Eight home-state riders, along with Professional Bull Riders fan favorite and “Amazing Race” contestant Cord McCoy are among those scheduled to compete this weekend when the Touring Pro Division visits Arkansas.

Known for his determination and positive attitude, McCoy, with his brother Jet, finished second in the CBS hit “The Amazing Race,” in 2010. The two return this spring on the 18th season of “The Amazing Race,” which premiers Sunday.

Arkansas natives Reese Cates of El Dorado, Michael Manes of Conway, and Justin Koon of Grapevine, are all scheduled to compete in Jonesboro on Friday and Little Rock on Saturday. Cates was the PBR Rookie of the Year in 2006, and Manes won the Built Ford Tough Series event in Billings, Mont., in 2009. Jared Farley, Pete Farley and David Kennedy, who have all represented Australia in the PBR World Cup, are also scheduled to compete in Jonesboro on Friday and Little Rock on Saturday.

Other Arkansas riders scheduled to compete in Jonesboro are J.B. Bradford of Morrilton, Brandon Davis of Cabot, John Kienlen of Conway, and Ryan Nutt of Malvern. The field in Little Rock will also include Jimmy Tubbs of Greenbrier.

“This weekend gives fans in Arkansas the opportunity to watch the top riders from their state, and a lot of riders who they have seen compete in the Built Ford Tough Series,” said PBR Senior Vice President of Competition Jay Daugherty.

The TPD is the development tour of the PBR, allowing established veterans and newcomers the opportunity to compete against some of the world’s best bucking bulls.

The ASU Convocation Center in Jonesboro will host the Northeast Arkansas Invitational on Friday and Saturday. Bull riding begins at 7:30 p.m. each night, and good seats are still available at www.astateconvo.com.

Verizon Arena in Little Rock will host the TPD at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Good seats are still available at the Verizon Arena box office, online at www.Ticketmaster.com and by telephone at (800) 745-3000.

The TPD gives riders the opportunity to compete in PBR-sanctioned events while earning money to qualify for the nationally-televised Built Ford Tough Series, which is comprised of the Top 40 bull riders in the world. Every five events on the BFTS, the Top 5 riders (based on money earned) from the TPD are allowed to move into the BFTS.

Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is hosting the Dickies® Iron Cowboy Invitational presented by WinStar World Casino on Saturday. The unique bracket-style event was created specifically for Cowboys Stadium in 2010. It features the Top 24 bull riders in the world competing head-to-head on World-Champion-caliber bucking bulls. The purse of $200,000 is the highest one-day payout on the Built Ford Tough Series in 2011. The winner will receive $50,000, and will then have the opportunity to win an additional $100,000 if he can ride one of the top contenders for World Champion Bull, Super Duty (Robinson/Katich/Pinnacle Bull Group). The runner-up receives $25,000, and each qualified ride will earn $1,000.

The action from Cowboys Stadium will be televised in HD on VERSUS at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday. Play-by-play broadcaster Craig Hummer will be joined by nine-time World Champion and PBR co-founder Ty Murray, who will provide color commentary. Built Ford Tough Series telecasts are produced for the PBR by David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 30-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer and creative lead.

The 2011 BFTS season concludes with the Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Oct. 26-30, where the 2011 PBR World Champion will be crowned and awarded a $1 million bonus.

Professional Bull Riders Touring Pro Division Event Results:

Bubba Burger Presents the Jacksonville Touring Pro Division
Feb. 12 at Jacksonville, Fla.
Final Results (Round 1-Round 2-Event Total Points)

1. Alfonso Orozco, Salamanca, Mexico, 85.5-89-174.5 points
2. Harve Stewart, Stephenville, Texas, 83-85.5-168.5 points
3. Robson Aragao, Aracaju, Brazil, 88-0-88 points

Knoxville TPD
Feb. 12 at Knoxville, Tenn.
Final Results (Round 1-Round 2-Event Total Points)

1. Trinity Dunkelberger, Gerrardstown, W.Va., 87-89.5-176.5 points
2. David Kennedy, Kyogle, Australia, 79.5-86.5-166 points
3. Corey Granger, Zachery, La., 88.5-0-88.5 points

About the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR)
The PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 100 million viewers annually watch over 400 hours of primetime PBR programming on VERSUS, NBC, CBS and networks around the world. The PBR has awarded over $100 million in prize money, and 20 riders have earned over $1 million, including Justin McBride with $5.5 million – the most of any western-sports athlete in history. The PBR was nominated as 2010 Sports League of the Year at the Sports Business Journal Sports Business Awards, alongside the National Football League, National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Nearly 2 million fans attend Built Ford Tough Series and Touring Pro Division events each year. For more information on the PBR, go to www.pbr.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamPBR and http://twitter.com/TEAMPBR.