Steamboat Springs — Judd Mortensen said a handful of motivations drove him to add a new element to this year’s Rocky Mountain Bull Bash — Sunday’s annual Labor Day weekend Professional Bull Riders event that marks the end of the local rodeo season.


The event this year will include a team competition, in addition to the individual competition that has wowed fans for years. The team competition will allow some athletes to ride again, even if they have a bad first round. It will mean more money for more cowboys, and it is a part of Mortensen’s ongoing efforts to help a fund meant to assist injured riders.

On top of all of that, Mortensen hopes banding together as a team can bring about some of the camaraderie among today’s riders that he treasured 15 years ago when he was the one riding the bulls.

“That made it better,” he said, considering the friends he could count on in the sport. “You had teammates who were going to see where you were faltering, who were going to pat you on the back. That kind of changed when PBR got so big.”

For fans, adding the “team” concept is going to mean one big change — there will be more bulls.

Gates open at 3 p.m. Sunday at Romick Rodeo Arena at Howelsen Hill in downtown Steamboat Springs. The riding will begin at 5 p.m. and should last about two hours.

Tickets start at $20 and are available at F.M. Light & Sons, 830 Lincoln Ave., at Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, 125 Anglers Drive, and Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply in Craig. Tickets will also be available at the gate, and Mortensen said organizers will find room for fans no matter how many show up.

This year’s event will feature 30 cowboys competing in the long round. There will then be a short round that will feature 19 of those. A dozen of those 20 will be top riders from the first round, but each team will also be able to advance one rider who didn’t otherwise qualify.

“We’ll see people ride more bulls out there this year,” Mortensen said. “This is a little extra incentive.”

At an event where the crowd is always salivating for action, that’s not a bad thing.

“We’re looking forward to this new concept,” he said.

To reach Joel Reichenberger, call 970-871-4253, email jreichenberger@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @JReich9