Bull Rider Ryan Dirteater Still Loves The Sport That Breaks Him

Professional bull riding is a sport built on survival. In the short term, that means riding a bull for eight seconds and then figuring out a way to dismount it without getting your head caved in. In the long term, that means knowing when to leave it behind, before it can finish destroying you.

Ryan Dirteater is one of the most accomplished riders on the Professional Bull Riders tour, but at age 28 he knows that the end of his career is on the horizon. Dirteater recently sat down with us to talk about how he got into bull riding, the toll it has taken on his body, and why he still loves the sport despite all it has done to harm him.

Senior Producer: Kiran Chitanvis, Producer: Hannah Keyser, DP: Carmen Hilbert, Phantom Camera: Alexis Boling, Second Unit Camera: Russell Bush, Third Unit Camera: Jorge Corona, Location Sound: Josh Tucker, Editor: Anders Kapur, Copy Editor: Nara Shin