Chihuahua, Mexico Plays Host to the 2008 PBR World Cup!!!

By Katharine Sherrer, PBR
Posted Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Check out this premiere international event when it airs this weekend on VERSUS!

PUEBLO, Colo. (August 11, 2008) - The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is thrilled to bring their premiere international event, the PBR World Cup, to the Cowboy Capital of Mexico--Chihuahua. Manuel Bernardo Aguirre Gymnasium will play host to the world-class competition on Saturday, August 16 at 6:50 p.m. and on Sunday, August 17 at 2:00 p.m. Five countries, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the United States, will go head to head to find out which country will take home bragging rights as the best bull riding nation in the world. Last year the “Land Down Under,” Australia, hosted the inaugural PBR World Cup with Team Brazil taking home the event title.

In a special team format, five team captains – one from each country - have selected five bull riders who they feel will best represent their respective countries in this two-day competition. The twenty-five athletes will compete in four rounds, two rounds each night, with all contestants riding in each round. Each team’s top three scores from every round will count towards the final score. After all four rounds are complete, the team with the highest total score will be declared the winner!

Tickets can be purchased online www.ticketmaster.com.mx or by calling +01 (81) 8369-9000. Fans can also see all the action when it airs on VERSUS on Saturday, August 16 at 9:00 p.m. EST LIVE and on Sunday, August 17 at 9:00 p.m. EST.

With $100,000 USD up for grabs, the competition will be fierce and team strategy important. Each captain has hand-picked the riders who will be representing their countries. Riding for the United States, led by Team Captain J.W. Hart (Overbrook, Okla.), the 2002 PBR World Finals Event winner and former PBR Rookie of the Year, will be 2005 & 2007 PBR World Champion Justin McBride (Elk City, Okla.); Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.); J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.); L.J. Jenkins (Texico, N.M.); and Sean Willingham (Summerville, Ga.).

The other teams are as follows:

Team Mexico:

Team Captain – 2007 PBR Mexico National Champion Hugo Pedrero (Leon, Mexico); Nile Lebaron (Chihuahua, Mexico); Francisco Morales (Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico); Octavio Torres (Leon Mexico), Alfonso Orozco (Guanajuato, Mexico); and Francisco Torres (Leon, Mexico).

Team Australia:

Team Captain - 1998 PBR World Champion Troy Dunn (Queensland, AUS); Jared Farley (Kempsey, AUS); Pete Farley (Kempsey, AUS); Ben Jones (Golbourn, NSW); Kevin Connolly (Queensland, AUS); and Ben Seeds (Queensland, AUS).

Team Brazil:

Team Captain & Rider - 1994, 2001, & 2006 PBR World Champion Adriano Moraes (Cachoeira Paulista, SP, Brazil); current world No. 1 rider Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil); Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goiania, GO); Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Arce, Brazil); and Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil).

Team Canada:

Team Captain - 1983 World Champion Bull Rider Cody Snyder (Okotoks, AB); Tyler Pankewitz (Warburg, AB); Scott Schiffner (Stettler, AB); Aaron Roy (Asquith, SK); Vince Northrop (Davidson, SK); and Jesse Torkelson (Winfield, AB).

Last year's World Cup winner, Team Brazil, will be looking to defend its title; however, Team Australia, Team Canada, and Team U.S., along with Team Mexico on its home turf, are ready to prove to everyone that they are contenders for the 2008 World Cup title!