The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) is proud to announce that Dickies, the number one name in workwear, will extend its support of the Dickies DuraBullfighter program to bring fans the Dickies National Championship Bullfighting competitive program once again in 2006. The Dickies National Championship Bullfighting event line-up consists of a series of three events, adding a total of $40,000 in prize money.

Fans will have the unique opportunity to witness the bullfights exclusively on the final weekend of Built Ford Tough World Finals action at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev., October 27-29. The best bullfighters in the world will attempt to be one of the six men to qualify for the third and final leg of the series, which will take place only during the first weekend of World Finals performances. Tickets are available now for the first weekend of the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals which includes the bullfights at 877.632.7400.

Dickies National Championship Bullfighting qualifying events are slated for Tulsa, Okla., July 21-22 and Cheyenne, Wyo., July 24-25. Additionally, the top two bullfighters as determined by PBR Canada will qualify to compete at Mandalay Bay.

The Dickies National Championship Bullfighting taking place during the Cheyenne Frontier Days U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour event will be broadcast on OLN on Sunday, July 30 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, August 5 at 8 p.m. The format for both Tulsa and Cheyenne bullfighting events will be five contestants competing in two go rounds of action for a $10,000 purse at each. In Las Vegas the stakes are higher with $20,000 in prize money up for grabs.

The “young guns” of bullfighting make up the contestant roster in Tulsa and are Dusty Lapp (Twin Falls, Idaho), Jeremy Muntz (Manhatten, Kan.), Dusty Tuckness (Meeteetse, Wyo.), Jason Magdich (Ferndale, Pa.), and Michael Thornburg (Texas). On the bullfighting roster to compete in Cheyenne are Kansas cowboys Wacey Munsell of Ulysses and Sam Gress of Hutchison who split top honors last season in Las Vegas to share the prestigious championship. Also competing are Lance Brittain (Windsor, Colo.), Andy Burelle (Brighton, Mich.), and former PBR champion Mike Matt (Stuart, Okla.).

While fans are accustomed to the awesome job that the professional bullfighters do as they take heavyweight hits in the line of duty, the Dickies National Championship Bullfighting competition is an extension of protection bullfighting. The format normally features a 40 to 70-second American freestyle bullfighting display in which judges gauge the contestant’s level of control in addition to precision in jumping the bull, making contact with the bull, and handling the barrel.

5-time World Champion Bullfighter Rob Smets is instrumental in planning and promoting the Dickies National Championship Bullfighting events.

About PBR:
More than 104 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on NBC, OLN and on a host of foreign networks across the globe. With over 500 hours of prime time programming annually PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air, in addition to attracting over one million live event attendees each year with its multi-tiered event structure which includes the marquee Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler, the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, and the Discovery Tour, designed specifically for entry level contestants. The PBR's governing board of directors is comprised of renowned bull riders who have developed the event into a stand alone sport which is experiencing unprecedented growth in global popularity. The PBR is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., and has over 600 athletes competing in more than 100 PBR sanctioned competitions.

For additional information, please contact PBR Headquarters at 719 471 3008 or visit pbrnow.com.