On the weekend of September 11 and 12, Matt Scharping of Phenom Genetics is hosting an open bull riding event that’s not only located in his hometown of Arlington, Minnesota, but also gives back to the community and everyone involved.
The Sibley County Bull Event is invitation-style bull riding where Scharping personally invited 40 bull riders from all over the country to compete. The winner will take home a truck, with $40,000 added to the event, alongside another $10,000 added for second through sixth place finishes.
With many unique factors surrounding this event, one of the biggest is that nobody is making money from it. The entire event is about giving back to the community, riders and stock contractors, with a large portion of proceeds going toward former NFL player Jared Allen’s Home For Wounded Warriors, where they build and remodel homes for soldiers.
“The committee is amazing,” Scharping said. “The Sibley County Fairboard has done a great job putting everything together. The sponsors are unlike anywhere else, and this is a true competitor’s event.”
When the longtime stock contractor was putting together the event, he wanted to create something that was truly for contestants—an event that didn’t take money from them and was funded fully through sponsors.
While the event provides a chance for bull riders to compete for a big payday, stock contractors also have the opportunity to earn money if their bull is the highest-marked or second-highest-marked bull of the long go and short go. The bonus is $5,000 for the highest-marked bull and $2,500 for the second-highest.
The community has also come in and stood firmly behind Scharping as the event raises money for veterans.
“There hadn’t been a bull riding for many years in Arlington,” Schapring said. “Once people started realizing what we were doing and where the money was going and why we were doing it. Now we’re trying to find things for sponsors.”
For Scharping, the support from his hometown has become one of the most meaningful parts of putting together an event.
"The greatest thing is how the community supports it,” he shared. “It’s a town of 2,200 people; it’s the town I grew up and live in. You see everybody having a great time and enjoying themselves. That’s what really drives it all for me."