Las Vegas Weekly

April 16, 2010 · 1:35 PM

Photos: PBR cowboys at Gilley’s, Fantasy ahead of World Cup

By Robin Leach

Professional Bull Rider Ryan McConnel with the cast of Fantasy during a performance at the Luxor.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Five teams with five professional bull riders apiece will do battle today and through the weekend at the PBR World Cup being held for the first time ever in the United States right here in Las Vegas.

Teams from Canada, Brazil, Mexico and as far away as Australia will tangle right out of the chute with our own Team USA at the Thomas & Mack Center through Sunday. Brazil won the first World Cup held in Australia in 2007 and Team USA won it in 2008 in Mexico and again last year in Brazil. Now they defend on home turf!

The winning country will divide the $100,000 prize among its five riders, plus the prestigious cup itself. The events will be recorded with 3-D cameras for the reality TV show Rodeo 911 airing this summer.

Last night, the bull riders relaxed at the opening of Gilley’s Saloon at Treasure Island, as we reported earlier today. Then they turned up to watch their new pal Angelica Bridges star in the topless cabaret revue Fantasy at Luxor.

Oklahoma rider Ryan McConnel on Wednesday helped Angelica ride a mechanical bull for charity at Fremont Street Experience. To thank Ryan, she invited him to her show, and he arrived with fellow Team USA member McKennon Wimberly from Cool, Texas.

Ryan was introduced by Angelica to the audience and then brought onstage in a cowgirls’ salute routine. He wound up playing the role of Elvis in one of the routines, and our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue was there to record the action. Tom also will be on duty throughout the weekend at the World Cup events, and we’ll post those shots tomorrow, Sunday with the winners on Monday.

Now Ryan gets ready for another stage: Thomas and Mack. He admits that it’s going to be a very tough fight to win the World Cup for a third consecutive year. All of Team USA thinks that Brazil will provide the toughest challenge.

I talked with the riders, and none of them admitted to any fears whatsoever when the bull comes out of the chute as a violently charging and angry, kicking animal.

“He’s just doing his job,” said Austin Meier of Kinta, Okla. “We just do ours. There’s a mutual respect.”

Our Senior Editor John Katsilometes recently interviewed Austin about the injuries he’s sustained in battling the bulls.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

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Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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