TULSA, Okla. – For the 20th consecutive season, the PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) premier Unleash The Beast will buck into Tulsa, Oklahoma, holding PBR Tulsa, presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Tulsa, on January 19-20 at BOK Center.
For two nights only, more than 30 of the best bull riders in the world will go head-to-head against the sport’s rankest bovine athletes, showcasing the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast in one of the most exciting live sporting events to witness.
PBR Tulsa, presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Tulsa, will be the eighth of the new individual season as riders vie for early points in the race to be crowned the 2024 PBR World Champion.
When PBR’s Unleash The Beast last travelled to Tulsa in February 2023, in front of a record-setting crowd, Eli Vastbinder (Statesville, North Carolina) reached a crucial career milestone, delivering a flawless 3-for-3 effort inside BOK Center to win his career-first premier series event.
Vastbinder first put points on the board in Round 1, delivering the eighth best score when he covered Lapua (Blake Sharp/Floyd/Wilson/High Voltage) for 85.25 points. The Captain of the Oklahoma Freedom in the separate PBR Teams League then surged to second on the event leaderboard when he topped Mighty Mike (Braun Bucking Bulls) for 87.75 points in the second round.
Vastbinder then elected to go head-to-head with the appropriately named Tulsa Time (Cord McCoy/Kelly & Cami Heath/McCoy Rodeo) in the championship round. In a decision which proved dividends, Vastbinder matched the powerful animal athlete jump-for-jump en route to a monstrous 90.5 points. The 90-point ride was the seventh of Vastbinder’s career in premier level PBR competition and first since April 2022.
Vastbinder’s mammoth score, coupled with the final rider of the night bucking off, clinched his career-first Unleash The Beast victory, bringing him a much needed 126 Unleash The Beast points. Vastbinder catapulted 15 positions in the race for the 2023 PBR World Championship, climbing from No. 31 to No. 16.
As the season progressed, Vastbinder qualified for his third consecutive PBR World Finals, before concluding the individual season ranked No. 30 in the world.
In 2021, the Tulsa event made 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, most recently before Leme’s ride in Tulsa 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.
The Tulsa score briefly remained the high-marked ride in PBR history until 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.
Historically, of the past 15 PBR World Champions, seven 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).
Only four riders have won the Tulsa event in multiple seasons, including two-time World Champions Leme (2018 & 2022), Lockwood (2017 & 2019) and Mauney (2013 & 2015), in addition to 2009 PBR World Champion Kody Lostroh (2009 & 2012).
Other past winners in Tulsa include: Boudreaux Campbell (2021); Silvano Alves (2020); Gage Gay (2014); Lostroh (2012); Fabiano Vieira (2011); Justin McBride (2008); Adriano Moraes (2007); Kasey Hayes (2006); and Edgard Oliveira (2005).
The bull riding action for PBR Tulsa, presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Tulsa, begins with Round 1 at 7:45 p.m. CT on Friday, January 19, followed by Round 2 and the championship round at 6:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, January 20. 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 with the Top 12 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, September 15 at 10:00 a.m. CDT, and start at $15, taxes and fees not included. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, BOKCenter.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, personal on-site concierge at the PBR fan loyalty booth, and more. For more on elite seats, visit https://pbr.com/elite-seats-unleash-the-beast, or call (800) 732-1727
For more information about the PBR and to see the full 2024 PBR Unleash The Beast schedule, visit PBR.com.
Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media