PEORIA, Illinois – For the first time since 2017, PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT) will buck into Peoria, Illinois and the Peoria Civic Center for the one-day Peoria Classic on Saturday, September 7.

For one night only, some of the best bull riders in the world will battle the sport’s rankest bovine athletes in the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast. As one of the most exciting live sporting events to witness, the fearless riders of the PBR are eager to bring the only sport that pits a lightweight against a heavyweight in epic 8-second confrontations back to Peoria.

When the premier expansion series for the toughest sport on dirt last visited Peoria in December 2017, Cody Campbell swept both Round 1 and the championship round en route to winning his first event title towards the 2018 standings. After covering Space Plane for 86.5 points in the opening round, the Oregon native recorded the ninth 90-point ride of his career, 90 points on Show Me Homie, to cement the victory.

The first-ever Velocity Tour event in the state also featured a runner-up finish from Keyshawn Whitehorse who was crowned the PBR Rookie of the Year at the end of the 2018 season. Also going a flawless 2-for-2, Whitehorse tied for second after riding Last One Standing for 84 points and Pneu Dart’s Crooked Face for 88.5 points.

Historically, aside from the Velocity Tour event in 2017, the PBR has only made one other stop in Peoria, when the league’s Touring Pro Division visited the city in April 2014.

The bull riding action begins at 7:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, September 7 at Peoria Civic Center.

All riders will attempt one bull each in Round 1 on Friday night. The Top 10 will then advance to the championship round later that evening where they will attempt one final bull, all in an effort to be crowned the event champion, earning 170 world points and their portion of the $20,000 purse. Additionally, the Peoria Classic event winner will also earn an invite to compete on the elite PBR Unleash The Beast.

Tickets for the one-day event go on sale Monday, June 17 at 10 a.m. CDT, starting at $20. They can be purchased at the Peoria Civic Center Toyota Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets, or online at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com.

Portland will be the 25^th stop on the 2019 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour which spans the country in cities including Ontario, California; Denver, Colorado; Toledo, Ohio; Knoxville, Tennessee; Worcester, Massachusetts; and Corpus Christi, Texas. As one of the final stops of the 2019 season, the event will play a crucial role in the race to be crowned both the 2019 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Champion and 2019 PBR World Champion.