UNCASVILLE, Conn. (September 27, 2010) - Separated by only 64 points, top-ranked Austin Meier of Kinta, Okla., and J.B. Mauney of Mooresville, N.C., bring their battle for the Professional Bull Riders elite Built Ford Tough Series lead to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the Mohegan Sun Invitational presented by Cooper Tires.
The 2010 standings lead has changed 11 times and there have been six different riders ranked first. Meier and Mauney have each held the top spot three different times while third-ranked Renato Nunes of Buritama, Brazil, who is 698.5 points behind Meier, has been ranked first twice.
There will be a potential 1,100 BFTS points available at the Mohegan Sun Invitational with an additional 300 possible points for the Final Five Showdown winner on Saturday.
Tickets begin at $15 and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, www.ticketmaster.com and by telephone at (800) 745-3000. Bull riding at the Mohegan Sun Arena begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1, at 7:50 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3.
The 2010 PBR season has been the sport’s most competitive ever with the first 28 events producing 20 different winners. Meier has the most wins with five and Nunes is second with three. Mauney, fourth-ranked Valdiron de Oliveira of Aparecida de Goiania, Brazil, and leading rookie of the year candidate Silvano Alves of Pilar, Brazil, each have two wins. Seven of the Top 10 riders have an event win and 13 of the Top 20 have a victory.
The Mohegan Sun event will also include defending PBR World Champion and 2008 Uncasville winner Kody Lostroh of Longmont, Colo., 2007 Uncasville winner Wiley Petersen of Fort Hall, Idaho, and 2004 World Champion Mike Lee of Decatur, Texas.
There will be three rounds featuring all of the Top 40 bull riders matched against the fiercest bucking bulls on the planet. The scores from the three rides will be combined, and the Top 15 will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round on Sunday, where they will compete with one more bull. The rider with the highest total score after the championship round will be the winner.
Following Round 2 on Saturday, the fourth Final Five Showdown bonus round will be held, with each of the Top 10 riders in the BFTS standings being given the opportunity to ride an extra bull for bonus BFTS points.
Fans who are unable to make it to the Mohegan Sun Arena can watch the action on VERSUS at 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (Please check local listings for details). The Final Five Showdown will be broadcast on CBS on Sunday at 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. (Please check local listings for details).
About the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR)
The PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 100 million viewers annually watch over 400 hours of primetime PBR programming on VERSUS, NBC, CBS and networks around the world. The PBR has awarded over $100 million in prize money and 20 riders have earned over $1 million, including Justin McBride with $5.5 million -- the most of any western-sports athlete in history. The PBR was nominated as 2010 Sports League of the Year at the Sports Business Journal Sports Business Awards, alongside the National Football League, National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Nearly two million fans attend Built Ford Tough Series and Touring Pro Division events each year. For more information on the PBR, go to www.pbr.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamPBR and http://twitter.com/TEAMPBR.
