PUEBLO, Colo. - The Professional Bull Riders is pleased to announce that Dillinger will be the 2012 recipient of the Brand of Honor, an award presented each year to a bull for exemplary performance. Dillinger will be honored along with Mike White and Ross Coleman, who are being inducted into the PBR Ring of Honor, as part of the PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration on Oct. 23 at South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas. The celebration will also include the presentation of the Sharon Shoulders Award and the Jim Shoulders Award.

"We always say, 'We have two great athletes in every ride, one with two legs and the other with four,' and some of the most recognized names in PBR history are the four-legged athletes," said PBR Chairman and CEO Jim Haworth. "Dillinger was one of the first bulls to have that recognition, and we are happy to honor him with the Brand of Honor."

Owned by Herrington Cattle Co., Dillinger was the first back-to-back and two-time World Champion Bull in 2000 and 2001. One of the most-recognized athletes, the black bull with the white face retired in 2002 after sustaining a leg injury.

"We say we've never had a back-to-back champion, but that is only in the human category," said PBR Founder and Livestock Director Cody Lambert, who was inducted into the Ring of Honor as a member of the inaugural class in 1996. "Dillinger won two years in a row, and he was battling with Little Yellow Jacket, Blueberry Wine, and Mossy Oak Mudslinger when injury took him out of the game. He was a lot bigger than those bulls, weighing about 1,800 pounds in his prime.

"He had the same tools that they had with lots of speed and agility with power added in. All great athletes come in different sizes and shapes or even different species, but they all have one thing in common and that's competitive desire. Dillinger brought that on every trip."

Dillinger had a career buckoff rate of 85.11 percent in Built Ford Tough Series events. He was only ridden seven times in 47 outs, including four round wins, and his average bull score was 46.83. He is a member of the www.ProBullStats.com Hall of Fame, and ranks first with an average mark of 46.888.

Dillinger was ridden for 96.5 points by two-time PBR World Champion Chris Shivers at the 2001 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, which is the highest score in World Finals history, and tied for the highest score in the PBR record books. Dillinger was part of five of the 50 highest scores in PBR history, including 95.5 points for Jim Sharp at Fort Worth, Texas, in 2002; 95 points for 2002 PBR World Champion Ednei Caminhas in 2001 at Columbus, Ga., 94.5 points for Caminhas at the World Finals in 2000, and 94.5 points for Corey Navarre at the World Finals in 2001. He was a part of three of the Top 10 scores in World Finals history.


Chris Shivers rides Dillinger for 96.5 points at the 2001 World Finals.

The inaugural recipient of the Brand of Honor in 2011 was Little Yellow Jacket, who became the second two-time World Champion Bull winner, and the only three-time winner, capturing the honor in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa is the Official Host Hotel of the PBR Legends Reunion. The special event on Oct. 23-24 will again officially begin the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals. Fans will have an opportunity to meet their favorite riders, as every rider who has competed since the PBR began has been invited to Las Vegas.

PBR Founders and Ring of Honor members who are confirmed to attend include Clint Branger, Cody Custer, Jerome Davis, David Fournier, Cody Lambert, Scott Mendes, Ty Murray, Aaron Semas and Sharp.

PBR World Champions scheduled to attend and who will participate in a special interactive session with fans are Cody Hart (1999), Shivers (2000 and 2003), Caminhas (2002), Mike Lee (2004), Guilherme Marchi (2008), Kody Lostroh (2009), Renato Nunes (2010) and Silvano Alves (2011). For more information on the PBR Legends Reunion, including an up-to-date list of confirmed attendees, please visit Reunion.PBR.com.

The PBR Ring of Honor was created in 1996 to recognize those who have had the most profound impact on bull riding, both in and out of the arena. The 36 members share a common bond of courage, strength and victory. They have shown their dedication and support, while playing a significant role in helping professional bull riding become what it is today. Honorees include the great Jim Shoulders, PBR founding fathers Murray and Lambert, three-time PBR World Champion Adriano Moraes, two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride, and PBR World Champions Troy Dunn and Michael Gaffney. The Ring of Honor, the PBR's equivalent of a Hall of Fame, is more than a fellowship: Each inductee is presented with a ring handcrafted of diamonds and gold bearing the PBR logo, the recipient's name and the year he was honored.

The PBR will host a golf tournament to benefit Special Olympics Nevada on Oct. 23 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. The PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration Reception will be held from 6-7 p.m. at South Point Las Vegas, and will be immediately followed by the PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration from 7-8:30 p.m. The ceremony will include the induction of the 2012 Ring of Honor members, and the presentation of the Brand of Honor, the Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Sharon Shoulders Award. The South Point Arena and Equestrian Center will play host to the ABBI Back Seat Buckers Finals with performances at 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Following the Back Seat Buckers performances, South Point Las Vegas will play host to the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party.

Past riders will join the competitors in the 2012 World Finals for the Ultimate PBR Bull Rider Meet & Greet on Oct. 24 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at South Point Las Vegas. Prior to the Meet & Greet from 10-11 a.m., fans will have the opportunity to hear PBR World Champions talk about what it is like to earn the belt buckle that every bull rider dreams of obtaining.

The Brand of Honor and the Jim Shoulders Award were each presented for the first time in 2011. The Brand of Honor is awarded to a bull for exemplary performance, while the Jim Shoulders Award recognizes a non-bull rider who has made a significant contribution to the sport.

"All great athletes come in different sizes and shapes... but they all have one thing in common and that's competitive desire. Dillinger brought that on every trip."

Created by the PBR Board of Directors in 2009 to honor women who have made a difference in the life of a bull rider and contributed to the sport, the Sharon Shoulders Award honors its namesake for her support and encouragement of her late husband, Jim Shoulders, the celebrated cowboy and bull rider who was inducted as a member of the first class in the PBR Ring of Honor in 1996. 

PBR Legends Reunion ticket packages are now available for $175, a savings of $150. The package includes tickets to the PBR Heroes & Legends Reception, the PBR Heroes & Legends Induction Ceremony, the ABBI Back Seat Buckers Finals, the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party, the PBR World Champions Forum and the PBR Ultimate Meet & Greet. The package also includes VIP access to the PBR World Finals Pre-Party at the Cox Pavilion, and tickets for Rounds 1 and 2 of the PBR World Finals on Oct. 24 and 25.

Fans that have already purchased tickets for the PBR World Finals can purchase a PBR Legends Reunion add-on package for $100, a savings of $155. The package includes tickets to the PBR Heroes & Legends Reception, the PBR Heroes & Legends Induction Ceremony, the ABBI Back Seat Buckers Finals, the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party, the PBR World Champions Forum, the PBR Ultimate Meet & Greet and VIP access to the PBR World Finals Pre-Party at the Cox Pavilion.

Legends Reunion ticket packages can be purchased now at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, www.UNLVTickets.com, and by telephone at (866) PBR-SHOW.

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 World Finals are Oct. 24-28 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Bull riding begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available now at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, www.UNLVTickets.com, and by telephone at (866) PBR-SHOW.

South Point Las Vegas is offering special room rates of $65 and $105 until Aug. 31. To redeem the special rate, please telephone (866) 791-7626 and use the code FAN1021, or click here.

PBR Legends Reunion Tentative Schedule
Tuesday, Oct. 23
7 a.m.-2 p.m.               PBR Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting Nevada Special Olympics (separate cost)
4-5:30 p.m.                  ABBI Back Seat Buckers Finals - Section 1
6-7 p.m.                       PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration Reception (Refreshments/Hors d' Oeuvres)
7-8:30 p.m.                  PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration
9-10:30 p.m.                ABBI Back Seat Buckers Finals - Section 2

Wednesday, Oct. 24
10-11 a.m.                   PBR World Champions Forum at South Point Las Vegas
11 a.m.-1 p.m.             Ultimate PBR Bull Rider Meet & Greet
4-6 p.m.                       PBR World Finals Pre-Party at the Cox Pavilion
6 p.m.                          Round 1 of PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals

Thursday, Oct. 25
4-6 p.m.                       PBR World Finals Pre-Party at the Cox Pavilion
6 p.m.                          Round 2 of PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals

About the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR)
The PBR is the world's premier bull riding organization. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the PBR. In just two decades, the dream of 20 bull riders has become a global sports phenomenon that is televised worldwide. More than 100 million viewers annually watch primetime PBR programming on networks around the world including CBS, CBS Sports Network, NBC, and NBC Sports Network. The PBR has awarded over $100 million in prize money and 25 riders have earned over $1 million, including Justin McBride with $5.5 million - the most of any Western-sports athlete in history. 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/PBR, Twitter at http://twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at http://www.YouTube.com/PBR.