PUEBLO, Colo. - The Professional Bull Riders on Monday announced the 43 riders who have qualified for the 2011 Built Ford Tough World Finals on Oct. 26-30 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Riders qualify for the World Finals based on money earned throughout the season on the nationally-televised Built Ford Tough Series, the Touring Pro Division (the PBR's developmental league), and international events in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico.

The 2011 PBR World Champion will be crowned on Oct. 30, receiving the coveted World Champion buckle and a $1 million bonus courtesy of Ford Trucks. The richest bull riding event in the world, the World Finals has a total purse of $2.2 million.

The World Champion will be the rider with the most Built Ford Tough Series points accumulated during the regular season and the World Finals. There are a potential 5,500 points available at the World Finals, so any of the Top 6 riders heading into Las Vegas has the opportunity to win the title. 

The BFTS leader and money leader heading into Las Vegas is Silvano Alves with 12,782.5 points and $363,089. Alves, who has been ranked No. 1 for the last 10 weeks, picked up his third Built Ford Tough Series win of the season last weekend in Columbus, Ohio. Valdiron de Oliveira, who was ranked first for 17 of the first 19 weeks of season, including 16 weeks in a row, is second with 10,521.5 points, 2,261 points behind Alves.

Robson Palermo is in third place, 3,833 points behind, followed by Austin Meier, who is 4,787.25 points back. 2008 PBR World Champion Guilherme Marchi is in fifth place, 5,113.5 points back, and Fabiano Vieira is in sixth place, 5,126.5 points behind.

The qualifiers include five PBR World Champions, led by 2010 winner Renato Nunes of Buritama, Brazil. The others are Chris Shivers of Jonesville, La., who won in 2000 and 2003; Mike Lee of Decatur, Texas (2004); Marchi; and Kody Lostroh of Longmont, Colo. (2009).

In addition to the Top 40 highest money earners, the top-ranked riders from PBR Australia (Jock Connolly of Charters Towers, Australia), PBR Canada (Dusty Ephrom of Arcola, Saskatchewan) and PBR Mexico (Hector Cardona of Saltillo, Mexico) were extended an invitation to compete in the first two rounds. If the international invitees earn enough money in Rounds 1 and 2 to rank in the Top 40 in the money standings, they will be allowed to compete for the remainder of the Finals.

The PBR also announced the five alternates for the World Finals, who will be allowed to compete if riders seeded in the Top 40 cannot. The alternates are Jason O'Hearn of Rothbury, Australia, Wesley Lourenço, Santo Antonio da Barra, Brazil, Tony Mendes of Fruita, Colo., Josh Faircloth of Randleman, N.C., and Corey Navarre of Weatherford, Okla.

The Finals consist of six rounds of competition. The first five rounds feature all of the riders. The scores from those five rounds will be combined, and the Top 15 riders will advance for an additional round of competition, following the completion of Round 5 on Sunday, Oct. 30. The rider with the highest total score will earn the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Event title and $250,000.

The World Finals officially begin on Tuesday, Oct. 25, with the inaugural PBR Legends Reunion at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, which was the site of the first five PBR World Finals from 1994-98. The event begins at 4 p.m. with the Founders Forum, and continues until 9 p.m. with the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party. Each Legends Reunion ticket package contains tickets to the Founders Forum, Alumni Meet & Greet, Heroes & Legends Ceremony, and the Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party, as well as a commemorative Legends Reunion ball cap and an autograph book. For more information please click here.

Tickets for the World Finals and the Legends Reunion are on sale at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, www.UNLVTickets.com, and by telephone at (866) PBR-SHOW. There is a special $150 ticket that includes the Legends Reunion and Rounds 1 and 2 of the World Finals, a savings of $170.

The 2011 PBR World Finals will be televised live in HD on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and on NBC at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday. DIRECTV will have the first-ever 3D broadcast of bull riding at 4 p.m. ET on DIRECTV's 3D channel, n3Dâ„¢ (channel 103).

For more information on the World Finals, please visit www.pbr.com.

Top 40 Qualifiers (Money Earned)
1. Silvano Alves, Pilar Do Sul, Brazil  $363,089.08
2. Robson Palermo, Rio Branco, Brazil  $317,500.45
3. Luke Snyder, Raymore, Mo.    $314,325.23
4. Valdiron Oliveira, Aparecida de Goiania, Brazil $307,796.28
5. Shane Proctor, Mooresville, N.C.  $245,492.87
6. Fabiano Vieira, Perola, Brazil    $207,545.66
7. Guilherme Marchi, Leme, Brazil   $179,424.14
8. J. B. Mauney, Mooresville, N.C.   $173,834.01
9. Austin Meier, Kinta, Okla.   $169,513.80
10. L.J. Jenkins, Porum, Okla.   $168,632.67
11. Douglas Duncan, Alvin, Texas   $138,619.60
12. Paulo Lima, Bezerros, Brazil   $136,588.77
13. Mike Lee, Decatur, Texas   $130,625.42
14. Ryan Dirteater, Hulbert, Okla.   $129,535.25
15. Ben Jones, Goulburn, Australia   $128,734.95
16. Ryan McConnel, Atoka, Okla.   $122,632.61
17. Elton Cide, Populina, Brazil    $120,257.94
18. Aaron Roy, Asquith, Saskatchewan  $108,993.30
19. Rubens Barbosa, Monte Aprazivel, Brazil  $97,299.20
20. Chris Shivers, Jonesville, La.   $94,929.00
21. Caleb Sanderson, Kissimmee, Fla.  $87,967.45
22. Colby Yates, Sulphur Springs, Texas  $87,940.00
23. Dustin Elliott, North Platte, Neb.  $86,250.85
24. Jordan Hupp, Cheyenne, Wyo.   $86,244.80
25. Douglas Ferreira, Hapadao Do Sul, Brazil $83,912.70
26. Elliott Jacoby, Fredericksburg, Texas   $83,146.13
27. Kody Lostroh, Longmont, Colo.   $82,838.30
28. Renato Nunes, Buritama, Brazil   $77,582.33
29. Reese Cates, El Dorado, Ark.   $75,877.07
30. Cord McCoy, Tupelo, Okla.   $72,806.88
31. Pete Farley, Kempsey, Australia   $65,671.14
32. Skeeter Kingsolver, McLouth, Kan.  $59,752.65
33. Tyler Thomson, Black Diamond, Alberta  $58,866.51
34. Cody Nance, Paris, Tenn.   $56,918.60
35. Stormy Wing, Dalhart, Texas   $56,299.35
36. Sean Willingham, Summerville, Ga.  $54,804.19
37. Harve Stewart, Stephenville, Texas  $54,782.84
38. Justin Koon, Grapevine, Ark.   $53,790.34
39. Pistol Robinson, Burleson, Texas  $51,985.07
40. Cody Campbell, Summerville, Ore.  $49,649.08
41. Brendon Clark, Morpeth, Australia   $49,338.37

Editor's note: Skeeter Kingsolver is injured and unable to compete

Five Alternates (Money Earned)
1. Jason O'Hearn, Rothbury, Australia  $48,891.12
2. Wesley Lourenço, Santo Antonio da Barra, Brazil $48,890.37
3. Tony Mendes, Fruita, Colo.   $44,974.24
4. Josh Faircloth, Randleman, N.C.   $44,946.72
5. Corey Navarre, Weatherford, Okla.  $44,716.60

PBR World Champion

Each year, the PBR World Champion is determined by the most Built Ford Tough Series points earned throughout the season.

Year Champion, Hometown    Money Earned
2010 Renato Nunes, Buritama, Brazil   $1,589,527
2009 Kody Lostroh, Longmont, Colo.    $1,628,442
2008 Guilherme Marchi, Leme, Brazil    $1,528,696
2007 Justin McBride, Elk City, Okla.   $1,835,321
2006 Adriano Moraes, Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil  $1,361,573
2005 Justin McBride, Elk City, Okla.   $1,479,231
2004 Mike Lee Decatur, Texas    $1,453,326
2003 Chris Shivers, Jonesville, La.    $1,202,477
2002 Ednei Caminhas, Presidente Alves, Brazil  $291,921
2001 Adriano Moraes, Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil  $458,798
2000 Chris Shivers, Jonesville, La.    $359,534
1999 Cody Hart, Gainesville, Texas    $357,859
1998 Troy Dunn, Sarina, Australia    $221,791
1997 Michael Gaffney, Albuquerque, N.M.   $243,251
1996 Owen Washburn, Lordsburg, N.M.    $148,150
1995 Tuff Hedeman, Morgan Mill, Texas   $123,595
1994 Adriano Moraes, Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil  not available

PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Event Winner

The PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals event winner is determined by the highest aggregate score after all rounds of competition at the annual event in Las Vegas.

Year Winner, Hometown    Money Earned
2010 Renato Nunes, Buritama, Brazil   $315,375
2009 J.B. Mauney, Mooresville, N.C.   $348,000
2008 Robson Palermo, Rio Branco, Brazil  $321,000
2007 Wiley Petersen, Fort Hall, Idaho  $278,450
2006 L.J. Jenkins, Texico, N.M.   $288,567
2005 Guilherme Marchi, Leme, Brazil   $298,017
2004 Mike Lee, Decatur, Texas   $313,300
2003 Jody Newberry, Ada, Okla.   $265,566
2002 J.W. Hart, Overbrook, Okla.   $286,500
2001 Luke Snyder, Raymore, Mo.   $264,241
2000 Tater Porter, Kenansville, Fla.   $274,738
1999 Ty Murray, Stephenville, Texas   $263,283
1998 Reed Corder, Melvin, Texas   $172,200
1997 Troy Dunn, Queensland, Australia  $158,711
1996 Ronny Kitchens, Kemp, Texas   $130,950
1995 Troy Dunn, Queensland, Australia  $ 56,975