Carolina Cowboys Looking Forward to Growing Fan Base in Tryon
By: Justin Felisko
BISMARCK, N.D. – Carolina Cowboys coach Jerome Davis has visions of a sea of baby blue and black jerseys all over LVJM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, September (9-11) when the Cowboys have their host event – Cowboy Days – during the inaugural PBR Team Series season.
The Cowboys have already been hard at work trying to build a fan base throughout the Carolinas and eastern seaboard. Their 2-0 performance at the Dakota Community Bank & Trust PBR Team Series Preseason Event will only help their growing fandom.
Davis is looking forward to showcasing his team next weekend at the PBR Tryon Chute Out: PBR Team Series Preseason Event, as it will be the first time the team will be competing in North Carolina.
“We’re really excited,” Davis said. “Richard (Childress) going to bring the (Carolina Cowboys) race car out for fans to see. We’re going to really just try to get us a fan following, and I feel like we’re going to get that done in Tryon. We’ve got so much good response right up to this point, but now they know that we’ve got a preseason game in Tryon. Last year (PBR) sold out a Velocity without Teams. Now, I think with all of the hype of the new Teams deal, and us being able to go into Carolina, and the car, and Richard being there backing it, going to be really good.”
The Cowboys defeated the Missouri Thunder 350.75-261.50 on Saturday night at the Bismarck Civic Center.
However, Carolina was unable to notch the event victory during the Bonus Round, as Drago bucked off Daylon Swearingen in 3.83 seconds. The Bonus Round serves as the tiebreaker at PBR Team Series events, and it came into play on Saturday night with the Kansas City Outlaws and Carolina Cowboys both going 2-0 this weekend in game competition. Dalton Kasel won the event for Kansas City with a 90.75-point ride on Oilfield Outlaw’s Yellow Feather.
Regardless of the outcome, Carolina still put forth an impressive effort in Bismarck, going a combined 7-for-10 (not including the Bonus Round). Swearingen, Mason Taylor, and Wingson Henrique da Silva all went a perfect 2-for-2, and Junior Patrik Souza chipped in a qualified ride in their victory over Missouri.
“By the time we get to Winston-Salem, our team’s going to really be coming together,” Davis said. “It’s a long shot, but we’re hoping that (2016 World Champion) Cooper (Davis) is going to be ready by then, and we’re going to have our main roster going strong. People are going to be behind us, and hopefully, we’ll win. It’s going to be good.”
This year is in the inaugural PBR Team Series season, but the PBR is already firmly ingrained in North Carolina thanks to Jerome Davis – the 1992 PRCA champion – and two-time World Champion and fellow North Carolina native J.B. Mauney growing the sport east of the Mississippi River.
One of those kids impacted by Davis and Mauney was none other than Swearingen, who grew up in the Tarheel state and has experienced firsthand the growth of bull riding in the state.
“North Carolina has a bunch of backroad bull ridings, and I know a lot of people have gone to Jerome’s bull ridings over the years,” Swearingen said. I know me, Mason and Boudreaux (Campbell) are all going to Jerome’s bull riding in Archdale, and hopefully, we can make them fans of the Cowboys and get them over to Winston-Salem.”
Does Davis think fans break out a “let’s go Carolina!” chant in Tryon next weekend when the Cowboys take on the Oklahoma Freedom on Friday (8 p.m. ET on RidePass on Pluto TV) and the Nashville Stampede on Saturday (7 p.m. ET on RidePass on Pluto TV)?
“I hope that’s what happens,” Davis said with a sly grin. “We’ve got the fan base like that already. That’s one thing about over in the Carolinas – they love bull riding, and it’s been a hotbed over there for rodeos and bull ridings for years. Now that we’ve got a team, I feel like they’re going to back it. And now we’ve got Richard (Childress) and Austin (Dillon).
“The heartbeat of the Carolinas is that racing, and now we’ve combined forces, and that same fan base loves rodeo and bull riding. It’s going to work.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
© 2022 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.