PUEBLO, Colo. (July 22, 2010) - The Professional Bull Riders announced that Reese Cates (El Dorado, Ark.), Brendon Clark (Morpeth, New South Wales, Australia), Paulo Lima (Bezerros, Pernambuco, Brazil), Jason O’Hearn (Stephenville, Texas) and Harve Stewart (Stephenville, Texas) have been promoted to the elite Built Ford Tough Series by being the Top 5 riders, based on money earned, on the PBR Touring Pro Division.
The BFTS travels to San Antonio for the United States Air Force Invitational at the AT&T Center from July 31-Aug. 1. Tickets begin at 10 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or by telephone at (800) 745-3000.
It was also announced that Robson Aragao (Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil), Jared Farley (Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia) and Stormy Wing (Dalhart, Texas) have been cut from the BFTS as a result of dropping out of the Top 30 in the standings.
The TPD is the minor-league tour of the PBR, where both established veterans and newcomers to the professional ranks compete against some of the most famous bucking bulls. The TPD gives riders the opportunity to compete in PBR-sanctioned events while earning money to qualify for the BFTS, which is comprised of the Top 40 bull riders in the world. Every five events on the BFTS, the PBR promotes the Top 5 riders, based on money earned, from the TPD to the BFTS.
Aragao will be allowed to compete on a special exemption at San Antonio. It was also announced that Brian Canter (Archdale, N.C.) has four injury exemptions for BFTS events remaining, while Rocky McDonald (Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico) and Michael Manes (Conway, Ark.) each have three injury exemptions and Pistol Robinson (Burleson, Texas) has one remaining.
The PBR is having the deepest title race in history with nine lead changes and six different riders on top of the BFTS standings and 15 different winners through the first 21 events.
BUILT FORD TOUGH WORLD STANDINGS (The PBR World Champion is based on total Built Ford Tough Series points earned during the season): 1, Renato Nunes, Buritama, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 8707.25 points, $259,589. 2, Austin Meier, Kinta, Okla., 7,121.75 points, $177.867. 3, Travis Briscoe, Edgewood, N.M., 6,394 points, $165,247. 4, Valdiron de Oliveira, Aparecida de Goiania, Goiás, Brazil, 6,266.75 points, $352,727. 5, Guilherme Marchi, Leme, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 6,140 points, $340,729.
The PBR is the premiere bull riding organization in the world with the best riders from the United States, Mexico, Australia, Brazil and Canada. One of the fastest-growing sports in the country, PBR events air weekly on VERSUS, NBC, CBS and FOX. For more information on the Professional Bull Riders, please visit www.pbr.com or contact Jack Carnefix at (719) 242-2800 or jcarnefix@pbr.com or Sara Broun at (719) 242-2800 or sbroun@pbr.com.
About the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR)
More than 100 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on VERSUS, NBC, CBS, FOX and on television networks around the world. With approximately 400 hours of prime time programming annually, the PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air. The PBR attracts nearly two million live event attendees each year to its marquee Built Ford Tough Series and the PBR Touring Pro Division. More than 1,200 PBR bull riders compete every year in approximately 300 PBR sanctioned competitions in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. 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.
