Mayor grants citizenship to bull and members of the PBR team owned by Richard Childress

Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing and Childress Vineyard in Davidson County, doesn’t take any bull, except when it comes to his new professional bull riding team the Carolina Cowboys.

In recognition of the kickoff of the team's first “home-town” event, Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines granted honorary citizenship to Childress, team manager, Austin Dillon, members of the bull riding team, and surprisingly one of the bovine competitors, a PBR veteran bull Dang It.

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“We are bringing more bull to city hall,” said Joines jokingly during an event on Thursday where he declared a proclamation giving the team honorary citizenship in Winston-Salem.

The ceremony was to recognize the return of professional bull riding back to the area, including three days of national television coverage of the competition at the Lawrence Joel Coliseum on Sept. 9, 10, and 11.

“Richard Childress and Richard Childress Racing have done so much for our community over the years in many different ways. For that and many other reasons have this proclamation today,” said Joines.

Childress said he was excited that professional bull riding has returned to the region and hopes the community will throw their support behind the local team.

“PBR has been to Winston Salem (before). That is where Dale Earnhardt and I used to come up and watch years ago. To see the PBR  back in Winston-Salem on Sept. 9, 10, and 11 is going to be huge. I couldn’t be more proud to be here in my hometown,” said Childress.

Joines said the proclamation to grant Dang It, Childress, Carolina Cowboys PBR general manager Austin Dillon, and members of the team honorary citizenship is for the national exposure the bull riding event brings to the area.

“We are one of eight cities across the nation that will be hosting one of these championship events. We are going to be on national TV for three days in a row. Richard could have gone any place but you brought it to Winston Salem, thank you very much for that,” said Joines.

The CBS Television Network, Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, or Pluto TV will carry all 112 games in the 2022 Teams regular season, including the event in Winston-Salem, as well as the three-day playoff and championship event November 4-6 in Las Vegas.

NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress and his grandson, 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon, formed the professional bull riding team called the Carolina Cowboys in March.

Carolina Cowboys: NASCAR meets Professional Bull Riding

Childress is the “owner-operator” of the Carolina Cowboys, one of eight city-based teams in the new league. The Cowboys staff will be headquartered at Childress’ NASCAR racing shop in Welcome, although Winston-Salem will be its “home” base.

The inaugural PBR team series season is scheduled to stretch from July to November. The championship final is scheduled for Nov. 4-6 in Las Vegas.

“We are pleased and proud to have them in Winston-Salem, and the exposure it will bring to Lawrence Joel Coliseum...We encourage our citizens to support this event,” said Joines.

Dang, It did not provide comment during the event.

General news reporter Sharon Myers can be reached at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com. Follow her on Twitter @LexDispatchSM.

This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: Winston-Salem Mayor grants citizenship to Carolina Cowboys PBR team