Flying, as we know it, took on a whole new meaning as Jim Sharp's Top Guns Bull Rides came to the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa, Texas; July 19th and 20th and PBR's top bull riders "Took Command" of tons of raging bucking bulls.
 The Top Guns Bull Rides has been a regular event in Odessa for the past six years. However, this year marks the first Jim Sharp Top Guns Bull Rides event. The best part? There'll be five more!
The Top Guns event was originally part of the Bud Light Cup tour but PBR felt they needed a larger audience for the event. So, Odessa's date was moved to the Minneapolis - St. Paul area and Odessa's event became part of the U. S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.'s Challenger Tour.
The Challenger Tour is generally percieved as a "Minor League" event but, Jim Sharp wanted it to be every bit as spectacular as any Bud Light Cup event and donned "The Promoter's Hat" to make absolutely sure that not only the best of riders were there but the best in bucking bulls as well.
The Only difference in the Odessa event and any other Bud Light Cup Tour event was in name alone.
Jim invited 45 top riders and fifteen of the top 25 Bud Light Cup tour riders participated in the inaugural Jim Sharp Top Guns Event. Since the bull riding community more a "family", there were plenty of "takers" of Jim's invitation. With the likes of two-time BLC Champion Adriano Moraes, PRCA bull riding champions Mike White and Cody Custer, Justin McBride, Ross Coleman, Adam Carrillo plus J. W. Hart and Jim Sharp himself, there was no way for the event to fail, or even be called a "Training Camp" Event.
With the "cream of the crop" in riders attending, the bucking stock had to be of the same caliber. Jim enlisted the help of Cody Lambert, himself a bull rider and the livestock coordinator for PBR. By putting the two main ingredients together, the top riders and the top stock, Jim had a near perfect event in the making.
The only added ingredient that would have been the crowning touch would be national television coverage. However, since the event was not a bonafide Bud Light Cup Tour event, TNN did not broadcast the event. However, beginning in 2003, the PBR has a new television package with the "Outdoor Life Network" that may very well bring the deserved television coverage.
Even without television coverage... The event, the riders could not have been witnessed by more appreciative audiences. The Odessa area is "Home" for Jim Sharp, well nearly, and the people of West Texas truly appreciate a top flight event; in this case a "Top Gun" event being held in their back yard.
World Champion Mike White was the winner for the Odessa Event with Jim riding to a second place finish. Needless to say, everyone was excited with the event in it's entirety and they're... WE are looking forward to next year! 
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