Maui native riding in National Finals

Advertiser Staff

Myron Duarte, the second-ranked bull rider in the world, will attempt to become the first Hawai'i native to win the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo which runs today through Dec. 15 in Las Vegas.

The National Finals Rodeo matches the best cowboys against the best livestock in a 10-round, 10-day shootout with a purse worth more than $4.8 million, which makes it one of the most lucrative sporting events in the world.

Duarte, 34, who was born in Wailuku, Maui, in 1968 and moved to the mainland in 1991 for better rodeo opportunities, said the National Finals Rodeo is considered the Super Bowl or World Series of rodeos.

"Fanwise, it's the biggest event Vegas has all year," said Duarte, who lives in Auburn, Wash. "It's the biggest draw all year."

Duarte said each round is worth $15,000. At the end of the 10-round competition, the rider with the most points earns close to $40,000. In all, a rider could win close to $190,000.

But the money won't come easy, especially for Duarte, who will ride the "Bucking Bull of the Year" — voted on by the top cowboys in the world — on the second night of competition.

"I look forward to the challenge of getting on that kind of bull, stepping up to the plate and getting them rode," Duarte said. "For a chance to win the gold buckle and be named world champion and have a chance at riding this bull, that's prestigious in its own."

A rider must stay on the bull for eight seconds, and according to Duarte, "it don't matter how you do it." Riders earn points for control and riding difficult bulls.

Last year, more than 170,000 fans attended the event. Every round is scheduled to be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.

"This is not like any other sport, where if you make a mistake you have three quarters or a quarter to make up for it," Duarte said. "If you do get bucked off, don't look down, look where you want to go, and keep your chin up. It's a long 10 days."