The Boys Are Back In Town… PBR Bull Riders Have Arrived!!

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The Professional Bull Riders was created in 1992; with twenty founding members all bull riders and champions in their own right. A sport referred to as “The Toughest Sport on Dirt.” Showcasing the top 45 bulls and the top 45 bull riders in the world, they are the best of the best. Bull riders who live, breathe, and sometimes die in the arena ride during the year for a chance to compete in Las Vegas. The PBR attracts over 90,000 fans a year during the seven days of competition. PBR past champions 2006 – Adriano Moraes, 2007 – Justin McBride, 2008 – Guilherme Marchi, in 2009 – ???.

I joined the PBR and their fans for the First Round Draw and Kick Off Party on Fremont St on October 29, 09. This was a chance to see the top forty bull riders who qualified for PBR World Finals. This is the sixteenth PBR World Finals, and is rumored to be one of the closest matches in PBR history in the race for the cup.

The riders came down the red carpet and onto the stage, where they waited for their name to be called. Fans, Stock Contractors, and Sponsors would each draw one casino chip out of the World Championship cup. A bull’s name was called and the bull rider’s name was written on a chip, which would be how the round one match ups were decided. Justin McBride a two time PBR World Champion and Three-time World Champion Adriano Moraes also drew chips.

The draw was over quickly and the bull riders were left to reflect on their bull for their first eight seconds, in the race for the World Championship, which isn’t over until the last bull bucks. 

When the gate cracks, hang onto your hat for an eight second ride you won’t soon forget… I have been there in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009… Be sure to join me for an unforgettable PBR, filled with moments, memories, wrecks… blood, sweat, and tears.

Camera Wench
“Have Camera… Will Travel”

19th Annual Las Vegas Police K-9 Trials

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I attended the Las Vegas Police K-9 Trials, at the Orleans Arena, October 25, 2009.  This is an annual event hosted to by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and it was free to the public.  This year forty dogs and their partners competed for honors that included Top Dog and Top K-9 Unit.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department‘s K-9 unit has been in operation since 1961.  The K-9 Unit has twenty one officers, and twenty Patrol Dogs.  These dogs are trained to locate human scent, whether that it is scent from suspects, people who are lost, or evidence that a suspect may have thrown away during a chase.  Patrol Dog breeds include the German Shepherd, the Dutch Sheppard, and the Belgian Malinois’.  The K-9 Unit also has fifteen detection dogs, comprised of nine Narcotic Detector Dogs and six Explosive Detector Dogs.  Detection Dog breeds include the Springer Spaniels and Labrador Retrievers.

Since 2000, each Handler in the K-9 Unit has two dogs, a Patrol Dog and a Detection Dog.  This allows more access to Patrol Dogs, Explosive Detector Dogs, as well as having even greater access to Narcotic Detector Dogs.

Dogs are valuable in Police Work because of their keen sense of smell; they can smell what humans can not.  Through the dogs’ sense of smell, a human can not effectively ‘hide’ from a K-9.  K-9’s also provide security and safety for the Police Officers.  People are not as likely to challenge a K-9, when the person knows he can not escape a K-9, surrender happens quicker than if the K-9 was not present.

A dog will undergo eight to fourteen weeks of extensive training, and from that point on the dog’s training will continue throughout their entire K-9’s career.  All the dogs on the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department K-9 Unit are trained in Las Vegas.

I was ringside at this amazing display of partnership, between man and dog.  The K-9 is a valuable asset to any police department, but the K9 also works with a human partner / handler.  The trust and faith was amazing both in the dog of what his handler was asking and the handler in that the dog would do as instructed.

During the agility trial, which was the dog’s ability to not only follow commands but negotiate obstacles.  These included a gate, a raised barrel which the dog jumped up and into and then the dog crawled through it, climbing a ladder, walking on a raised walkway, ‘A’ frame negotiation, and maneuvering over a stack of barrels.  All of this was done off leash, with almost no contact from the Officer / Handler.  The Handler’s never touched the dog, but the Handler was there to catch the dog if he slipped on an obstacle.  It was amazing to watch the skill of the dogs and the fact that they trusted their Handler’s not to put them in a dangerous situation.

Next the dogs were tested on Handler protection.  I was ringside for these exercises, and it really made me wonder who would really call out a K-9 and his handler.  These dogs were obedient, but, they were focused on their job… and that was to get the bad guy or the guy who was threatening their partner.

When I was ringside, I could hear the impact of a dog slamming into a suspect.  The dogs are trained to bite the arm of the suspect.  The impact was so strong the suspect is almost taken off balance.  The dogs are so well trained then unless they are told to release they will keep after the suspect regardless if the first attempt to bite and hold was not successful.  The dogs are so well trained and aware of their Handler’s commands, that they know exactly when to come to the aid of their partner. 

The dogs also performed under gun fire conditions, where blanks are fired, and the reaction of the dog is noted.  Most of the dogs did not lose their concentration or focus during the gun fire.

K-9 dogs are not ‘mean,’ but, they are trained to protect.  K-9 dogs are part of their partner’s family and live at home with their human partners.  K-9’s become a part of everyday life, both on duty and off duty.  K-9 dogs know the difference between a good guy and a bad guy. 

A K-9 and his partner a force to be respected and honored in today’s society.

Camera Wench
“Have Camera… Will Travel”

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