Dirt, cowboy hats and men went flying this weekend when the Professional Bull Riders rode into the Bryce Jordan Center.

As the audience streamed into the BJC arena they were greeted by the pungent scent of bulls, the sight of tons of dirt and a clown in sparkling cowboy garb.

Hopping onto a barrel located at the far end of the arena, the clown, nicknamed Gizmo McCracken, introduced some of the most promising riders of the night and welcomed the audience to "the toughest sport on dirt."

All of the men competing were hoping for a place in the world finals, and the chance to win more than $8,000. Their goal -- to stay on the bull for eight seconds -- was met by few. Four judges, all ex-bull riders themselves, gave out points sparingly during the night.

Music blared from the speakers and cheers could be heard all around as the first bull and rider burst from the gates. The longer the rider stayed on the bull, the louder the roar of the crowd grew.

The riders put on a good show, but the bulls put on quite a performance as well. Quite a few charged their own riders after bucking them off, and even charged McCracken, who had to dive over the fence for safety. A few riders were injured during the show but were able to walk out of the arena by themselves.

Between riders, the action pretty much stopped, and McCracken didn't help much. He tried to keep the crowd entertained with one-liners, occasional potty humor and head-shaking jokes. He made fun of everything, from the U.S. government to divorce, and even made a few cracks about the riders and their bulls.

"It's not how hard you squeeze; it's how hard you ride," McCracken said. While he got some applause and laughs, his performance was often crude, boring and forced.

About 40 bull riders performed in the first round. The top 10 went into the championship round, hoping to beat Friday night's high score of 172 points. The last rider of the night, Josh Baker, rode his bull, Clueless, like a real cowboy, and earned the highest score of the two-night event with 176 points. He was named the 2007 BJC Champion and has a chance of going on to the world finals.

While bull riding is definitely worth experiencing once, those eight seconds can seem like an eternity, whether you're sitting on a bull or sitting in the audience.