TULSA, Okla. – For the 18th consecutive season, the PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) elite Unleash The Beast will buck into Tulsa, Oklahoma, holding the PBR Express Ranches Classic, presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, on April 15-16 at BOK Center.
For two nights only, the Top 40 bull riders in the world will compete in one of the most exciting live sporting events to witness, going head-to-head against the sport’s rankest bovine athletes in the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast.
Last season, the premier PBR Unleash The Beast event in Tulsa produced one of the greatest moments in PBR history.
During the event’s accompanying 15/15 Bucking Battle, Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) teamed with Woopaa (Barker Bulls/Hookin’ W Ranch) for a record-shattering score.
Marked a then-unprecedented 97.75 points, Leme’s score aboard Woopaa dethroned the previous top ride score of 96.5 points, achieved four times, then most recently recorded in 2004 by 1997 PBR World Champion Michael Gaffney (Albuquerque, New Mexico) on three-time YETI PBR World Champion Bull Little Yellow Jacket (Berger/Teague/Taupin).
In a nearly flawless display of athleticism, Leme was marked an almost perfect 49.75 points out of a possible 50 points, while Woopaa contributed 48 points, the 10th highest bull score in the league’s history.
While the Tulsa score briefly remained the high-marked ride in PBR history, it only held the top spot for mere months.
Following their dominant out in the Sooner State, Leme faced Woopaa in the championship round of the 2022 PBR World Finals, this time earning an unprecedented 98.75-point score, including the first-ever 50-point score awarded to a rider and sealing his second consecutive PBR World Championship.
Leme is now just the second back-to-back PBR World Champion in league history, joining three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil), who won his first two titles in 2011-2012, and seventh multi-time PBR World Champion.
Throughout 2021, Leme went a torrid 49-for-71, covering 69.01% of his animal athlete opponents. In addition to setting a new high-score record, Leme also broke the season record for most 90-point rides (24) and round wins (21) and tied the season record for most event wins (8).
While Leme won the 15/15 Bucking Battle in Tulsa in 2021, the main event was dominated by 2020 PBR Rookie of the Year Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas).
Historically, seven of the past 13 PBR World Champions have won the Tulsa event en route to capturing the coveted gold buckle. Those riders are: Jess Lockwood (2019 and 2017); Cooper Davis (2016); J.B. Mauney (2015, 2013); Renato Nunes (2010); and Kody Lostroh (2009).
Lockwood is one of just three riders to win the Tulsa event in multiple seasons, joining Mauney, who won in 2015 and 2013, and Lostroh, who claimed titles in 2012 and 2009.
Other past winners in Tulsa include: Silvano Alves (2020); Leme (2018); Gage Gay (2014); Lostroh (2012); Fabiano Vieira (2011); McBride (2008); Adriano Moraes (2007); Kasey Hayes (2006); and Edgard Oliveira (2005).
The bull riding action for the 2022 PBR Express Ranches Classic, presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, begins with Round 1 at 7:45 p.m. CST on Friday, April 15, followed by Round 2 and the championship round at 6:45 p.m. CST on Saturday, April 16. All competing bull riders will get on one bull each in Rounds 1-2. Following Round 2 Saturday evening, the riders’ individual two-round scores will be totaled. The Top 12 will advance to the championship round for one more out and a chance at the event title.
Tickets for the two-day event go on sale Monday, January 31 at 10:00 a.m. CST and start at $15, taxes and fees not included. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, at the BOK Center Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.
PBR Elite Seats are available for avid fans who want an exclusive VIP experience while enjoying the world’s top bull riding circuit. These tickets, available in three tiers, offer premium seats, a question-and-answer presentation with some of the top bull riders and stock contractors in the world, behind-the-scenes look at the event from the back of the bucking chutes, $10 concession voucher and souvenir credential and lanyard.
Available for $450 is the PBR Premier Elite Seat with souvenir chair. Offering the best views in the venue, fans will receive a limited-edition PBR folding chair to take home following the event.
Fans will also have the chance to purchase the PBR VIP Elite Seats, which include an exclusive merchandise gift and pre-show photo opportunity from the dirt, and the PBR Elite Experience Seats, which include an exclusive merchandise gift.
For an enhanced PBR experience, fans can now purchase add-on PBR Premium Experiences which will include the Elite Experience on both Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16.
The Elite Experience, available for $75, will include a $10 concession voucher, credential & lanyard, stars of the PBR book and a photo in front of the bucking chutes pre-show.