If you're brave enough to strap yourself on the backs of beasts with names Brutus, Bruiser, and Spotted Demon, then you've got what Nathan Schaper has - guts!

The 25-year old Grassy Butte, North Dakota native is one of the stars on the Professional Bull Riders tour, which makes its first-ever stop in Sioux Falls, March 13 and 14, 2015, at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.

Schaper enters the event as the number ten bull rider in the world with career earnings approaching $200,000 over the past six seasons. So how did he get involved in such a demanding sport?

PBR bulls
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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Not only are the riders ranked, so are the bulls.  The animals are scored on buck off percentages and average rider scores, and the numbers are impressive.  Of the current bulls in the PBR's Top Ten, seven have a 100% buck off rate, meaning not a single rider has managed to hang on for the required eight seconds. Schaper knows there is plenty of information out there on each bull, a "scouting report" of sorts, but he chooses not to arm himself with any of it:

As for injuries, he's had his share, including a broken left tibia and fibula after being stepped on by Bushwacker last season.  That injury left him with a rod in his left leg and three months on the sideline.  Over the years, safety measures have increased in the sport with head gear and protective vests.  I asked Nathan about what's he's required to wear:

If you don't follow the sport closely you might be surprised to learn that two countries produce the best riders in the world - the United State and Brazil.  I asked Nathan about how the Brazilians have gotten so good:

The Sioux Falls stop starts Friday, March 13 at 8:00 PM and continues Saturday, March 14 at 7:00 PM.  Saturday's event will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network at 9:00 PM.

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