www.pbr.com

By: Denise M. Abbott

Published: Monday, December 7, 2015

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PUEBLO, Colo. – After a one-year hiatus, the ‘toughest sport on dirt’ returns to Duluth, Georgia, when the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Duluth Invitational, part of the elite Built Ford Tough Series, bucks into Infinite Energy Arena, Saturday and Sunday, March 12-13.

The bull riding action starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets for the two-day event range in price from $15 to $105 and are on sale now. They are available for purchase at the Infinite Energy Arena Box Office, online at InfiniteEnergyCenter.com, or via phone at 770-626-2464.

The PBR Elite Seats are new this year for avid bull riding fans who want a behind-the-scenes look at the world’s premier bull riding circuit. These tickets offer premium seats and the VIP experience of a lifetime, including early entry; a catered reception; 60-minute backstage tour by a PBR Host, featuring a PBR 101 presentation and visit with the sport’s fiercest bulls; and the opportunity for photos and autographs from top PBR stars.

After the event, PBR Elite Seat holders also will be given premium dirt access, where they can get their complimentary 8 Seconds PBR program, Elite Seat lanyard and other memorabilia autographed by the Top 35 bull riders in the world.

A limited number of PBR Elite Seats are available for $400 and can be purchased by contacting the PBR Customer Service Department at 800-732-1727.  

The Top 35 bull riders in the world are scheduled to compete in Duluth, led by two-time and reigning PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney. Mauney became the PBR’s first $6 million man and the richest athlete in Western sports history when he captured the 2015 PBR World Championship in Las Vegas in October. He is arguably the most popular bull rider in the PBR today and will showcase his skills for all of his Georgia fans in March.

Also scheduled to compete are PBR World Champions Silvano Alves(2014, 2012, 2011) and Mike Lee (2004), fan favorites Ryan Dirteater, Ben Jones and Gage Gay, and sophomore sensations Kaique Pacheco, the 2015 PBR Rookie of the Year, and Cooper Davis, the 2015 PBR World Finals event winner. 

For two nights, these bull riding superstars will take on the fiercest bovine athletes in the business, hanging tough to make the 8-second whistle in hopes of winning a share of the $140,000 total purse and valuable PBR world standings points which count toward the overall $1 million 2016 PBR World Championship title.

All 35 cowboys will ride in Rounds 1 and 2 on Saturday and Sunday. After Round 2 on Sunday, the two-day scores will be added together and the 15 men with the highest cumulative scores will immediately return for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. The event winner will be the rider who has performed the best and earned the most world standings points throughout the weekend.

The Duluth Invitational is the 10th stop on the 2016 Built Ford Tough Series schedule. The season kicks off Jan. 9-10 in Rosemont, Illinois, and will conclude at the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Nov. 2-6, taking place at the new Las Vegas Arena. After five days of competition, the 2016 PBR World Champion, the bull rider who earns the most PBR world standings points during the 2016 season, will be crowned and receive the coveted $10,000 World Championship belt buckle and a $1 million bonus.

The BFTS is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network – the home of the PBR – and networks around the world. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR under a multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer.