The Professional Bull Riders Buck into Jacksonville for Two-Thrilling Performances!

By Katharine Sherrer, PBR
Posted Thursday, September 18, 2008

Don't miss any of the non-stop action when it airs on VERSUS this weekend.

PUEBLO, Colo. (September 15, 2008) - The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is thrilled to brings its Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler (BFTS) to the Jacksonville Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., for the 28th stop on the elite tour. The Built Ford Tough Shootout gets underway at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 19 and at 7:50 p.m. on Saturday, September 20. The world’s top 45 bull riders are competing week in and week out; each striving for the $1,000,000 PBR World Champion title.

For as little as $10, fans will be treated to more than two hours of heart-pounding action, showcasing the classic battle of man vs. beast with world-class production, pyrotechnics and rock-n-roll. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Jacksonville Arena Box Office, online at ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 904 353 3309.

The Jacksonville event will feature riders such as current number one man Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil); fan favorite J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.); and Colorado cowboy Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.). Each will ride alongside PBR World Champions, Justin McBride (Elk City, Okla.), the two-time (2005 & 2007) and reigning World Champ who just surpassed the $5 million mark in career earnings at the last BFTS event; 2004 World Champion Mike Lee (Decatur, Texas); and 2002 PBR World Champ Ednei Caminhas (P. Alves, SP, Brazil), who announced earlier this year that 2008 will be his last season riding bulls.

To kick off the event, fans can stop by several local Ford dealerships to meet with some of their favorite PBR riders including fan favorites Cord McCoy (Tupelo, Okla.) and McKennon Wimberly (Cool, Texas). Fans can also attend the free PBR Fan Zone which features several interactive sponsor booths, located at the Jacksonville Arena at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Some of the top PBR superstars will be in attendance to sign autographs, take pictures, and meet and greet with fans.

The Built Ford Tough Shootout will consist of three rounds of competition with the first two rounds featuring the top 45 bull riders randomly matched against the PBR’s toughest bulls. The scores from the two rides will be combined and the top 15 riders will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round following intermission on Sunday where they will compete with one more bull. In the end, the rider with the highest total score on three bulls will be declared the winner!

The Built Ford Tough Shootout will air on VERSUS on Saturday, September 20 at 8 p.m. EST and on Sunday, September 21 at 8 p.m. EST. Please check your local listings for more information.

The PBR is the premier bull riding organization in the world, boasting contestants from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States. Its events air weekly on VERSUS, NBC, FOX and ESPN. For more information on The Built Ford Tough Shootout, please visit www.pbrnow.com