PUEBLO, Colo. – Luke Snyder was flipping through some photos of the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena and couldn’t stop looking at one of them.
The photo was taken around 7:45 p.m., which will be the start time for Thunder Days this coming Friday night, and Snyder’s breath was taken away by the look of the sun setting behind the bucking chutes at the Ridgedale, Missouri, arena.
The Missouri Thunder is the only home team to have their host venue featured as an open-air facility, and Snyder can’t think of a better place than the Ozarks for his team to welcome their seven opponents in the PBR Team Series.
“It kind of gets us back to our roots,” Snyder said. “There’s something special about being outdoors, especially the time of year we’re doing it. It’ll be really nice weather. I saw a picture of the facility the other day. It’s going to be the most beautiful, picturesque view right at start time.”
Thunder Ridge Nature Arena is an immersive, nature-based outdoor amphitheater unlike any other in the world. The outdoor venue is envisioned by Bass Pro Shops founder, Johnny Morris, and is located at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri. The Thunder held a portion of their preseason training camp at Big Cedar Lodge.
The last time the PBR Team Series operated an outdoor show was the season-opener in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Thunder made their presence in the PBR Team Series loud and clear on that summer night in Wyoming, going 2-0 and taking home the first event title of the season.
Cheyenne is a good example of the prestige Snyder and the Bass Pro team hope to see develop over time with their new venue.
Thunder Ridge Nature Arena will easily become the most talked-about outdoor PBR outdoor arena and will carry a nostalgia over time similar to some of the most iconic rodeo venues.
“You hear the rodeo guys talking about all these historic places like Pendleton, Cheyenne, all these places they ride at that have something different to offer, and ours will be like that too,” Snyder said.
RELATED: Be prepared for Thunder Days
Missouri has had a mixed bag of results since then, but the 10-9 Thunder squad head home this weekend riding the momentum of a 164.25-89.25 victory over the Kansas City Outlaws (7-12) on Sunday afternoon at Freedom Fest.
“All these venues have something special to them because they’re all historic,” Snyder said. “We ride everywhere from Madison Square Garden and everything else. But there’s just something about being outdoors and sitting there and turning around, getting ready, and then just seeing God’s beauty and nature and everything. Because as pretty as Madison Square Garden is, and the history behind it, these buildings start looking the same when you’re inside of them. So, it’s kind of neat to step outside the box, and I think it brings a whole new vibe, not just to our team, but for everyone.
Adriano Salgado has been absolutely red hot for the Thunder, converting on seven of his past nine bulls, and he has quietly risen to sixth in the MVP Standings (9-for-15).
Salgado got Missouri on the board quickly against Kansas City this past Sunday with an 87.75-point ride on Hang em High. Marcelo Procopio Pereira than answered for Missouri by hanging on to Duke for a 76.5-point score after Dalton Kasel had briefly given the Outlaws an 89.25-87.75-point lead with his ride on American Gangster.
Pereira had to be helped to the sports medicine room following a rough get-off, and he was ruled to have sustained a concussion.
Salgado may be looked upon to help lead the Thunder further this weekend in Ridgedale with Pereira and first-round draft pick Colten Fritzlan (concussion) getting injured in Oklahoma City.
Snyder already said the Thunder will likely limit Fritzlan to only a coaching role this coming weekend following his vicious wreck inside Paycom Center.
“The one thing you don’t want to screw around with is your head,” Snyder said. “Me and Ross (Coleman) know so many guys in our heyday that didn’t necessarily take the precautions that you should, and we exhaust every available resource nowadays to make sure these guys are fine. Fritzlan’s a superstar. We’re going to keep an eye on him. We’ll probably rest him in Missouri, and he’ll be there on the back of the chutes with us. We all saw the wreck. You don’t push it. He’s not going to like the news, but I mean, you’ve got to do what’s best for him. You can’t put these guys right back in there. It’s in their best interest to rest that muscle between their ears.”
The Thunder will look to begin their homestand with a win against No. 1 Carolina (12-7) on Friday night (8:45 p.m. ET).
“You always want to stand your ground on your home turf,” Snyder concluded.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
