The Race is on for the Premier Title in Professional Bull Riding!!!

By Katharine Sherrer, PBR
Posted Thursday, September 4, 2008

Las Vegas hosts the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, Oct. 31- Nov.9.

PUEBLO, Colo. (September 2, 2008) - The 2008 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Built Ford Tough World Finals presented by Wrangler showcases the greatest bull riding athletes on the planet in Las Vegas as they vie for more than $3.2 million in prize money. For the fifth time in its 15-year history, the PBR World Finals will span two consecutive weekends, Oct. 31- Nov. 2 and Nov. 6-9, 2008. This marquee event represents the crown jewel of bull riding and culminates the 32-city 2008 Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) tour.

For the first time ever, both weekends of the PBR World Finals will be held at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) beginning on Thursday, Oct. 31, and concluding on Sunday, Nov. 9, at which time the Built Ford Tough World Champion will be crowned, earning a $1 million bonus in the process. Tickets start at as little as $15 and can be purchased online at www.unlvtickets.com or by phone at 866.PBR.SHOW.

The Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino will act as the Official Host Hotel of the PBR and will house the year's Top 45 bull riders who qualify for this prestigious event based on money won during the regular season. The hotel will also play host to the PBR Fan Zone & Marketplace, and two of the Official “Nightclub PBRs” at Moorea Beach.

Fans will be treated to tight race that is sure to be down to the last ride on Sunday’s Championship Round. The PBR’s current No. 1 man, Guilherme Marchi (Leme, Brazil), is on pace to make 2008 his strongest season to date. He is looking to rewrite the PBR record books as he has recorded 57 successful rides (and counting) in a single season; has maintained a riding percentage of 70 percent (or higher) through the majority of the 2008 season; and has acquired over 11,500 BFTS points in his quest for the 2008 World Title. With $225,000 available to the winner of the PBR World Finals event, and a $1 million bonus available to the PBR World Champion, could Marchi make 2008 a dream season and collect over $1.5 million in prize money?

Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goiania, Brazil), in his sophomore year with the PBR, currently sits at No. 2 in the world. He has maintained a riding percentage of over 65 percent and with two event titles under his belt in 2008, Oliveira is determined to win his first PBR world title.

Sitting third in points behind Marchi and Oliveira is Colorado superstar Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.). The 2005 PBR Rookie of the Year, Lostroh has flourished in Las Vegas and this year should be no different − he has his sights set on winning it all in 2008.

Rounding out the Top 5 are 2004 World Champ Mike Lee (Decatur, Texas) and fan favorite J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.). Lee is experiencing one of the best seasons of his career, earning more than $294,485 to date in 2008. Mauney finished the 2007 BFTS season as the third-ranked cowboy in the world, and is looking to better that success this season. Both men’s current rankings justify their status as strong contenders for the 2008 PBR World Championship.

And never overlook past PBR World Champions, Justin McBride (Elk City, Okla.), Ednei Caminhas (Presidente Alves, SP, Brazil) and Adriano Moraes (Cachoeira Paulista, SP, Brazil). Two-time (2005 & 2007) and reigning PBR World Champion McBride (Elk City, Okla.) is determined to win a third world title. After winning his 2007 title, McBride underwent surgery to reconstruct his left shoulder and was out of competition for half the season. Not long after his return in 2008, McBride was back to his winning ways as he took the event title at the Express Classic in Tulsa, Okla., and Nashville, Tenn. The PBR’s only three-time World Champion (1994, 2001, & 2006), Moraes will be competing in his final PBR World Finals, as he announced earlier in the year that 2008 would be his farewell season. This will be PBR fans’ last chance to watch him compete as well as Caminhas who is also retiring at the Finals.

About the PBR: Visit www.pbrnow.com
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 400 hours of prime time programming annually, PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air, in addition to attracting over one and one half million live event attendees each year with it multi-tiered event structure which includes the marquee Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler, 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.