Ariat Texas Rattlers, the 2023 PBR Teams Champions and Dallas-Fort Worth’s professional bull riding team, announced the official details surrounding a first-of-its-kind, dedicated athlete Performance Center in Decatur, Texas. The facility is designed to bring to elite bull riders the integrated training, recovery and development resources common across major professional team sports. The dedicated 3,000-square-foot space within the Fit-N-Wise Fitness and Wellness Center will establish a second home base for the Fort Worth-based team in one of the sport’s most prominent athlete communities.
The long-term lease agreement and buildout represent a significant investment by the team in the high-performance training, recovery and performance optimization of its professional bull rider athletes. The Center will combine a private Rattlers team environment with Fit-N-Wise’s existing sports strength and conditioning resources, creating a comprehensive performance and recovery model built specifically for a professional bull riding team.
The centerpiece of the Rattlers’ dedicated space will be an approximately 2,000-square-foot main training and recovery area designed to accommodate all team riders simultaneously. The facility will also include team lockers; a dedicated physical therapy and rehabilitation area; nutrition and film-review spaces; coaching and management offices; and specialized bull-riding equipment, including a barrel used to simulate riding scenarios.
A separate recovery room will feature hot and cold plunge tubs, providing riders with a dedicated space for post-training and post-competition recovery. Riders will also have access to individualized strength, mobility, rehabilitation and recovery programming through the team’s athlete performance staff.
The Center will also feature the “Snake Den,” a public-facing team storytelling gallery celebrating the Rattlers’ championship history and connection to Texas. The space will include historical team photography, framed specialty jerseys, Cowtown-inspired elements and a replica of the team’s 2023 PBR Teams Championship trophy buckle.
“Through the first four seasons, we’ve distinguished ourselves as a championship team and one of the league’s top-performing organizations. The Rattlers Performance Center is an investment in the infrastructure our athletes and coaches need to keep pushing forward both our squad and the sport,” said Chad Blankenship, President and General Manager of the Ariat Texas Rattlers. “While we’re headquartered in Fort Worth, we’re establishing our Performance Center in Decatur because it’s a primary hub for more professional bull riders than anywhere else in the country. It’s home for many of our team bull riders, as well as our annual PBR Ride for Decatur charity bull riding event and legions of Rattlers fans. We look forward to deepening our community presence in the years ahead.”
The Rattlers’ investment comes as PBR continues to deliver growth among its live event and TV audiences. PBR Teams drew a record 272,315 fans in 2025, while broadcasts on CBS and CW Network reached more than 28 million viewers nationwide.
Against that backdrop, the Performance Center is designed to support both the Rattlers’ team goals and its athletes’ long-term careers. The team estimates that more consistent access to structured workouts, rehabilitation and recovery could yield five to ten percent more qualified rides per season.
“In a sport where only a handful of ride scores can separate the top teams, even a small improvement could fundamentally change the trajectory of our season. It could mean a stronger regular-season finish, more advantageous seeding heading into the Championship and greater earning opportunities for our riders,” said Riley Lambert, Assistant General Manager of the Ariat Texas Rattlers. “We know the more time teams spend together, the more cohesive they become. With our coaches’ offices connected directly to the locker room, riders and coaches will have consistent, face-to-face communication, while training, recovery and film review can become a more regular part of how we prepare our athletes to earn scores and win games.”
The Ariat Texas Rattlers Performance Center ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on August 27, 2026 at 11AM at Fit-N-Wise Fitness and Wellness Center (901 Medical Center Dr, Decatur, TX 76234), in Decatur. City and business leaders, community members, the team and members of the media are invited to attend.
For more information about the Ariat Texas Rattlers, to set up an interview, tour of the facility, or to RSVP for the ribbon cutting please contact Ivy Lopez at ivy@hollandcollective.co.
Photo courtesy of Andre Silva