SuperBull Series kicks season off at Show Me Center

Top-ranked cowboys from across the country and around the world will ride into Cape Girardeau on Friday and Saturday to compete in the SuperBull Series bull riding event at the Show Me Center.

"This is the first time we have had the SuperBull Series at the Show Me Center," said Shannon Burford, marketing director for the Show Me Center. "It's a big deal."

Buford said the event is "high-scale" and will be the kick off to SuperBull's 2010 season. He said ticket sales are going well and he expects to see them increase as the event draws closer.

"[The] majority of people buy their tickets the week of the show," he said. "Tickets bought at the Show Me Center box office range in price from $12 to $42. There is a price range for everybody," Buford said.

Professional bull rider Willy Ropp will be one of the cowboys at the SuperBull event. The Trenton, Mo., native said he is excited to be participating in the series.

"The producer puts on the best show," Ropp said. "He knows good bulls, there is a great atmosphere and it is a professional, well-ran show."

Ropp said the atmosphere of an event is important to bull riders.

"You are more ready to ride when the crowd is going wild," Ropp said.

The 28-year-old Ropp has been riding bulls for eight years and said he started riding to join his friends.

"Two of my buddies were bull riders," he said. "I have always been a cowboy and bull riding just fit into my lifestyle."

Ropp said being on the back of a bull is pure "adrenaline rush."

"It is like a cat walking on thin ice," he said. "You're moving in all different directions. Every time it is something different."

He said even bulls that tend to spin in only one direction can keep a cowboy guessing for the long eight seconds he is required to stay on the bull.

While Ropp considers himself a "lucky man," he does not rely on any good luck traditions or charms when he is riding on the back of an angry, 2,000-pound bull. He said he credits his faith for keeping him safe and allowing him to perform at his best.

"I am a man of faith. I think if the Lord was a cowboy, he'd be a bull rider," Ropp said.

Ropp said he feels good coming into this weekend's event.

"The last months have been treating me good," he said. "I look forward to coming to Cape Girardeau. It is the closest to home I will be during the series."

The event starts at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets for the SuperBull Series can be purchased at the Show Me Center box office or by calling 573-651-5000. Tickets purchased the night of the show will cost an additional $2. Burford said this is the only rodeo event scheduled for the Show Me Center in 2010.