NEW YORK CITY – For the fourteenth consecutive year, PBR (Professional Bull Riders) will open its new season at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” with the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden on Jan. 3-5, 2020.
The elite Unleash The Beast tour will launch its 2020 season inside Madison Square Garden in New York City with the first of its four Majors, events in which riders compete for both increased prize money ($100,000 to the winner) and world points (as many as 1,250 vs 900 for a regular three-day event).
In 2019, Jess Lockwood made history inside Madison Square Garden as one of three riders to go a perfect 4-for-4, winning the New York City Major for the second time in his career, and joining the elite company of two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney (2007, 2009, 2014) and 11-time World Finals qualifier Valdiron de Oliveira (2008, 2011) in taking the prestigious event in multiple seasons. Lockwood first won the event in 2017, a victory which was a valuable stepping stone en route to the Montana cowboy becoming the youngest World Champion in league history that November.
Lockwood’s victory at the 2019 Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden propelled him to an early world No. 1, and set him on a path that has led him to be a top contender for this season’s world championship. Since the win, which included a three-month stint on the sidelines as he recovered from a broken collarbone, Lockwood has led the world for 12 weeks, amassing an additional league-leading three event wins.
Other past winners include: Shane Proctor (2010), Cody Nance (2012), Robson Palermo (2013), Fabiano Vieira (2014), Guilherme Marchi (2015), Paulo Lima (2016) and Gage Gay (2018).
In addition to showcasing the world’s best bull riders, the event is annually headlined by some of the top contenders for World Champion Bull. In 2019, Cochise emerged the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event for the second consecutive year. Tying for the event honor with Short Pop, both bulls posted 44.75-point bull scores. Cochise is now ranked solidly inside the Top 10 as he contends for his first World Championship, positioned No. 6 in the standings, a mere 0.93 points behind the top spot.
The Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden will begin at 7:45 p.m. ET on Friday, January 3, 6:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 4, and at 1:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 5.
Tickets for the event go on sale Monday, September 23 and start at $15, taxes and fees may apply. They can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, and online at Ticketmaster.com.
For an enhanced PBR experience, fans can now purchase PBR Elite Seats and Premium Experiences, which provide a behind-the-scenes look into the toughest sport on dirt.
These premium options include early entry; tickets to a premium seating section; a catered reception; a pre-event, backstage tour by a PBR Host, featuring a PBR 101 presentation and visit with the sport’s fiercest bovine athletes; and the opportunity for photos and autographs from the sport’s top stars.
Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase travel packages, including hotel accommodations, tickets, hospitality, experiences and much more.
For more information on the upgraded experiences and travel packages, fans can contact PBR Direct at 800-732-1727.
The PBR season consists of 28 stops, traveling to cities such as Chicago, New York, Houston, Los Angeles and many more. The season will culminate with the PBR World Finals at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena Nov. 4-8, when the 2019 PBR World Champion, the bull rider who earns the most world standings points during the season, will receive the coveted World Championship belt buckle and $1 million bonus.