The Professional Bull Riders announced on Saturday that Ross Coleman has said he will retire after 13 seasons on the Built Ford Tough Series.
The announcement was made to fans during a Twitter chat @TeamPBR prior to the second day of Built Ford Tough Series action at the PFIWestern.com Invitational presented by Bass Pro Shops at JQH Arena.
“It’s a hard to decision to make because I’ve been part of this bull riding for a long time, and it has really been a part of me too. I’m hanging it up, and I’m more than happy to make that decision,” said Coleman, who had surgery on his left shoulder in April. “It took me a while to make it, but I’m happy to do it and I’m happy to be done with it.”
Coleman has accepted a position to be VIP of Sales & Services for Back Seat Buckers (www.backseatbuckers.com), an American Bucking Bull, Inc. program that allows anyone the opportunity to become involved as a stock contractor.
“Ross is one of the last old-school tough guys,” said PBR co-founder and Livestock Director Cody Lambert. “He wasn’t one of the original riders, but he has been around a long time and it feels like he is. He’s the second generation. The injuries, even though he is only 32 years old, have taken their toll and as a bull rider he is just a shell of what he once was. He’ll do well at whatever he does because he’ll work hard and people like him.”
“In Ross’ prime, he was a rock star and he’s had a great career,” said two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride, who was Coleman’s teammate at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. “He means a lot to the sport, and has been a big part of the growth of the PBR. He’s a great guy, and my best buddy.”
The 32-year-old Coleman was the first rider in PBR history to compete in 300 events on the BFTS, record 800 outs, and earn 400 qualified rides. He set a PBR record for money earned on a single ride in 2001 when he won $100,000 for riding Tuff-E-Nuff in a bonus round at Columbus, Ohio.
Coleman qualified for the Built Ford Tough World Finals from 1999-2010, and his 12 appearances tie him for the fourth most in PBR history. He ranks 11th all-time in career earnings with $1.4 million, and in 2006 became the 10th rider in history to surpass $1 million. He finished in the Top 10 five times, including 2002 when he was second and earned a career-high $315,359.
He began hosting the Ross Coleman Invitational in his hometown of Molalla, Ore. in 2005. PBR riders have voted it the top Touring Pro Division event three times, and it has raised more than $200,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon, which presented Coleman with its Katie’s Star Award in 2008. The event has also been honored as the Oregon Festival and Events Association Sporting Event of the Year.
Coleman won the all-around title at the College National Finals Rodeo in 1998 while on scholarship at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and won national high school bull riding and all-around titles in 1997.
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.