Professional Bull Rider Fans Have Chance to Select 2009 Ring of Honor Recipients

By Katharine Sherrer, PBR
Posted Monday, January 5, 2009

PUEBLO, Colo. (January 3, 2009) - For the first time in the history of the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR), fans will have the chance to vote for two of the five recipients of the 2009 Ring of Honor. The nominated riders must be retired and the two nominees who receive the highest amount of fan votes will be reviewed by the Ring of Honor Committee. Once approved, they will take their place among the elite members of the PBR Ring of Honor.

In addition, writers for publications such as USA Today, The Dallas Morning News, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram will cast their vote and the rider with the highest tally of votes will be a 2009 inductee after Committee approval. Once again, the rider must be retired to qualify for a nomination. To be eligible to nominate an honoree, the writer must have written at least three stories on the PBR in 2008. The Ring of Honor Committee will decide on the final two riders who will take their place in the prestigious “Ring.”

Created in 1996, the Ring of Honor is more than just a physical ring---it is an elite group of 27 cowboys, soon to be 32. It recognizes those who have had the most profound impact on bull riding with each inductee receiving a ring handcrafted of diamonds and gold, bearing the PBR logo, the recipient’s name, and the year he was honored.

The ceremony will be held in May 2009 in conjunction with the 2009 Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) event in Pueblo, Colo., home of the PBR Headquarters. To vote, please visit http://www.pbrnow.com/riders/ringofhonor/nominate.cfm by Sunday, February 1 as the five 2009 recipients will be announced on February 15. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of PBR history!

Use this link to see who has already received this award: http://pbrnow.com/riders/ringofhonor/

About the PBR:
More than 100 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on FOX, NBC, ESPN, VERSUS, and on a host of foreign networks across the globe. With approximately 500 hours of prime time programming annually, PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air, in addition to attracting over 1.7 million live event attendees each year with it multi-tiered event structure which includes the prestigious Built Ford Tough Series, the Copenhagen Bull Riding Challenger Tour, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, and the Discovery Tour, designed specifically for entry level contestants. The PBR is headquartered in Pueblo, Colo., with additional offices in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. The PBR prides itself in its 1,000 plus stock contractor relationships and over 1,200 PBR bull riders competing in more than 300 PBR sanctioned competitions in five countries.