“It is the most dangerous sport in the United States,” said Junior Jack Harrison. Broken spines, lacerated livers, and ruptured spleens are just some of the all too common injuries the most fearless men face in Professional Bull Riding. “Those guys are tough, and they take a lot of hits,” said Junior Erik Holiday.

I recently watched a six-part documentary on Professional Bull Riding that was produced by Netflix.

The show opens with Neil Holmes on the dirt, regaining consciousness and having trouble talking to the PBR Sports medicine team after an awful crash. This was the beginning of Fearless.

Professional Bull Riding

The PBR was founded in 1992. Since then it has slowly grown in popularity, so that it now sells out arenas across the country. It has also gained international attention, especially in countries such as Brazil, Canada, and Australia.

Television producer Andrew Fried is the man behind Fearless. Fearless mainly focuses on a few riders. They are Kaique Pacheco, Guilherme Marchi, Robson Palermo, Adriano Moraes, Renato Nunes, J.B. Mauney, Silvano Alves, and Neil Holmes. They also featured former rider and current announcer Ty Murray. Murray really showed how the sport has changed, and he was able to give expert insight as someone who talks about the sport for a living.

It also features the CEO of the PBR and co-producer of the documentary, Sean Gleason. Fearless centers around the families of the riders and their personal lives just as much as their riding careers. It shows them traveling around the world and competing while also showing them at home with their families.

The Brazilians

Fearless focused exceedingly on the transition of the Brazilian riders and their families’ from their lives in Brazil to their lives in America. Many of them only spoke English, and it was a challenge for them to conform to American life.

The documentary also featured the challenge Guilherme Marchi went through with his divorce. It showed how the divorce effected his mental and physical state. His performance suffered significantly. He even ended up somewhere no one ever thought they would see him.

Producers also showcased the end of a great career by following Roberto Nunes’ final season. He said he no longer had the passion for the sport. That it was no longer worth being away from his family, and putting his life on the line every time he got on a bull. He hung up his saddle at the World Finals in Las Vegas after a great career.

“I had lived off the money I made from working on other people’s farms, and my dream was that those farms could be mine. I came to America, so that I could have enough money to live off my own land,” said Nunes.

“Fearless provides a fascinating, intimate look into professional bull riding,” Sean Gleason said. Fearless brings positive attention to the PBR, and it offers insight to bull riding for people looking to learn more about it. Fearless also offers a chance for people to learn more about the sport. “(Fearless) made bull riding riding much more interesting for me even though I would never want to try it,” said Harrison.

It is the perfect show for all sports fans and Netflix watchers alike.