ATLANTA  - Today in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, the Professional Bull Riders held its first-ever Red Carpet Bull Walk to welcome the world-class animal athletes of the elite Built Ford Tough Series to Atlanta. The BFTS will kick off its stadium tour next weekend on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8:00 p.m. at the Georgia Dome.

Seven bulls, including fan-favorites Chicken on a Chain, Voodoo Child and I'm A Gangster, made their way down the red carpet, past the Olympic ring fountain. When the bulls finished their walk, PBR CEO Jim Haworth addressed a crowd of around 50 media and fans, giving details about the unique events included in the four-week stadium tour.

The first stop at the Georgia Dome will feature 35 of the world's best bull riders going up against the world's top bulls. The following week, the BFTS will head to Houston. This will be the first time since 2001 that the PBR has stopped in Houston and the first time ever that the PBR has had the honor of being a part of Rodeo Houston.

On March 3, the PBR will return to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the third year in a row for the Dickies Iron Cowboy III - the only bracket-style event at this level, offering the winner $50,000 with a chance to ride a bonus bull for an extra $50,000. Also in Arlington, country music artist Dierks Bentley will open the event with a full hour-long set before bulls are bucked at Cowboys Stadium.

The stadium tour makes its final stop at Detroit's Ford Field. This will be the first time the PBR has brought the Built Ford Tough Series to Detroit. This event will feature the unique "Last Cowboy Standing" format, which is the only elimination-style bull riding event of its kind.

Bull riding in Atlanta starts on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.Ticketmaster.com, at the Georgia Dome box office, or by calling (800) 745-3000.

At the Atlanta Invitational, fans will witness thrilling 8-second rides and jaw-dropping wrecks throughout the adrenaline-soaked performance as the PBR's insanely brave cowboys risk it all against monstrous animal athletes that can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.

The BFTS features the best, highest-paid bull riders on the planet, including PBR World Champion Silvano Alves, fan-favorite Georgia native Sean Willingham, and Last Cowboy Standing champion Luke Snyder. Also anticipated to compete at the Atlanta Invitational are former World Champions Guilherme Marchi and Kody Lostroh, Canadian favorites Aaron Roy and Ty Pozzobon, as well as 2011 Duluth event winner J.B. Mauney, along with Ryan Dirteater and newcomer Dakota Beck.

The PBR is offering a limited number of AllaXXess passes for $50 (ticket to the bull riding not included in this cost). Fans will be able to get down on the dirt for a special one-hour experience where they can meet some of the top bull riders in the world and see the chutes and bulls up close and personal.

Each of the Top 40 riders in the world will ride on Saturday night. Following Round 1, all riders with a qualifying ride 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 both rounds.

Action from Atlanta will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network at 9:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 18. Fans can also catch the action online at the PBR Live Event Center at pbr.com/live.

Atlanta is the seventh of 28 stops on the 2012 BFTS schedule, which opened at world-famous Madison Square Garden in New York. The season will conclude Oct. 24-28 in Las Vegas with the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, where the PBR World Champion will be crowned and awarded a $1 million bonus. The richest bull riding event in the world, the World Finals has a total purse of more than $2 million.