PBR Rookie Earns Nearly $10,000 in Salinas!

By Tiffany Haney, PBR
Posted Friday, July 18, 2008

Salinas, CA - July 18, 2008 - When the dust settled at the Great Bulls of Fire PBR Copenhagen Bull Riding Challenger Tour event held in Salinas, Calif. on July 16, 2008, it was PBR new-comer Wade Payne (Beaver, Okla.) who walked away with the event title and nearly $10,000.

Twenty-old-year Payne was the only rider to cover both of his bulls, earning 87 points during the short round atop Zombie (Ryan MClure) to combine with his 80-point first round score securing his first PBR event win.

The Salinas Sports Complex has served as a major bulling riding location for almost 100 years; and this year was no exception as more than 5,000 people witnessed the world’s best man versus beast competition. Forty of the top professional bull riders in the world laid it on the line for their part of the $30,000 purse.

Great Bulls of Fire PBR Copenhagen Bull Riding Challenger Tour Results:

1) Wade Payne (Beaver, Okla.) 167 points, $9,829; 2) Matt Austin (Wills Point, Texas) 86 points, $9,172; 3) A.J. Hamre (Chico, Calif.) 82.5 points, $5,886; 4) Austin Ambrose (Fletcher, Okla.) 80.5 points, $4,177; 5) Brendon Clark (Morpeth, AUS) 79.5 points, $2,337.

About the PBR:

More than 100 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on FOX, NBC, 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 one and one half million live event attendees each year with its 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's governing board of directors is comprised of renowned bull riders who have developed the event into a stand alone sport which is experiencing unprecedented growth in global popularity. The PBR is headquartered in Pueblo, Colo., and has over 1,200 PBR bull riders compete in more than 300 PBR sanctioned competitions in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico.