PUEBLO, Colo. - For the 19th year in a row, the world's top bull riders and the fiercest bucking bulls return to Las Vegas for the richest bull riding event on the planet, the 2012 Built Ford Tough World Finals on Oct. 24-28 at the Thomas & Mack Center. The World Finals have a total purse of $2.2 million, including a $1 million bonus to the 2012 PBR World Champion, who also receives the coveted World Champion buckle.

The World Finals will consist of six rounds of competition featuring the Top 35 bull riders in the world, and the best bulls. The first five rounds feature all of the riders against the toughest bulls. The scores from the five rides 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. 28. The rider with the highest total score for the six rounds will earn the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Event title and $250,000.

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 mathematically any of the Top 14 riders heading into Las Vegas has the opportunity to win the title. 

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

The BFTS leader heading into Las Vegas is defending world champion Silvano Alves. Alves, who is looking to become the first back-to-back champion in PBR history, leads second-ranked Valdiron de Oliveira by 505 points, and third-ranked L.J. Jenkins by 1,145.25 points. 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi is 1,531.50 points behind in fourth place, and J.B. Mauney is 1,567.50 points back in fifth place.

The World Finals field includes six former PBR World Champions with Alves, Marchi, Renato Nunes (2010), Kody Lostroh (2009), Mike Lee (2004), and Chris Shivers (2000 and 2003). It will be the last chance for fans to watch Shivers, who announced that he will retire following the World Finals.

In addition to the Top 35 money earners, the top-ranked riders from PBR Australia (David Kennedy), PBR Brazil (Eduardo Aparecido Silva), PBR Canada (Zane Lambert), and PBR Mexico (Carlos Contreras) were extended an invitation to compete in the first two rounds. If the International invitees are in the Top 15 in the average after Round 2, they will be allowed to compete in Round 3. As long as they remain in the Top 15, they can continue to compete.

The PBR also announced the five alternates for the World Finals, who will be allowed to compete if riders seeded in the Top 35 cannot. The alternates are Jared Farley, Billy Robinson, Jory Markiss, Shane Proctor, and Dakota Beck.

The World Finals officially begin at 2 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22, with a press conference to be held on Fremont Street in front of the Golden Nugget. The event will include a proclamation by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman, the Top 10 bull riders in the world, and a bull weigh-in. The riders will then sign autographs from 3-4 p.m. in the Golden Nugget.

The PBR will host a golf tournament to benefit Special Olympics Nevada on Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Bear's Best Las Vegas, 11111 W. Flamingo Road. Cost is $375 per person or $1,500 per team. To register, please telephone (702) 795-7772.

The PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration Reception will be held on Oct. 23 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 2012 Ring of Honor members Mike White and Ross Coleman, and the presentation of the Brand of Honor to Dillinger, the Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award to Tom Teague, and the Sharon Shoulders Award to Jackie Dunn. Legends Reunion ticket packages can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, www.UNLVTickets.com, and by telephone at (866) PBR-SHOW.

The PBR Fan Zone & Marketplace has something for everyone, including sponsor displays, Flint Rasmussen's "Outside the Barrel" show, Wool Warriors, Chris Shivers' Mini Bull Riding, live music on the Cooper Tires Stage, and more. Located in the south parking lot at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, the PBR Fan Zone & Marketplace is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, Wednesday, Oct. 24, Thursday, Oct. 25, and Friday, Oct, 26, and from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27.

Purina Mills will present the NHRA Ride a Reiner program from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the PBR University Arena at the Mandalay Bay Fan Zone and Marketplace. Purina Mills and NRHA will offer test rides to PBR spectators. For those who have some riding experience, "Ride a Reiner" will give them the opportunity to enjoy a dizzying spin or even a sliding stop on a well-trained reining horse.

Award-winning singer/songwriter Easton Corbin will open Championship Sunday on Oct. 28, taking the stage at 11a.m., immediately followed by Round 5 and the Built Ford Tough Championship Round at 11:30 a.m.

CBS Sports Network will broadcast Round 1 at 9 p.m. ET on Oct. 24, and Round 2 at 9 p.m. ET on Oct. 25. NBC Sports Network will broadcast Round 3 at 9 p.m. ET on Oct. 27, and Round 4 at 9 p.m. ET on Oct. 27. NBC will broadcast Round 5 and the Built Ford Tough Championship Round at 4 p.m. ET on Oct. 28.

Follow Jack Carnefix on Twitter @JackCarnefix.