WHEELING, W.Va. – For the tenth time in league history, PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour will buck into Wheeling, West Virginia, returning to WesBanco Arena on March 15-16, 2024, with the PBR Wheeling Invitational, brought to you by Oglebay.

For two nights only, the best bull riders in the world will duel with the rankest bovines born to buck in an unpredictable, must-see David vs. Goliath showdown.

Last year in Wheeling in front of a raucous, sold-out crowd at WesBanco Arena, Alex Marcilio (Macaubal, Brazil) rode supreme, picking up his second Velocity Tour win of the season courtesy of a 2-for-3 performance.

One of nine riders to reach the horn in an action-packed weekend, Marcilio entered the final day of competition tied for third after covering Crossin the Delta Line (Graham Bros Cattle Co/DD Bucking Bulls) in Round 1.

After faltering in Round 2, the Brazilian rallied and rocketed to the top of the leaderboard by recording the only ride in the final round for 85.5 points on Keep’em Guessin (UTC/Sellers Bucking Bulls).

Other past PBR Wheeling Invitational event winners include Paulo Ferreira Lima (2022 – Bezerros, Brazil), Austin Beaty (2021 – Bedford, Virginia), Derek Kolbaba (2019 – Walla Walla, Washington), Eli Miller (2018 – Statesville, North Carolina), Carlos Garcia (2017 – Abingdon, Virginia), two-time PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood (2016 – Volborg, Montana), three-time PBR World Finals event winner Robson Palermo (2015 – Rio Branco, Brazil) and Brenton Chaffin (2014 – Riner, Virginia).

Josh Frost (Randlett, Utah) was crowned the 2023 PBR Velocity Tour Champion, concluding the season 113.5 points ahead of runner-up Claudio Montanha Jr. (Ribeirao dos Indios, Brazil). The pair dueled back and forth until the final outs of the season at the tour’s Finals in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Shortly after being crowned the Velocity Tour Champion, Frost was taken by the Carolina Cowboys with the second overall pick in the 2023 PBR Teams Draft.

The Wheeling tour stop is currently slated as the 22nd Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event of the year and the 17th multi-day event. In 2023, the expansion Tour hosted more than 289,000 fans, setting 21 event attendance records while selling out 17 events, including last year’s event in Wheeling. 

The bull riding action for the 2024 PBR Wheeling Invitational, brought to you by Oglebay, begins at 8:00 p.m. EST on Friday, March 15, and at 7:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, March 16 at WesBanco Arena.

Forty-five bull riders will get on one bull in Round 1. Round 2 on Saturday evening will feature the Top 30 riders from Round 1; the riders’ individual two-round scores will then 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 are available on Monday, October 30, at 10:00 a.m. EST and start at $15, taxes and fees not included. Tickets can be purchased at Etix.com, at PBR.com, by calling PBRDirect at 1-800-732-1727, at the WesBanco Arena Box Office or at WesBancoArena.com.

PBR Elite Seats are available starting at $205 for avid fans who want an exclusive VIP experience while enjoying all the action on the dirt. These tickets offer the best seats in the venue, a personal on-site concierge, a post-show photo experience on the dirt and a commemorative VIP wristband.

For those fans who don’t want to miss a second of the action, two-day combo package tickets offer a 15% discount off all ticket prices except $15 tickets.

Photo courtesy of Gary Wendell/Bull Stock Media