As one of the foundational partners of the first team-based league in the extreme sport of bull riding, the Ridge Riders represent one of several elevated sports properties that Western culture and entertainment brand Teton Ridge has assembled under its sports division’s portfolio.
A combination of grit, determination and resilience wrapped into one steadfast group of athletes with a strong lineage in Western sports, the inaugural Ridge Riders team features a collection of the world’s top competitors, including Luciano De Castro (Guzolandia, Sao Paulo, Brazil), Mauricio Moreira (Gaviao Peixoto, Sao Paulo, Brazil), Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil), Chase Dougherty (Decatur, Texas) and Marco Eguchi (Poa, Brazil), Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah), Paulo Ferreira Lima (Bezerros, Brazil) and more.
The team calls Glendale, Arizona’s Gila River Arena home and will host their homestand event and surrounding festivities on October 14-16, 2022, which also serves as the final game for the regular PBR Team season, leading into the playoffs and championship in Las Vegas.
Tickets for the three-day event are on sale now and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, at the Gila River Arena Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.
To follow along as the Ridge Riders make “Every Second Count,” please visit arizonaridgeriders.com, @arizonaridgeriders on Facebook and Instagram, or @AZRidgeRiders on Twitter.