Rupp Arena transforms for bull-riding competition Saturday

Friday, the venue starting transforming from a basketball court to a bull-riding arena.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Saturday, the Professional Bull Riders Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour rides into Lexington, and while it literally goes up overnight, the process of transforming a basketball court into a bull-riding arena is a massive undertaking.

Friday, Rupp Arena began its transformation for Saturday’s 7 P.M. event.

“People come to the Rupp Arena and they’re used to seeing basketball games and concerts and things like that. The way we transform it is so incredible to watch and it happens so fast,” said Tour Operations Manager Kevin McCoy.

According to McCoy, the transformation, especially with such a short amount of time, is no small process.

“We flew in all the rigging in the air, that’s the concert elements people are used to seeing, the speaker stacks, the lights, the video board, we set that up. We’re also taking up the dressing rooms…we also bring all the dirt in, it’s 80 inches thick all the way across,” said McCoy.

45 trucks brought in about 700 tons of dirt for the intense bull-riding competition, which McCoy says boasts some of the best riders in the world. Bryan Titman, who says he will be competing in Saturday’s event, says he’s been riding bulls since he was three years old.

“You kind of…I tune out the whole crowd once I get down in there until the gate opens. Once the gate opens you can hear everything going on, the excitement, how loud it is, the louder the arena is the better we ride, the better the bulls perform,” said Titman.

The Texas native has been professionally riding for almost 11 years and says it’s his passion, enjoying being able to inspire and meet new people along the way.

“I love meeting new people, I love seeing kids, seeing that smile. I once sat in that seat and had a dream. I believe you can do anything you want and I just love coming to new towns and meeting new people, it’s an awesome experience,” said Titman.

The Professional Bull Riders Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour is only on Saturday, and tickets start at $15. PBR says it’s expecting a full house.