Covering the floor of the Matthew Knight Arena with dirt for the first time, the Professional Bull Riders will give fans in Eugene, Ore., a chance to see rising stars and established veterans compete on Saturday, April 2, in the Coastal Presents the Dickies® Northwest PBR Touring Pro Division.
Bull riding begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $10 and can be purchased at the Matthew Knight Arena box office and Tickets West outlets, online at www.MatthewKnightArena.com, and by telephone at (800) WEBFOOT.
The TPD will also return to Cowboys Dancehall in San Antonio on Saturday, April 2. Bull riding begins at 8:30 p.m., and tickets will be available at the door.
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 field in Eugene, Ore., includes Ross Coleman of Molalla, Ore. In his 13th PBR season, Coleman ranks fourth in career 90-point rides with 42, and is tied for fourth in PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals appearances with 12. He has $1.4 million in career earnings and six career wins. In 2001 he set the PBR record for money earned on a single ride when he received $100,000 for riding Copenhagen Tuff-E-Nuff in a bonus round at Columbus, Ohio.
The BFTS will be at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., for the U.S. Bank Invitational presented by The Split by WinStar World Casino on Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3. The BFTS travels across 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.
The action from Kansas City, Mo., will be televised in HD on VERSUS live at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 2, and at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 3. Play-by-play broadcaster Craig Hummer will be joined by two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride, who will provide color commentary, and Leah Garcia, who will be doing dirt-level interviews. BFTS 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.
Professional Bull Riders Touring Pro Division Event Results:
Highland Heights TPD
March 25-26 at Bank of Kentucky Center in Highland Heights, Ky.
Final Results (Round 1-Round 2-Event Total Points)
- Jory Markiss, Longmont, Colo., 87-86.5-173.5 points
- Marco Eguche, Poa, Brazil, 86.5-86-172.5 points
- Josh Faircloth, Randleman, N.C., 82-88.5 points-170.5 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.
