LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The KFC Yum! Center is about to add two significant firsts to its history. On April 13 and 14, the Professional Bull Riders' Built Ford Tough Series will hold court for the first time at the two-year old Louisville arena. In order to do so, 600 cubic yards of dirt will be loaded into the arena to set a 6 to 8 inch stage for two days of adrenaline-soaked bull riding action. This will be the first dirt event the KFC Yum! Center has ever hosted. The PBR Built Ford Tough Series Bass Pro Chute Out presented by Jack Daniel's is the 14th stop of the Built Ford Tough Series' 20th anniversary season.
Bull riding begins at 8 p.m. CT on Saturday, April 13, and 2 p.m. CT on Sunday, April 14. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased at the KFC Yum! Center box office, www.Ticketmaster.com, and by telephone at (800) 745-3000. For more information visit www.pbr.com.
The nationally-televised BFTS features the Top 35 bull riders in the world and the fiercest bucking bulls in the country. Fans will witness exhilarating 8-second rides and wrecks throughout the action-packed event as the PBR's courageous cowboys risk it all against their opponents, who can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.
All Top 35 bull riders will get on one bull each in Rounds 1 and 2 on Saturday and Sunday. After Round 2 on Sunday afternoon, the riders' individual two-round scores will be totaled and the top 10-15 riders on two bulls will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round for one more ride and a chance at the $30,000 event title.
"These athletes are the best bull riders in the world," said KFC Yum! Center General Manager Dennis Petrullo. "We're very eager for the debut of the PBR Built Ford Tough Series here at the KFC Yum! Center. Over 600 cubic yards of dirt will replace our treasured basketball court for the very first time. It is something new and very exciting for our fans to experience."
Riders scheduled to compete during this two-day event include five former PBR World Champions: Silvano Alves (2012, 2011), Renato Nunes (2010), Kody Lostroh (2009), Guilherme Marchi (2008) and Mike Lee (2004), along with fan favorites J.B. Mauney, L.J. Jenkins and current top-ranked rider Shane Proctor.
Proctor took back the number one slot in the PBR World Championship race from Marco Eguchi last weekend in Billings, Mont. He now leads Eguchi by almost 600 points. In Round 1 Saturday night, he will take on Skid Row Joe of JK Rodeo Company. This will be Skid Row Joe's first time bucking at a Built Ford Tough Series event after attending just two PBR Touring Pro Division events in 2012.
Hookin' W Ranch's Red Dragon awaits Eguchi in Round 1. Red Dragon bucked just last month at PBR's TPD event in Stephenville, Texas. He also makes his debut on the BFTS scene this weekend.
Saturday's Bonus Bull matchup will be a show down between the most recent event winner, Joao Ricardo Vieira, who captured the Stanley Make Something Great Invitational title in Billings, and Ackerman/Cox's Lucky You. Not one BFTS contestant to date has successfully ridden this bull. Lucky You has gone unridden in three BFTS events this year, as well as going a perfect 6-for-6 in buckoffs last season.
Bushwacker of Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls returns to the arena this weekend and will attempt to extend his historical streak of buckoffs, going for his 41st consecutive one. He has already dumped a total of 55 riders overall. Five cowboys have attempted to ride Bushwacker in 2013, including Proctor, Luke Snyder, Mike Lee, Austin Meier, and Billy Robinson, but not one of them has been successful.
Circle T Ranch& Rodeo's 2012 PBR World Champion Bull Asteroid will also buck in Louisville. Asteroid and Bushwacker have competed head-to-head 13 times in the last two seasons, with their 14th matchup taking place at the Bass Pro Chute Out during the championship round on Sunday. Bushwacker has posted a higher score 10 times.
This is the third time the BFTS will be held in Louisville, and the first time in more than a decade. The winners of the previous events were Adam Carrillo (1999) and Owen Washburn (2002).
Round 1 of the Bass Pro Chute Out on Saturday night will be streamed live at 8 p.m. ET via the PBR Live Center at www.pbr.com. Sunday's Round 2 and championship round will air on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, April 14, at 5 p.m. ET.
The 2013 Built Ford Tough Series season is quickly approaching its summer break. Louisville is the 14th of 26 stops in 18 states. On May 10 and 11, the BFTS season will round up its first half at the Mandalay Bay Events Center with the third annual Last Cowboy Standing. Who will outride the rest and be the Last Cowboy Standing? Tickets are sale now at www.ticketmaster.com, the Mandalay Bay Events Center Box Office or by calling (800) 745 3000.
Featured during the PBR's official Last Cowboy Standing after party will be multi-platinum, chart topping country artist Gary Allan. Allan will entertain fans at the Mandalay Bay Beach starting at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11. Tickets for the after party are on sale now and also available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.mandalaybay.com or via phone at (800) 745 3000.
The PBR is celebrating 20 years of competition in 2013. Its Built Ford Tough Series is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network and networks around the world. 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.
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 reaches more than half a billion households in 50
nations and territories worldwide. Its primetime programming,
produced by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner
David Neal, airs domestically on CBS and CBS Sports Network. More
than 2.5 million fans attend live events each year. The PBR has
awarded more than $120 million in prize money and 25 riders have
earned more than $1 million, including Justin McBride with $5.5
million - the most of any western-sports athlete in history. For
more information on the PBR, go to PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at
Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.