Lodi brothers Travis, above, and Troy Jensen, below, will compete in their first Professional Bull Riders event on Friday at Oracle Arena in Oakland. (Courtesy photo)

Ridin' to the pros

Realizing a lifelong dream, Lodi's Jensen brothers to compete in their first event as Professional Bull Riders

A single run lasts mere seconds, but bull riding has been a passion of brothers Troy and Travis Jensen much longer than that. And like most young athletes, they've dreamt about the day when they could compete in their sport at the highest level.

Strangely enough, to participate in an event for Professional Bull Riders Inc., the sport's most distinguished organization, all the Jensens needed to do was turn 18 and fill out some paperwork. Being that the twin brothers graduated from Lodi High last spring and had their 18th birthday in November, it didn't take long for them to sign up.

Not that these guys are rookies. They've been riding bulls for the past six years and have been part of the California Pro Circuit the last two. Last year, Travis finished second in the state — a group that includes all of California's professional bull riders between the ages of 17 and 40 — while Troy was close behind in sixth place.

But while the California circuit is nothing to scoff at — and an arena in which the brothers will continue to compete — PBR is the holy grail of bull riding. It's the PBR events that are shown on television, bring in the largest crowds and garner the highest earnings. And it's where bull riders make their name.

On Friday, the Jensen brothers will take their first rides as PBR members.

Plenty of people will be watching as they compete at Oakland's Oracle Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors, where the PBR Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour event is expected to draw a sellout crowd.

Travis Jensen

"This is something I've been wanting to do my whole life pretty much," Troy Jensen said. "It's exciting to finally get to the professional level to see if we're really up to it and see if we can really make it.

"The level of competition is much greater than anything we've gone up against. We've had family friends and people we ride with tell us we have what it takes to go to the next level."

Not that large crowds or high expectations are making the Jensen boys nervous.

"The bigger the crowd, the more intensity there is in the building, and it just makes you want to do better," Travis Jensen said.

Added Troy: "I think the more pressure I have, I do a lot better. It makes you try a lot harder to stay on."

While Friday's competition is part of the Enterprise Tour, a mix of bull-riding newcomers and veterans, the Jensens will primarily compete on the entry-level Challenger Tour until they earn their Ford Tough Tour cards. If and when they collect $2,500 in earnings, they'll also earn the cards, allowing them to compete in all top-level events.

Lodi brothers Travis, above, and Troy Jensen, below, will compete in their first Professional Bull Riders event on Friday at Oracle Arena in Oakland. (Courtesy photo)

Hypothetically, they could earn those cards on Friday if they finish in the top five out of 40 bull riders.

But, barring injury — and Troy has already needed three surgeries as a result of bull-riding mishaps — they'll have countless opportunities to reach the top and stay there for several years. Bull riders' careers often last into their late thirties and early forties, and the top riders have generated career earnings of more than a million dollars.

Of course, the Jensens can always fall back on their second love: riding horses. The Jensens currently earn a modest living doing just that at a ranch in Clements, keeping the horses in shape for cutting, another rodeo event. And it's the perfect job for a bull rider, as it helps them keep their balance.

Troy Jensen

When they fall off a bull for the last time, they'd love nothing more than to become cutting trainers.

"Me and him like the cowboy lifestyle," Troy Jensen said. "That's how we want to live."

First published: Tuesday, January 30, 2007