Led by 2006 Professional Bull Riders Rookie of the Year Reese Cates and Australian World Cup team members Jared Farley, David Kennedy and Jason O’Hearn, the PBR Touring Pro Division will visit BJCC Arena in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 26.
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.
Tickets begin at $15 and can be purchased at the BJCC Arena box office, online at www.bjcc.org/events.php and www.Ticketmaster.com, and by telephone at (800) 745-3000. Ticket prices will increase by $2 on the day of the event.
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.
The BFTS will be at the Scottrade Center for the St. Louis Invitational on Feb. 25-27.
Action from St. Louis will be televised in HD on VERSUS at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 12, and Sunday, Feb. 13. Play-by-play broadcaster Craig Hummer will be joined by PBR Ring of Honor member J.W. Hart, who will provide color commentary, and Leah Garcia, who will be doing dirt-level interviews. BFTS broadcasts 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:
Northeast Arkansas Invitational TPD
Feb. 18-19 at Jonesboro, Ark.
Final Results (Round 1-Round 2-Event Total Points)
- Mark Lopes, Sutter Creek, Calif., 87.5-90.5-178 points
- Marco Antonio Eguch, Poa, Brazil, 86-89-175 points
- Ty Pozzobon, Merritt, British Columbia, 87-86-173 points
Little Rock TPD
Feb. 19 at Little Rock, Ark.
Final Results (Round 1-Round 2-Event Total Points)
- Chon Miranda, Ruidoso Downs, N.M., 87-88-175 points
- Justin Koon, Grapevine, Ark., 85-86-171 points
- (tie) Budd Williamson, 85-85-170 points
(tie) Caleb Sanderson, Kissimmee, Fla., 85.5-84.5-170 points
San Antonio TPD
Feb. 19 at San Antonio
Final Results (Event Total Points)
- Robson Aragao, Aracaju, Brazil, 87.5 points
- Alfonso Orozco, Salamanca, Mexico, 87 points
- Jason Malone, Pleasanton, Texas, 86 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.
