Why cowboys put it all on the line to stay on a 2,000-lb bull for 8 seconds

On a smoky Thursday afternoon at the Calgary Stampede, the spectacle is on full display at GMC Stadium. 

A stylized video package plays on the jumbotron, complete with sound effects of an eagle call and a sword being unsheathed, something that might play on ESPN if the Calgary Stampede pre-empted Monday Night Football. Fireworks blast into the air as the crowd roars. 

As initial rodeo events get underway, 28-year-old Josh Frost is warming up for what many considered the main event — bull riding. It's a sport where participants mount bucking bulls that can weigh up to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms).

Frost makes time for an interview just outside the competitors' space, just steps away from a makeshift bar area where revellers wearing cowboy hats down plastic cups of Budweiser beer and Stampede caesars.

"This is one of those rodeos you dream of as a little kid to get a ride at," said Frost, who is now at his third competition in Calgary. "I dang sure love the event."

More than 100,000 visitors a day will pass through the gates at the Calgary Stampede, an annual festival held in July in Calgary. The rodeo is the central focus of the exhibition, and is possibly the most famous of its kind in the world. 

Bull riding, the star event, has a long legacy among rodeo families and is dangerous by nature, as riders face off against massive, unpredictable creatures. But as riders put it, there's nothing more satisfying than besting the bull — especially given the size and speed of today's animals.

During a bull ride, riders enter a small area where the beast is held, called the bucking chute. They mount the bull and grip the rope around the animal, usually underhand, while holding their free hand high in the air. They signal they're ready to go.

The bucking chute opens and 1,500 pounds of muscle bursts into the arena, trying to do anything to hurl the rider up and into the dirt. The rider tries to shift their weight with the leaps and turns. It's all over in eight seconds.

This is a busy time on the rodeo circuit, according to Frost. 

Frost, who hails from Utah, recently competed in eight rodeos in six days, and fatigue has started to set in. There's something to be said for the glamour of the arena, but there's a lot of long days and hard miles as they criss-cross the country to various events.

But the luster of the Stampede brings with it renewed adrenaline. The Stampede, which started in 1912, is one of the most lucrative rodeo events in the world, and yearly draws premier competitors, as well as significant media attention. 

About 45 minutes before the event starts, Frost starts his warm-up in the locker room. Bull riding is tough on the core and groin muscles. So before an event, Frost will do 50 squats, 25 lunges, light stretching and jumping jacks. 

In the locker room, he sees familiar faces. Though they're competitors in the ring, there's a respect behind the scenes. Frost says it's also an opportunity to ease pre-ride nerves: "We have a lot of fun down there."