Professional Bull Rider

The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is an international professional bull riding organization based in Pueblo, Colorado, United States. In the U.S., PBR events have been televised on CBS and CBS Sports Network since 2012. In 2013, the PBR and CBS signed a contract that extended CBS Sport's partnership with PBR, making them the primary sports broadcaster for PBR.[1][2] Also in 2013, the PBR was acquired by WME-IMG. In 2018, the PBR launched RidePass; its own subscription-based video on demand service that live-streams PBR events, as well as PBR-produced events for other western sport organizations. On July 20, 2021, RidePass switched from a subscription-based streaming service to a free, ad-supported streaming channel on Pluto TV.[3] More than 500 cowboys from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and other countries hold PBR memberships.[4][5]

Professional Bull Rider

In 1996, the PBR made bull riding protective vests, which were introduced three years earlier, mandatory for all contestants at their events.[15] The same was done for bull riders in all other organizations.

2002 was the last year in which PBR bullfighters wore traditional make-up and baggy outfits. Beginning with the 2003 season, they now wore sport jerseys and shorts that featured corporate sponsor logos.

In 2008, the PBR launched the Bull Team Challenge; a series of events in which stock contractors bucked a certain number of bulls at select Built Ford Tough Series events to try to earn money and points for their respective teams. At the beginning of the year, 22 bull teams chipped in $50,000 a piece for their opportunity to win their share of the $1.1 million total competition purse. Out of the 33 Built Ford Tough Series stops held that year, 17 were Bull Team Challenge events, including the PBR World Finals. Each stop had between five and eight bull teams that included five bulls, plus two alternates per team. Each team could only compete in five events. At each Bull Team Challenge stop, the first place team won $20,000, while second place won $10,000. The top bull teams then competed at the PBR World Finals for a $500,000 purse, with $250,000 going to the champion team. The PBR discontinued the Bull Team Challenge after just one year.[22] However, the concept was picked up by another bull riding organization, Championship Bull Riding (CBR) in 2010, and the CBR Bull Team Challenge hosted several bull teams competing at regular events, as well as the CBR World Finals. The bull teams racked up points and money and from 2010 to 2018, a year-end CBR Bull Team Challenge champion was crowned. After CBR went out of business in the summer of 2018, the CBR Bull Team Challenge was renamed the Million Dollar Bull Team Challenge (MDBTC) and returned to its roots by rejoining the PBR. MDBTC events now take place primarily at lower-level PBR events.

In the summer of 2008, the PBR Team Shootout was held. This was a series of five events in which the top 20 riders in the PBR world standings each selected a rider of their choice, and as a team competed against each other for the Team Shootout championship. Each team rode in two of the first four events, held respectively in Del Mar, California; Paso Robles, California; Molalla, Oregon; and Guthrie, Oklahoma. Then, the top 10 teams rode at the finals event in Pueblo, Colorado.

In 2013, the PBR made it mandatory that all contestants at their events who were born on or after October 15, 1994 ride with a full bull riding helmet. Those born before that date were grandfathered in and permitted to ride with a protective face mask underneath their cowboy hat or simply with their cowboy hat if so desired.[citation needed]

In mid-March 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, several events were either canceled or rescheduled to later dates. In the spring, the PBR held three UTB events at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and all were closed to the public to avoid the spread of the virus. In the summer, the organization held the Monster Energy Team Challenge, a series of events in which several teams of four riders competed against each other, and each team was represented by a corporate sponsor. The regular events were held at the South Point Hotel Arena & Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, while the series finale was held at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. While the regular events were closed to the public, the championship event allowed fans to attend, but in limited numbers and they had to socially distance themselves. [29] For the rest of the year, PBR events consisted of limited and socially distanced crowds, including the World Finals.

A qualified ride is worth up to 100 points. That is, 50 points for the rider and 50 points for the bull when he successfully rides the bull for 8 seconds. An event has four judges, all former bull riders themselves. Each judge may award up to 25 points. Two judges score the rider, and two judges score the bull. All of the judges' scores are tallied together. That figure is divided by two for the official score. One-half of the possible score is based on the bull's performance. The two judges score the bull on how rank (difficult to ride) he is. Two judges score the rider on how proficient he is. The rider has to stay on top of the bull for 8 seconds. The rider has to ride with one free hand. He is disqualified if he touches himself or the bull with his free arm. Any ride that is scored 90 points or higher is deemed exceptional. The highest score in the PBR is 98.75 points. Each Premier Series event always has four judges. At the end of each event, the top 12 riders compete in the Championship Round; the rider with the highest point total from the entire event becomes the champion.[55][56]

The Premier Series is where the best riders and bulls compete, and it culminates at the PBR World Finals at the end of the regular season. Due to sponsorship changes, the Premier Series has had different titles throughout its history. It was known as the Bud Light Cup Series (BLC) from 1994 to 2002, the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) from 2003 to 2017, and since 2018 has been known as the Unleash the Beast Series (UTB).

In 1995, the PBR launched the Touring Pro Division; a minor league tour that allowed riders to compete at lower-level events to work their way up to the elite series. In 2001, the Touring Pro Division was renamed as the Challenger Tour. In subsequent years, the PBR would launch other lower-level tours: the Enterprise Tour and the Discovery Tour. Money won on these two tours counted towards the Challenger Tour standings. On January 1, 2010, the PBR announced the discontinuation of the Enterprise and Discovery tours and the Challenger Tour was changed back to its original title of the Touring Pro Division.[63][64]

From 1995 to 2012, the year-end champion of this tour was the rider who won the most money throughout the season. From 2013 to 2021, it was the rider who won the most points throughout the season. Throughout its history, the finals event for this tour was held respectively in different locations such as Guthrie, Oklahoma; Denver, Colorado; Columbus, Ohio; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Atlanta, Georgia. 2009 was the last year in which this tour had a season-ending finals event.

Since 2014, The Velocity Tour features young and up-coming talent competing against the established talent of the sport, bringing events to cities across the United States that are not included in the Premier Series. Every winner of a Velocity Tour regular-season event is seeded at one Premier Series event during the season, and if that rider wins enough points at the Premier Series event, he has the chance to earn a full-time spot in said tour. [65]

The Velocity Tour Finals take place a few days before the start of the PBR World Finals. During its first year in 2014, there was no Velocity Tour finals event, and the year-end champion was the rider who won the most points throughout the season after the completion of the last event of the year. However, there has been a Velocity Tour Finals since 2015. The first Velocity Tour Finals in said year was held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. From 2016 to 2019, the Velocity Tour Finals took place at the South Point Hotel Arena & Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.[66] In 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the finals were moved to the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.[58] The 2021 Velocity Tour Finals returned to the South Point Hotel Arena & Equestrian Center in Las Vegas for the final time.[67] In 2022, the Velocity Tour Finals moved to the American Bank Center Arena in Corpus Christi, Texas to be held in conjunction with the World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) sanctioned Rodeo Corpus Christi,[68] and like the Premier Series and Touring Pro Division, the Velocity Tour now takes place from winter to spring after having previously taken place throughout the regular calendar year and concluding in the autumn.[69]

Also new in 2022, the Challenger Series runs from the summer through autumn and works as a way for riders to compete at PBR events in the United States as individuals during the Team Series season. Riders that are members of a Team Series squad can compete at Challenger Series events when there is not a Team Series event scheduled on the same weekend. This tour also works as a series of scouting events for Team Series managements looking to add riders as alternates to their teams in cases of riders on the protected rosters getting injured or in cases of riders getting traded to different teams.

Note: Previously, points won by riders at all levels of PBR competition, American and international, counted towards the world standings for the PBR world championship. However, beginning in 2023, only points won on the U.S. Premier Series will count towards the world championship race. Points won on the U.S. lower-level tours and international circuits leading up to and including the Velocity Tour Finals will be jumbled together into what is now known as the Velocity Global standings, which will count towards the Velocity Tour championship race.[73] 041b061a72