PUEBLO, Colo. (July 13, 2023) – The PBR (Professional Bull Riders) today announced that the 2023 Heroes and Legends Ceremony will be held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at the state-of-the-art National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on Saturday, Sept. 9.
The induction ceremony is scheduled prior to the second day of Freedom Fest – the three-day homestand for the Oklahoma Freedom in PBR Teams, a bull riding league competing in an 11-event season. The Freedom are the first-ever professional bull riding team in Oklahoma.
Heroes and Legends will begin with a catered lunch at Noon CT on Saturday, Sept. 9, followed by the award presentation at 1 p.m. CT. Tables for the 2023 PBR Heroes and Legends Ceremony are on-sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.
Recognized over the years as one of the top Western sports awards ceremonies, the annual PBR Heroes and Legends Ceremony honors categories including the coveted Ring of Honor, awarded to a distinguished athlete; Brand of Honor, awarded to an extraordinary animal athlete and its owner; Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award, to those who have significantly impacted Western sports; Ty Murray Top Hand Award, given to rodeo athletes for their significant contributions and outstanding values; and Sharon Shoulders Award, recognizing the great women of professional bull riding.
The 2023 Heroes and Legends recipients will be announced in Oklahoma City at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in the coming weeks.
About the awards:
PBR Ring of Honor: Presented to individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the sport of bull riding. It is both a physical ring, and a fellowship of men whose blood, sweat, heartaches and handshakes have been instrumental to the present and future of the sport. The Ring of Honor is the highest honor a professional bull rider can receive and is based on the core beliefs of the organization, including authenticity, toughness, teamwork and professionalism. Robson Palermo was the most recent individual to receive the PBR Ring of Honor in 2021. For a complete list of inductees, click here.
Brand of Honor: Bestowed upon the legendary bulls of the PBR. From the beginning, the organization has recognized that there are two great athletes in every ride, and the bulls are the natural extension of that recognition, honoring those animals whose spirit and skill have surpassed even the highest expectations of the bull riding world. The PBR Brand of Honor, created in 2011, is the highest honor a bovine animal athlete can receive. The honor is based on the animal athlete’s display of consistent championship caliber performances and career statistical records. Asteroid was the most recent animal athlete to receive the Brand of Honor in 2021. For a complete list of inductees, click here.
Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award: Recognizes those who throughout their life and professional career have contributed to the advancement of the sport of bull riding and rodeo. Their efforts include significant contributions that have had a positive and continued impact on the development and growth of the bull riding and rodeo industries. The Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award, created in 2011, is named for perhaps the greatest western-sports athlete of all time. Jim Shoulders was a giant in and out of the arena, winning 16 world titles and becoming a household name in the process. At the most recent Heroes & Legends ceremony in 2011, Sean Gleason and Michael Gaughan were presented with the Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award. For a complete list of recipients, click here.
Ty Murray Top Hand Award: Created in 2018, this honor is given annually to individuals who through their own efforts have made significant and lasting contributions to enhance the sport of rodeo. It is based on traditional American values and fundamental ideals such as courage, pride, respect and hard work. Their contributions align with the original goals of the PBR Founders and serve to protect and advance rodeo’s heritage for generations to come. The Ty Murray Top Hand Award connects PBR to its historical roots in rodeo. The award will be presented to rodeo athletes, who through their own efforts have displayed championship characteristics and made significant and lasting contributions to enhance the sport of rodeo. The most recent Ty Murray Top Hand Award was presented to Guy Allen in 2021. For a complete list of recipients, click here.
Sharon Shoulders Award: Created in 2010, the honor recognizes the great women of professional bull riding; those whose work, partnership, and faith have been as integral to the sport as the athletes themselves. It is named for the heroic wife of the legendary Jim Shoulders, whose tireless support enabled her husband to bring bull riding to millions. These women provide an unwavering support system to help their husbands pursue their dreams. They are fiercely loyal, and inspire their husbands by example, motivate and challenge them to achieve their goals, and keep the, grounded in reality. At the most recent Heroes & Legends ceremony in 2021, Terri Gay was presented with the Sharon Shoulders Award. For a complete list of recipients, click here.
The 2023 celebration marks the first season the Heroes and Legends Ceremony will be held in Oklahoma City at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum during the Oklahoma Freedom’s annual homestand, scheduled from Sept. 8-10 at Paycom Center.
The move is part of a broader partnership between PBR and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum announced in Sept. 2022 that brought the organization’s first-ever Hall of Fame to the renowned venue’s American Rodeo Gallery.
In addition to featuring an installation paying homage to all recipients of the Heroes & Legends awards, the PBR Hall of Fame will include artifacts that pay homage to both the early days of the organization, as well as more modern initiatives, including the revolutionary PBR Teams, which launched in July 2022.
While the PBR Bud Light Cup, the original PBR World Championship trophy that features the names of the first nine PBR World Champions, is already on display, relics that museumgoers can expect to see when the PBR Hall of Fame opens by early 2024 will include commemorative paintings of both legendary riders and bovine athletes, historical event posters, interactive exhibits and more.
The 2023 Heroes and Legends Ceremony will be held prior to the second day of the Oklahoma Freedom’s three-day homestand. The Freedom are one of eight founding teams for the groundbreaking PBR Teams league, transforming the sport of bull riding from an individual sport into one where they compete on teams.
The action for Freedom Fest at Paycom Center begins at 7:45 p.m. CT on Friday, September 8, 6:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, September 9, and 1:45 p.m. CT on Sunday, September 10.
Tickets for the event are on sale now, and start at $20, taxes and fees not included. They can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, at the Paycom Center Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727. Three-day ticket packages are available, offering fans a 15% discount on select price levels.
Fans can also purchase a combination package including tickets to both Freedom Fest and a table for the Heroes & Legends ceremony at Ticketmaster.com.
For more information about Heroes and Legends visit https://pbr.com/heroes-legends.
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
