Professional Bull Riders buck back to Fairfax, Virginia with Challenger Series event Sept. 24-25

06.23.22 - Challenger Series

Professional Bull Riders buck back to Fairfax, Virginia with Challenger Series event Sept. 24-25

Tickets for the PBR FRAM Invitational, presented by Autolite, on sale Friday, June 24 at 10 a.m. ET.

By Kacie Albert

FAIRFAX, Va. – For the fourth time in history, the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) will buck into Fairfax, Virginia, again welcoming fans to EagleBank Arena on Sept. 24-25 for the Challenger Series’ PBR FRAM Invitational, presented by Autolite.

For two nights 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 in a new series showcasing one of the most exciting live sporting events to witness.

Tickets for the two-day event go on sale Friday, June 24 at 10 a.m. ET and start at $15, taxes and fees not included. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, at the EagleBank Arena Box Office or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.

The newly launched PBR Challenger Series will hold more than 60 events from May-November, culminating with its Championship in early November in Las Vegas. The PBR Challenger Series is a proving ground in providing additional competitive opportunities for bull riders who are both affiliated and unaffiliated with a PBR Team Series team.

Throughout the season, each of the eight PBR Team Series teams will have the opportunity to place team protected roster or practice riders into every Challenger Series event.  In addition, affiliated team riders who are not designated by their team to compete may enter PBR Challenger Series events, along with unaffiliated PBR Teams riders.

The PBR has held three prior events inside EagleBank Arena, bringing the elite Unleash The Beast to the campus of George Mason University in 2018-2019, followed by the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour in 2021.

In 2018, Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) captured the event victory en route to being crowned the season’s PBR World Champion, while in 2019 Chase Outlaw (Hamburg, Arkansas) emerged the top cowboy, further intensifying a three-rider race for the gold buckle that wasn’t decided until the final day of the season.

Last season, the Velocity Tour debuted in Fairfax, as Virginia’s own Carlos Garcia (Abingdon, Virginia) delivered a flawless performance to win his first PBR event in four years.

Fairfax has also hosted the PBR’s developmental Touring Pro Division three times. Those winners include Nathan Tull (2008 – Shawnee, Oklahoma), Skeeter Kingsolver (2009 – McLouth, Kansas), and Tony Mendes (2011 – Fruita, Colorado). 

The bull riding action for the PBR Challenger Series’ FRAM Invitational, presented by Autolite, begins at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 24, and 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 25.

All 45 bull riders will get on one bull each in Round 1, with the Top 30 advancing to Round 2 on Sunday. Following Round 2 Sunday afternoon, the riders’ individual two-round scores will be totaled with the Top 15 advancing to the championship round for one more out and a chance at the event title.

Tickets for the two-day event go on sale Friday, June 24 at 10 a.m. ET and start at $15, taxes and fees not included. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, at the EagleBank Arena 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 for $205, offer the best seats in the venue, a question-and-answer presentation with some of the top bull riders and stock contractors in the world, $10 concession voucher, souvenir credential and lanyard, and post-event photo opportunity from the dirt.