Bull Riding at the PBR Big Sky Bar

By CRYSTAL K. WIEBE

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It’s 9:45 p.m., and I’m straddling a beast in public. A couple of dozen people look on as I ride the mechanical bull at the PBR Big Sky Bar until it bucks me off. This is just my practice ride, but not long after, I’ll join the throng of women who have come for ladies’ night.

The country-themed bar in the Power & Light District holds men’s and women’s amateur bull-riding contests at 10:30 every Wednesday night — and free bull rides always. I got a flier about it recently that specifically called for buckle bunnies, the slang term for rodeo groupies. Buckle Bunny also happens to be the name of my music column for The Pitch, so I feel especially compelled to investigate this scene.

The bar isn’t very crowded, though it can take awhile to get a drink. Other buckle bunnies seem to have better luck. Anna, a 21-year-old from Lenexa, and her friend Christa, a 22-year-old from Kansas City, come to Big Sky Bar about three times a week to see their favorite bartenders. “Kevin and Cameron are the shit,” Anna says. And that’s not all. “The bull is the shit,” Anna adds. “Even though you get bruises on your thighs.” Anna and Christa aren’t sure if they’ll ride tonight, but they did wear the right clothes for it — jeans. “We usually wear dresses,” Christa says.