Going into Saturday’s Dickies® Iron Cowboy Invitational presented by WinStar World Casino, the Professional Bull Riders are proud to announce that they have reached an agreement with RODEOHOUSTON™ to sanction the bull riding for the 2011 BP Super Series.
RODEOHOUSTON, as part of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, is the largest and richest rodeo in the world. PBR has awarded more than $100 million in prize money, and introduced the sport of bull riding to tens of millions of new fans around the world through television and live events.
“This partnership brings together two powerhouses in western lifestyle sports and entertainment,” said PBR President and COO Sean Gleason. “Our relationships with Houston and the Calgary Stampede mean that the bull riding events at the two most recognizable and highest-paying rodeos in North America are sanctioned by the PBR.”
Houston is not only one of the world's richest rodeos, paying out more than $1.5 million in 2010, but is also the attendance leader, with more than 1 million fans annually, including a record 1,264,074 in 2010.
“PBR adds a new dimension to our event, by providing a great source of extremely talented bull riders,” said Skip Wagner, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo president. “This is the perfect catalyst to take rodeo action to a whole new level.”
The 2011 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will run March 1-20 at Reliant Park in Houston. The PBR and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will announce future sanctioning plans at a later date.
In 2011, the PBR will be placing five riders into the draw. The riders, who are the Top 5 non-seeded money earners from qualifier standings, will be: 2008 PBR Rookie of the Year Reese Cates of El Dorado, Ark.;, Cord McCoy of Ada, Okla.; Dusty LaBeth of Louisburg, Kan.; 2001 Chance Roberts of Jewett, Ill.; and Fabiano Vieira of Perola, Brazil.
Contestants in Houston who have a PBR membership will be able to earn money toward PBR qualification, including the 2011 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.
“For PBR members, the money earned in Houston, like Calgary, will count toward qualifying for the Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas,” said PBR Senior Vice President of Competition Jay Daugherty. “The winner in Houston will earn more than $50,000, which virtually assures them a berth in the World Finals, the richest bull riding in the world.”
The announcement puts the PBR in the two largest venues in the state of Texas with Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and Reliant Stadium in Houston.
The PBR Built Ford Tough Series features the Top 40 bull riders in the world competing each week against the best bucking bulls. The BFTS crisscrosses the United States, making 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 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, where the 2011 PBR World Champion will be crowned and awarded the $1 million Built Ford Tough bonus.
Superstar singer/songwriter Toby Keith will perform a special one-hour concert prior to the Dickies® Iron Cowboy Invitational, beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19. Good seats are still available, beginning at $20, and the price includes the concert and the Iron Cowboy. Tickets are on sale at the Cowboys Stadium box office, online at www.Ticketmaster.com and by telephone at (800) 745-3000.
The PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization, awarding more than $100 million in prize money since it began in 1992. More than 20 riders have reached $1 million in career earnings led by Justin McBride with $5.5 million – the most of any western-sports athlete in history. Each of the last six years the PBR has had 20 or more riders earn $100,000.
The BFTS is televised in HD each week on VERSUS with select events broadcast on NBC and CBS. The 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.
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.
