What is SEBRA?

ABOUT SEBRA

Encompassing a full spectrum of events from amateur to professional, the Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association (SEBRA), otherwise known as SEBRA Extreme Bull Riding & Barrel Racing, is the nation's premier sanctioning body working to strengthen and sustain one of the world's most exciting and dangerous sports.

With roots buried deep within the PBR, SEBRA Extreme Bull Riding was begun in 1994 by legendary PBR founder Jerome Davis to be a simple bull riding association based around his home in North Carolina where he wanted to help young cowboys get a start in the sport.

But just as the fan base for the sport of bull riding has seen exponential growth in the past decade, SEBRA also grew, first at a steady pace. With his attention pulled in two directions, Jerome stepped out of the association to focus on his involvement with the PBR while new leadership under the direction of current SEBRA President Chan Canter, in the past five years has gone from sanctioning 150 events to more than 400 from coast to coast. It is the largest association of its kind in North America.

Still headquartered in North Carolina, SEBRA is now focused on growing and sustaining the sport of bull riding across the nation by investing in producers and stock contractors to provide quality productions for bull riders while working with several leaders in the industry to sanction and help produce professional caliber events that provide a stepping stone into the PBR.

SEBRA invests much of its time working closely with many of its members to help develop the next generation of bull riders, bull breeders and producers to ensure that the sport of bull riding remains strong. The association runs and promotes schools and clinics to help equip bull riders to work their way from entry-level events to professional while working side-by-side with its producers, helping them develop stronger productions that attract more fans and a higher caliber of riders. As the producers begin creating bigger and better productions, SEBRA actively seeks more entry-level producers to help mentor and grow. This also keeps a level of events accessible to new bull riders looking to gain experience and get started in the sport. 

JB Mauney, Brian Canter, Billy Robinson and Josh Faircloth are just a handful of the bull riders who have worked their way through SEBRA's ranks to the PBR's professional tour.

Another component of SEBRA is its growing fan base. SEBRA's smallest venues can see 800 fans while other performances can attract crowds of 5,000 people a night and thousands now follow the association's bull riders and events through its website and social media. Fans are eagerly watching the more than 1,200 cowboys who compete at the association's events as training ground until they're ready to move on to compete for a spot in the SEBRA National Finals.

The top 40 bull riders are invited to the SEBRA National Finals where they currently compete for more than $60,000 in cash and awards, making it one of the largest finals of its kind. Add to that more than $500,000 in cash payouts through the season and SEBRA becomes a vehicle many bull riders are using as they try to make a living at the sport full time.

And while SEBRA's emphasis will always be on growing the sport of bull riding, the association isn't just for bull riders anymore. For the past five years, SEBRA also sanctions barrel racing, giving producers another avenue to attract fans to their events by adding the fast-paced cowgirl sport to the mix.

SEBRA's exponential growth is expected to continue as the association has become recognized as a true leader in the bull riding industry.