THACKERVILLE, Okla. - The Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series returns to Thackerville, Okla., Aug. 30-31 for the WinStar World Casino Invitational. It's the third consecutive year that the BFTS will visit Thackerville, showcasing the bull riders in a custom-built, outdoor arena adjacent to WinStar World Casino.

In 2011, Thackerville became the host of the first outdoor BFTS event since 2005 in Laughlin, Nevada, and it is the only outdoor event on the tour.

WinStar World Casino is the 20th stop on the BFTS schedule and one of only 27 cities to host the series this year. Bull riding begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30 and Saturday, Aug. 31. Tickets for the WinStar World Casino Invitational start at $25 and are on sale now at the WinStar World Casino Global Event Center Box Office, www.Ticketmaster.com and by telephone at (800) 745-3000. For more information, visit www.pbr.com.

The nationally-televised Built Ford Tough Series features the Top 35 bull riders in the world and the rankest bucking bulls in the country. Fans will witness exhilarating 8-second rides and heart-stopping wrecks throughout the action-packed performances as the PBR's courageous cowboys risk it all against their opponents, who can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds.

The WinStar World Casino Invitational will feature streak slayer J.B. Mauney, who recently achieved what seemed a nearly impossible feat when he rode Bushwacker during the BFTS event in Tulsa, Okla. After nine attempts throughout his career, Mauney successfully covered Bushwacker, breaking the bull's consecutive buckoffs streak at 42 straight BFTS riders.

Five PBR World Champions are scheduled to compete in Thackerville, including Silvano Alves (2012, 2011), Renato Nunes, (2010), Kody Lostroh (2009), Guilherme Marchi (2008) and Mike Lee (2004).

Fan favorites Shane Proctor and Douglas Duncan, along with young guns Chase Outlaw and Jory Markiss, are in the lineup, as well. This will also be the last time for fans to watch Brendon Clark and Luke Snyder ride in Oklahoma, as both men announced that the 2013 Built Ford Tough Series will mark the end of their respective careers. They will both retire following the 2013 PBR World Finals.

In Round 1 on Friday night, top-ranked Alves will take on Stone Sober (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.), while World No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira will take a chance at Emergency (Kephart Bucking Bulls).

Fans will also see a rematch between Douglas Duncan on Little Andy (Leflore/D&H Cattle/Flinn). He faced the bull at the BFTS event in Billings, Mont., but was unsuccessful in covering him, getting dumped in 2.94 seconds. Valdiron de Oliveira will also make another attempt at riding I-M 908, a bull he saw just two weeks ago in Tulsa, on which he lasted only 4.01 seconds.

As the winner of the Jack Daniel's Invitational last weekend, Marchi will have the chance to win an extra $3,000 Friday night in the bonus round as he attempts to ride Shepherd Hills Tested (D&H Cattle Co.).

Dubbed one of ESPN's "Baddest Bodies in Sports," Bushwacker is scheduled to buck this weekend, as well. After making quick work of Mauney in Nashville, Tenn., one week after being ridden by the North Carolina native, Bushwacker is back to his buckoff ways. One lucky rider will have their chance at the 2011 PBR World Champion Bull during the championship round on Saturday night.

All Top 35 bull riders will get on one bull in Round 1 on Friday and another in Round 2 on Saturday. After Round 2 on Saturday 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.                                                                 

Following Thackerville, the PBR Built Ford Tough Series will make seven more stops this season, culminating with the Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Oct. 23-27. The Finals will crown the 2013 PBR World Champion, who will receive the coveted championship buckle, a $1 million bonus and a new pickup truck from Ford, the title sponsor of the Built Ford Tough Series. Tickets sales and additional information about the World Finals can be found at worldfinals.pbr.com.

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.