INDIANAPOLIS - The Professional Bull Riders will bring the world's Top 35 bull riders and the best bulls back to Indianapolis when the PBR Built Ford Tough Series visits Bankers Life Fieldhouse this Saturday, April 14, and Sunday, April 15, for the Built Ford Tough Invitational presented by Super Duty.

Tickets begin at $10 and are available at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse, www.Ticketmaster.com, and by telephone at (800) 745-3000. Bull riding will begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 15.

The field is led by defending Indianapolis champion Robson Palermo, who won a year ago despite competing with a broken ankle. Palermo was the only rider to ride all four bulls for 8 seconds, and finished first in Round 2 and the Built Ford Tough Championship Round.

The BFTS features the best and highest-paid bull riders on the planet, including current PBR World Champion Silvano Alves, who reached $2 million in 23 months and 58 events, which is faster than any bull rider in history. He also earned $1 million faster than any rider, achieving it in 18 months and 47 events. The 24-year-old is the only rider to win the PBR World Championship in the season immediately after earning PBR Rookie of the Year.
   
The past four PBR World Champions are scheduled to compete this weekend, with Alves, Renato Nunes (2010), Kody Lostroh (2009), and Guilherme Marchi (2008). The four are currently ranked in the Top 15 in the BFTS standings, and will all compete in the third of nine PBR 15/15 Bucking Battles on Saturday.

Robson Palermo pulled out the win in Indianapolis in 2011 despite a broken ankle.

The PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle will be broadcast in its entirety on CBS at 2 p.m. ET this Sunday, April 15 (Please check local listings). PBR 15/15 Bucking Battles have the Top 15 riders in the world competing against the 15 highest-ranked bulls at the event. The special round, which has an additional purse of $21,000, will take place immediately following Round 1 on Saturday. The 15/15 Bucking Battle replaces the usual first short round for a three-day event. Points and money earned in the PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle do not count toward the event results, but they do count toward the BFTS season standings, and qualification for the Built Ford Tough World Finals.

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.

Each of the 35 riders will ride in Round 1 on Saturday and in Round 2 on Sunday. Following Round 2 on Sunday, the riders with the 10 highest cumulative scores 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 all three rounds.

Round 1 will be broadcast live on YouTube at the Professional Bull Riders Channel this Saturday, April 14, at 8 p.m. ET. CBS Sports Network will broadcast action from Round 2 and the championship round this Sunday, April 15, at 6 p.m. ET. There will be encore airings this Sunday, April 15, at 10 p.m. ET, and Monday, April 16, at 9 p.m. ET.

Indianapolis is the 14th stop of the 2012 BFTS season, which opened in January with capacity crowds at Madison Square Garden in New York. The BFTS will make 28 stops in 23 states before the Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Oct. 24-28, 2012. The World Finals are where the PBR World Champion will be crowned and awarded the coveted championship buckle and a $1 million bonus. The richest bull riding event in the world, the World Finals has a total purse of more than $2 million.

The BFTS is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network, NBC, NBC Sports Network, and YouTube. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR under a multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer.