Oklahomans Austin Meier, Ryan McConnel, Cord McCoy, L.J. Jenkins and Ryan Dirteater will lead the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series into Oklahoma City for The Split by WinStar World Casino Invitational presented by Express Employment Professionals on Feb. 11-13.

Bull riding at Oklahoma City Arena begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 11, at 6:50 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13. Tickets are on sale now at the Oklahoma City Arena box office, online at www.Ticketmaster.com, and by telephone at (405) 602-8700.

Meier, from Kinta, Okla., is one of the hottest riders going, posting back-to-back Top 3 finishes to move up to fourth place in the world standings. He finished second last weekend in Portland, Ore., and third the previous week in Indianapolis. Meier posted the high-marked ride at both Portland and Sacramento, Calif., and both scores came in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round.

“Oklahoma City is definitely one of the events that I want to win every year,” said Meier. “The events in Oklahoma are also special because it is nice to know that all your family and friends can be there rooting for you in person instead of watching on TV.”

McCoy, whose determination and positive attitude have made him a fan favorite in the PBR for years, and 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 Feb. 20.

McConnel, who lives in Atoka, Okla., has moved up to 10th in the rankings after back-to-back Top 10 finishes in Indianapolis and Portland, while Jenkins, who lives in Porum, Okla., is 16th. Dirteater, from Hulbert, Okla., is back competing with the Top 40 riders in the world after missing the 2010 season with an injury suffered in the final regular season event of 2009.

Fans will be able to experience 8-second rides and jaw-dropping wrecks as the Top 40 bull riders in the world compete against the fiercest bucking bulls.

Each of the 40 riders will ride on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday night will also feature junior riders from Oklahoma competing on steers in an East vs. West format. Following Round 2 on Saturday, the riders with the 10 highest scores will each compete with one more bull. Following Round 4 on Sunday, the riders with the 10 highest cumulative scores will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round where they will compete with one more bull. The overall event winner will be the rider with the highest combined score from all five rounds.

The first five events of the 2011 BFTS have produced five different winners, beginning with Valdiron de Oliveira of Aparecida de Goiania, Brazil, in New York. Oliveira has added a pair of Top 5 finishes, and comes to Oklahoma City as the top-ranked rider on tour. Guilherme Marchi of Leme, Brazil, won last weekend in Portland, and is ranked second. Robson Palermo of Rio Branco, Brazil, finished first in Indianapolis on Jan. 29-30, and is ninth in the standings. 2010 PBR Rookie of the Year Silvano Alves of Pilar do Sul, Brazil, won in Anaheim, Calif., on Jan. 21-22, and is ranked fifth. 2010 PBR World Champion Renato Nunes of Buritama, Brazil, won in Sacramento, Calif., on Jan. 14-15, but is not competing in Oklahoma City after having surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand.

Oklahoma City is the sixth stop on the nationally-televised BFTS, which makes 28 stops in 23 states. The season began at world-famous Madison Square Garden in New York on Jan. 7-9. It all culminates Oct. 26-30 in Las Vegas at the richest bull riding event in the world, the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, where the 2011 PBR World Champion will be crowned and awarded the $1 million Built Ford Tough bonus.

Defending Oklahoma City champion is Jordan Hupp of Cheyenne, Wyo., who registered his first career victory here in 2010. Hupp edged 2004 World Champion Mike Lee by half a point after riding all four bulls, including Buffalo Hump for 90.25 points in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. Hupp finished third in Portland and is ranked eighth in the world.

The action 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 nine-time World Champion and PBR co-founder Ty Murray. Erin Coscarelli, a regular contributor to FOX Sports and ESPN, will be doing dirt-level interviews. 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 will serve as executive producer and creative lead.

PBR riders will be signing autographs from 12:30-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, at Bass Pro Shop, 200 Bass Pro Drive, in Oklahoma City. There will be family-friendly activities from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., including stick-bull racing, bull roping, and mechanical bulls. PBR in-arena announcer and experienced angler Clint Adkins will host a fishing seminar from 1-1:30 p.m., while Brandon Bates, an announcer for the PBR and host of “The Elk Chronicles” on the Outdoor Channel, will host a hunting seminar from 1:30-2 p.m.

2011 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series Season Standings
(Events, Wins, Top 5 Finishes, Points, Earnings)

1. Valdiron de Oliveira, 5, 1, 2,647.5 points, $84,760.63
2. Guilherme Marchi, 5, 1, 3, 2,199.75 points, $65,226.67
3. Ben Jones, 5, 0, 2, 2,161.75 points, $46,254.16
4. Austin Meier, 5, 0, 3, 2,135.75 points, $43,850
5. Silvano Alves, 5, 1, 2, 2,101.25 points, $65,775.27

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.