# Of all Latin American countries, why is Brazil so dominant in PBR bull riding? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 20, 2021, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360 "2021-04-20T06:13:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stuccosuperstar2020](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@stuccosuperstar2020](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuccosuperstar2020)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/1 "2021-04-20T06:13:32Z")
I’m not a big follower of the sport, but this year and as it turns out for decades, Brazilian riders are all but side by side with Americans in terms of championships and rankings. Good on them, and I am guessing part of it is Brazil is major cattle producer. But isn’t Argentina? Where are all the famous “gauchos”? Mexico also seems to be majorly unrepresented, despite its geographic adjacency to the US, and a strong “cowboy” culture, especially in the North. Why aren’t there more Mexican bullriders in PBR? Or even entries from other big Latin American countries like Colombia or Venezuela? Is it a cultural thing? A political thing? Do many Latin American countries have their own bull riding competitions or their own sport that would attract potential bull riders? Or is there some other reason Brazil sticks out so much in PBR representation versus other Latin American nations? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/2 "2021-04-20T16:05:09Z")
My WAG is that it has to do with population. More people = more chance of having the most talented competitors. It’s probably similar to how the US teams as a whole tend to dominate over the Canadian teams as a whole in the NHL playoffs. Having more numbers means a better chance at success. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/3 "2021-04-20T16:11:51Z")
What is Pabst Blue Ribbon bull riding? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/4 "2021-04-20T16:44:37Z")
I think that’s when you mix a PBR with Red Bull and try to surf on top of a bus. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/5 "2021-04-20T16:48:15Z")
I assumed it meant riding a bull one-handed while holding a Pabst beer in the other hand. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/6 "2021-04-20T16:59:57Z")
This would be my guess: > **[Beef](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef#World_producers)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (Bos taurus). > In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity of their meat. Today, beef is the third most widely consumed meat in the world, after pork and poultry. As of 2018, the United States, Brazil, and China were the largest producers of beef. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/7 "2021-04-20T17:06:35Z")
Anyone else find it amusing that India is among the top beef exporters? ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/8 "2021-04-20T17:11:44Z")
At a quick glance, it appears as though much (how much ?) of the ‘beef’ they export is buffalo meat: > **[Why the humble cow is India's most polarising animal](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-34513185)** > > The cow is worshipped in India, but it is also the country's most polarising animal, writes Soutik Biswas. > India continues to be the world’s largest exporter of beef - 80% of it buffalo meat. [NB: I’m not sure the linked article actually gives this 80% figure] > **[India on top in exporting beef](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-on-top-in-exporting-beef/article7519487.ece)** > India retains its top spot as the world’s largest exporter of beef, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and has extended its lead over the next highest exporter, Brazil. It must be noted, however, that the U.S. government classifies even buffalo meat as beef. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/9 "2021-04-20T17:16:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Anyone else find it amusing that India is among the top beef exporters? If they’re not eating it, might as well give it to someone who will… ---
**Author:** ![stuccosuperstar2020](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@stuccosuperstar2020](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuccosuperstar2020)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/10 "2021-04-20T18:07:06Z")
PBR= Professional Bull Riders. If I just posted “PBR” 95% of the board would have no idea what I was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/11 "2021-04-20T18:15:43Z")
What sets Brazil apart from most of Latin America? It wasn’t colonized by the Spanish. The Spanish already have a violent sport involving bulls. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/12 "2021-04-20T20:17:28Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > It’s probably similar to how the US teams as a whole tend to dominate over the Canadian teams as a whole in the NHL playoffs. Having more numbers means a better chance at success. Not sure that’s a good example; Canadian and U.S. teams both have a (similar?) mix of Canadian and U.S. players. I guess you could look at Olympic hockey results, though. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/13 "2021-04-20T20:24:56Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Not sure that’s a good example; Canadian and U.S. teams both have a (similar?) mix of Canadian and U.S. players. I guess you could look at Olympic hockey results, though. I was considering the teams as a whole rather than the nationalities of the individual players. The reason the US teams win more Stanley Cups than Canadian teams do is because there are more US teams. I’m assuming the same holds true for the bull riders. The Brazilian ones probably do better as a whole because there are more Brazilians than there are Mexicans, Argentinians, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-latin-american-countries-why-is-brazil-so-dominant-in-pbr-bull-riding/940360/14 "2021-04-20T21:37:31Z")
Brazil and the US also dominate MMA. I think both are just cultural coincidences.