Sacramento sees a $10,000 prize in Round 1!

Sacramento, Calif. (January 16, 2010) – Round 1 of the Sacramento Classic ended with a bang, as fan favorite JB Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) won the Cooper Tires matchup against 2009 World Champ Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.). Going into the special round, Mauney had the higher score, so he got to choose his bull first. He went with Troubadour (Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls). Since Mauney picked his bull first, Lostroh got to ride first. But tonight wasn’t Lostroh’s night… he bucked off of Necessary Evil (Don Kish Bucking Bulls) after just 3.0 seconds. All Mauney had to do was ride longer than that. Not only did Mauney stay on Troubadour longer than 3 seconds, he managed to pull in one of the highest scores of the night: 89.0. Mauney was presented with a $10,000 check from Cooper Tires for his win.

There was something in the air in Sacramento, as the re-ride flags dropped multiple times at Arco Arena during the first round. Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.) made the most of his re-ride, bringing in 88.5 points on Bring It from Chumley Long Cattle, Co. This shot him into first place for the event and gave him the round win. Briscoe took home $2,730 for the round win.

The re-ride flags kept flying, as most of the top five riders for the night placed after the re-ride option. Elliot Jacoby’s (Fredericksburg, Texas) re-ride on Shot Gun Willy (Holman Bucking Bulls) scored him 88.0 points, $1,950 and second place on the leader board. Third in tonight’s standings goes to Bryan Richardson’s (Dallas, Texas) 87.5 point ride on Sis & Stan’s Bucking Bull’s Zip Code. Richardson walked away with $1,170. Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) and 2-time World Champion Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La. (Don Kish Bucking Bulls) tied for fourth and fifth. Meier took on Facial Fear (Don Kish Bucking Bulls) for 87.25 points and $624 while Shivers stayed on Cosca/Brown Bucking Bulls Kick Butt for 87.25 points and $624.

Stay tuned tomorrow for Round 2 of the Sacramento Classic. Also, don’t miss Round 1, and the Cooper Tires Matchup when it airs on NBC tomorrow, Saturday January 16th. Please check your local listings for more details.

For more information about the Professional Bull Riders and the Sacramento Classic, visit www.pbr.com.

INJURY REPORT:
Cody Nance has a bruised knee but is expected to compete the rest of the weekend.

Sacramento Classic: ROUND ONE: 1) Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.) 88.5 points on Bring It (Chumley Long Cattle, Co), $2,730. 2) Elliot Jacoby (Fredericksburg, Texas) 88.0 points on Shot Gun Willy (Holman Bucking Bulls), $1950. 3) Bryan Richardson (Dallas, Texas) 87.5 points on Zipcode (Sis & Stan’s Bucking Bulls), $1,170. 4/5) Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) 87.25 points on Facial Fear (Don Kish Bucking Bulls), $624. 4/5) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) 87.25 points on Kick Butt (Cosca/Brown Bucking Bulls), $624.

Sacramento Notes

White a late scratch due to appendix

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 15, 2010) – Mike White can’t seem to stay healthy—even when he’s not hurt.

White, who announced earlier that 2010 would be his last season as a professional bull rider, was admitted to a Denver hospital early Thursday morning for what turned out to be a case of appendicitis.

According to his wife Hannah, he had been complaining of allergies and head congestion while traveling to Denver for a three-day Touring Pro event before waking up yesterday in the early morning hours with severe stomach pains.

After consulting Dr. Tandy Freeman, close friend Chris Shivers drove White to a nearby hospital, where he underwent a series of tests. At approximately 5:30 p.m. MT, the 33-year-old underwent surgery to remove his appendix.

Later that evening, White told his wife he “felt a lot better than he did before.”

At this time, there is no indication of how long White will be out of competition while he recuperates from the surgery. He is expected to be released later this afternoon and will remain in the Denver area until returning to DeKalb, Texas, on Saturday.

He is currently ranked 32nd in the world standings with two events remaining on his previous injury exemption. Coming into this weekend’s Built Ford Tough Series event, he is a mere 17.25 points behind the 30th ranked rider, Reese Cates.

Coincidentally, White will be replaced by Cates in the draw for the Sacramento Classic.

Cuts like a knife: There two BFTS events, including the Sacramento Classic, before the first cut of the 2010 season, and seven riders who qualified for last year’s PBR World Finals are in danger of being cut from the tour.

The list includes Mike White, 32; Bryan Richardson, 34; L.J. Jenkins, 39; Pete Farley, 41; Brian Herman, 43; Caleb Sanderson, 44 and Kasey Hayes, 45. A pair of Aussies – Ben Jones, 46 and Brendon Clark, 47 – have three events before they too face being cut.

BFTS draws are made up of the Top 30 ranked riders in the world standings, and the Top 5 money earners from the Touring Pro division (who are not already ranked in the Top 30). The final five spots include exemptions and alternates.

Currently the nine riders on the bubble range from only 17.25 points to 144.5 points outside of the Top 30. Many scenarios are still possible over the next two weeks, especially considering next week’s Tecate Light Invitational in Anaheim is a three-day event worth 1,100 points.

For the first 10 events of the season, the top money earners from the lower level are determined by a combination of 2009 and 2010 monies earned in order to create a true representation of the top riders in the world.

As it currently stands, Jordan Hupp will qualify for the BFTS beginning in Tampa, Fla., as one of the Top 30 riders in the world standings. Jody Newberry, Robson Aragoa and Jared Farley also look to contend for alternate positions as well.

Doctor, doctor, gimme the news: There were originally four riders out with injuries in addition to White, who was a late scratch after the original draw had been set: Ryan Dirteater, Edvaldo Ferreira, Cody Ford and Michael Manes.

Everyone is also keeping a close eye on J.B. Mauney, who is currently the top ranked rider in the world. He is competing with a torn MCL and skipped out on a pair of Touring Pro events this week to rest his right knee.

Just glad for the opportunity: Reese Cates is now replacing White in the draw, which had been released prior to White’s withdrawal from the event. The 2008 Rookie of the Year will match up with Blue Boy Jazz in the opening round.

Matchups, rematches and revenge: There are only three rematches in Round 1 tonight. Austin Meier hopes for a little revenge on Facial Fear, while Ross Coleman hopes to score another qualified ride on Show Stopper. Kody Lostroh has been on McClintock twice before, but not since 2007.

The reigning World Champion is 0-for-2 on McClintock, and this time there’s a little more at stake.

He and Mauney will go head-to-head in the $10,000 winner-take-all Cooper Tires Matchup immediately following the opening round. The rider with the highest score or lowest buckoff time will have first pick between Troubadour and Necessary Evil.

Mauney has drawn Mikel’s Kat as his first-round bull for Friday night.

It’s the 90-point club: In 2010, six riders – Shane Proctor, Travis Briscoe, Ryan McConnel, Ned Cross, McKennon Wimberly and Mauney – account for seven rides of 90 points or better. Only Proctor has twice scored as high as 90 points.

Ride, Forrest, ride: After three BFTS events the riders have combined to cover 167 of 394 bulls for a cumulative riding average of 42.39 percent. Of the 39 riders with five or more outs this season, only 18 are riding above that average.

Six of one and half dozen of the other: In five previous BFTS events in Sacramento, no rider has ever won this event twice. Of the five past winners – Zack Brown (2009), Nick Landreneau (2008), Justin McBride (2007), Mike Lee (2006) and Owen Washburn (2005) – only Brown and Lee have a chance to win at ARCO Arena for a second time.

Event Center: Follow all the action from Sacramento by logging on to www.pbr.com and entering the “Event Center,” which is accessible from the tab located at the top of the main Web page. The Event Center provides live scoring, live blogging and event-related Podcasts and interviews.

Dallas Update: The Iron Cowboy Invitational is just a few weeks away! Cowboys Stadium will host the first tournament-style bull riding competition and the largest single-day payoff in PBR history. For the first three rounds, riders will compete head to head on comparable bulls, and for the final two rounds, the very same bull.

First prize earns a massive $260,000; second, $40,000. And the aggregate winner on four bulls (after the initial wild card round) will take home $25,000.

All money earned counts toward qualifying for the 2010 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, and all points count toward the world title race.

—by Keith Ryan Cartwright

The morning line: Sacramento, Round 1

Old favorites, new names take Arco Arena

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 15, 2010) – In tonight’s Round 1 in Sacramento, most eyes will be focused on the Cooper Tires Matchup between World Champion Kody Lostroh and world No. 1 J.B. Mauney. However, the odds are that neither of them will win Round 1, as there are many bulls out that could outperform both of theirs. More on the matchup later…

In Round 1, Beau Hill, Brian Canter, Cody Campbell, Travis Briscoe, Guilherme Marchi, Wiley Petersen, Zack Brown, L.J. Jenkins, Reese Cates, Josh Koschel, and Cord McCoy will all be facing bulls that have little or no history. This could mean feast or famine, but generally speaking, experienced riders always have the edge vs. inexperienced bulls.

The five highest rated bulls in tonight’s round:

Kish’s 352 No Guts vs. Brian Herman:
By the numbers, No Guts has been very consistent. This is not a favorable matchup for Herman, and Brian has bucked off this bull before at a Touring Pro event.

Kish’s 331 No Glory vs. Rocky McDonald:
Another Kish 7-year-old bull and a hauling partner of No Guts, No Glory has actually provided bull riders with more glory than his buddy has, but only a little more. Neither bull is ridden often, and while McDonald has a little better chance statistically, the odds are still in favor of the bull here.

Corey & Horst’s War Zone vs. Ben Jones:
This is a veteran bull that has been in a number of Built Ford Tough Series short rounds, but hasn’t been seen or heard from in the PBR since April of 2009. In 2008, he posted a 47-point bull score at the St. Paul, Ore., Touring Pro event. The odds are favorable for Jones to make the whistle, but it won’t be easy, and this is a bull that is probably not in the prime of his career.

Kish’s 433 Bible Bender vs. Dusty Ephrom:
At Sacramento last season, Bible Bender carried Ryan Dirteater to an 88.75 score in Round 1, and that was not his highest marked out of the season. But with an over 80-percentb buckoff rate vs. the world’s best riders, he will not be easy to get a score on.

Kish’s 375 Cool Cash vs. Dustin Elliott:
Of the five bulls with the best numbers in Round 1, this is the one most likely to be ridden. PBR riders have reached the whistle on him in his past four PBR outs going back to Sacramento last year.

Others to Watch:

Robson Palermo on 355 LBJ:
The last time this bull was ridden in the PBR, Cody Ford was 91 points on him in July of 2008 in Rupert, Idaho, at a Touring Pro event. He has not faced riders with Palermo’s ability all that often.

Ross Coleman on 320 Show Stopper:
Show Stopper has only been ridden five times in his career, and Coleman was the last one to do it – in Portland last year. However, Ross turned in the lowest score ever recorded on Show Stopper – 83 Points. We’ll have to see if the bull has a better day here.

Valdiron de Oliveira on -301 Funny Farm:
Should be a ride for Oliveira and a good score.

Skeeter Kingsolver on 237 Slim Slam:
This is a very rider-friendly bull and Kingsolver should make the whistle – it’s on the bull to be worth enough points to place.

Ryan McConnel on 214 Rippin Wrangler:
Of all the bulls in this round, this one has one of the highest average ride scores. He has not been very kind to left-handed riders, as they have been 0-for-4 on him. Even so, though I have no statistics to support this, just from watching McConnel ride, he seems like a guy who would be able to get along just as well with a bull that goes away from his hand as into it. This is kind of a rarity among bull riders, and among left-handed riders in particular.

From looking at statistics all the time, one of the things that really stands out in professional bull riding is the constant percentage of guys at the top that are left-handed. It seems to indicate that there are a lot more bulls that spin to the left. From watching bull riding over the years, there have always been some left-handed riders who were very adept at riding bulls into their hand and not so much away from their hand. By comparison, McConnel’s style is not so dependent on the direction of the bull. He sort of reminds me of a top rider from the 80’s named Gary Toole – who was famous for always wearing suspenders (which was pretty offbeat and cool in those days). Toole rode with his free hand pretty low and still, which is what you see from McConnel.

The Cooper Tires Matchup: Lostroh vs. Mauney

The match between Lostroh and Mauney really hinges on what they can do in Round 1, and boy, it is too close to call. It’s sort of the tortoise and the hare scenario.

Lostroh’s bull McClintock is the tortoise: steady and reliable and a sure bet to get a good score on. He has thrown Lostroh off twice, but that was 2 years ago.

Mauney’s bull Mikel’s Kat is the hare: He could be worth a lot of points, but has been inconsistent.

Once they get past the long round tonight, whichever one of them has Troubadour will have to be the overwhelming favorite in the Match. Neither guy is a lock or even favored to ride Necessary Evil. That’s not to say they couldn’t win on him. He could deliver a score that could top Troubadour, but he is a bull that typically spins to the right extremely fast, and even though both these guys are as good as it gets in bull riding, there is zero room for error on this bull if he goes away from your hand.

To me, the most interesting bull and rider matchup of the night will be Necessary Evil against either of these guys. There is a perennial argument in bull riding about whether today’s best riders are equal to the best riders of the past, and tonight, one of today’s best riders will get an opportunity to show what they are made of, because for both of these guys Necessary Evil presents a real challenge.

-by Slade Long

Matchup predictions

Fellow riders think winner will be determined by his bull

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 15, 2010) – When it comes to tonight’s Cooper Tires Matchup featuring reigning World Champion Kody Lostroh and current world leader J.B. Mauney, the predictions from fellow riders focused on one word.

“Troubadour,” Austin Meier simply said.

Aaron Roy, who won the Touring Pro event in Pueblo, Colo., on Thursday night, shrugged and agreed. “Yeah, Troubadour.”

Even though Lostroh and Mauney will go head-to-head in a $10,000 winner-take-all challenge in Sacramento tonight, the predictions were all about the bulls.

The rider with the highest score or lowest buckoff time in Round 1 will have first pick between Troubadour and Necessary Evil after the round.

“Necessary Evil is a nice spinner,” Sean Willingham said. “Whichever one of them has a better trip (tonight)…You can be 90 (points) on both.”

Moments later, second-year rider Pete Farley said, “You should be more points on Necessary Evil, but they won’t.”

“Troubadour has the name,” added Dustin Elliott.

Mauney and Lostroh account for seven of the 11 qualified rides on Troubadour since he went unridden in 2007. The bull was also covered twice earlier in his career.

Mauney has ridden him three times, including an event win Reno and once at each of the past two World Finals, while Lostroh has made it to the whistle four times. Lostroh won two events last year on him, including a 94.5-point effort in Fresno.

Neither has faced Necessary Evil.

The two men who have made the whistle on Necessary Evil – Shane Proctor and Ednei Caminhas – did so this past October in Las Vegas. Proctor scored 90 points and Caminhas was 89, but as Cody Lambert noted, the veteran Brazilian “was behind on him.”

“(Troubadour and Necessary Evil) don’t have exactly the same style,” said Lambert in a Podcast recorded a week ago, “but they’re worth the same amount of points.”

Tonight’s matchup – the latest in the ongoing rivalry between Lostroh and Manuey – will highlight Saturday afternoon’s NBC broadcast. Fans can watch the challenge Saturday afternoon on NBC. Check local listings for broadcast times in your area.

Lostroh rode three bulls and won the three three-day Touring Pro event in Denver this week. Mauney sat out this week’s lower-level events in an effort to rest the torn MCL in his right knee.

NEWS and NOTES

Identity crisis: As the popular Wiley Petersen readied himself in the chute Tuesday night at Denver’s Touring Pro event, the public address announcer misidentified him as “Zac” Petersen.

“His name is Wiley,” corrected Flint Rasmussen to resounding applause from the crowd. “Why-Lee.”

Event Center: Follow all the action from Sacramento by logging on to www.pbr.com and entering the “Event Center,” which is accessible from the tab located at the top of the main Web page. The Event Center provides live scoring, live blogging and event-related Podcasts and interviews.

In the bull pen: Sacramento

Hawaiian Ivory has come a long way

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 14, 2010) – Mention Hawaii and sun-soaked images come to mind.

There’s the crystal blue water that allow for great diving. The high tides make the islands a world-renowned destinaion for surfing. Dormant volcanoes and hardened lava fields draw tourists of all nationalities.

But the Hawaiian Islands are also home to one the oldest breeding programs of bucking bulls.

This weekend, more than 3,000 miles away in California, the Sacramento Classic will feature a bull named Hawaiian Ivory, who is a direct descendant of that program.

“He came back about (three) years ago,” recalled Cody Lambert, in his weekly “In the Bull Pen” interview. “He was a nice bull, but he was kind of thin, and the feed program is real different in Hawaii. I think it took a little while to get used to eating grain and that sort of thing.

“Now he’s a big bull. He’s close to a ton, and they haven’t ridden him in a long time. They rode him several times right off the bat. … He went to the PBR Finals and he went to the National Finals Rodeo and he looks like a real good one.”

The Hawaiian breeding program was started decades ago in the mid ’70s, according to Cindy Rosser. Several stock contractors and legendary cowboys like Cotton Rosser, Jim Shoulders and Casey Tibbs shipped the livestock from the mainland to the South Pacific for rodeo events.

Rosser, known for producing rodeos on the West Coast, left behind a few of his bulls to help with Bud Gibson’s breeding program.

All these years later, Flying U Rodeo, located 30 miles from Sacramento, now hauls Hawaiian Ivory to stateside bull riding events. The soon-to-be six year old bull is a direct descendant of one of the original bulls Rosser took with him to Hawaii back in 1977.

Hawaiian Ivory is slated for the short go on Saturday night.

In just his a few years on the Built Ford Tough Series, he’s already amassed an impressive track record.

According to www.probullstats.com, he’s been ridden in six times in 25 outs on the BFTS and lower level PBR events, with an average bull score of 44.98 points.

“It’s just kind of an interesting story to me that out of all of the bulls in the breeding programs on the mainland this bull comes from a breeding program in Hawaii,” Lambert said, “and it’s older than most of the breeding programs that we have here.”

In his weekly Podcast posted at www.pbr.tv, Lambert also commented on the first-round matchups for Kody Lostroh and J.B. Mauney.

The two will go head-to-head in a $10,000 winner-take-all challenge immediately following the opening round in Sacramento.

The rider with the highest score or lowest buckoff time will have first pick between Troubadour and Necessary Evil after the round. Fans can watch the challenge Saturday afternoon on NBC. Check your local listings for broadcast times in your area.

Lostroh drew McClintock, while Mauney will climb atop Mikel’s Kat.

“McClintock is a bull that came from (Chad) Berger, the one that Kody has, and he’s been around for a few years,” Lambert said. “He’s a nice bull and he does the same thing every time. He turns out spinning and Kody’s not going to have any trouble with him.”

Mikel’s Kat is a bit less predictable.

Lambert said, “He’s had a couple off-days, but he’s had some days where you can really be a lot of points on him. … If they both have their best day, Mikel’s Kat is more impressive than McClintock. But McClintock is more solid than Mikel’s Kat.”

While he expects both Lostroh and Mauney to cover their bulls in the opening round Friday night, Lambert added that the scoring could go either way.

He predicts Lostroh to be 86 points, maybe 87, and that Mikel’s Kat could have a day where Mauney is 90 points, but just as easily give him a score as low as 81 points.

“It’s really a tossup,” Lambert said, “and if those bulls have their best days I don’t think they can buck those two guys off because they’re decent bulls, but Kody and J.B. are great bull riders.”

NEWS and NOTES

Event Center: Follow all the action from Sacramento by logging on to www.pbr.com and entering the “Event Center,” which is accessible from the a tab located at the top of the main Web page. The “Event Center” provides live scoring, live blogging and event-related Podcasts and interviews.

J.B. Mauney continues his hot streak!

Sacramento, Calif. (January 17, 2010) – Not only did J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) win $10,000 in the Cooper Tires Matchup against Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.); he also took the Round 2 win and the Sacramento Classic event title! In Round 2, Mauney took on Holman Bucking Bulls’ Shotgun Willy for 88.5 points $2,730. Then, in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round, he rode Troubadour (Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls) for the second time this weekend. Mauney took home a huge $34,010 for the entire weekend.

Tying for 2nd and 3rd in Round 2 was North Carolina cowboy, Shane Proctor (Grand Coulee, Wash.) and Brazilian Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecido de Goiania, GO, Brazil). Proctor stayed on Wolf Tickets (Don Kish Bucking Bulls) for 86.25 points and $1,560. Oliveira received 86.25 points on Rocket (Corey & Horst/The Western Group) and took home $1,560. There was also a tie for 4th and 5th place between Brian Canter (Randleman, N.C.) and LJ Jenkins (Texico, N.M.). Canter rode Snowball, from Corey & Horst Rodeo Co. Inc, for 85.5 points while Jenkins rode Chumley Long Cattle Co.’s bull Speckle Jacket for 85.5 points.

Canter, another North Carolina cowboy, took 1st in the Built Ford Tough Championship round with 88.25 points on Pick a Spot (Champion Bucking Bulls), followed closely by Bryan Richardson’s (Dallas, Texas) 87.75 points on West Coast Offense from Don Kish Bucking Bulls. Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla) rounded out the top three on original Prankster (Don Kish Bucking Bulls) and 86.25 points. Mauney came in 4th on Julion Moreno Bucking Bulls Troubadour for 86 points. Elliot Jacoby (Fredericksburg, Texas) was 5th place on Necessary Evil (Don Kish Bucking Bulls) with 85.5 points.

Jacoby had a stellar weekend, finishing the Sacramento Classic 2nd behind Mauney in the event standings and taking home $15,418. Round 1 winner, Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.), finished the weekend third overall, and is $11,542 richer. New Mexico native LJ Jenkins placed 4th overall and took home $6,180. Rounding out the top 5 is Bryan Richardson with $7,470 for the weekend.

INJURY REPORT:
J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) has a bruised right hand and will be receiving x-rays as a precaution on Monday, January 19th. He is probable for the Tecate Light Invitational next weekend in Anaheim.

Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) injured his left wrist. He is questionable for next weekend’s event in Anaheim.

Sean Willingham (Summerville, Ga.) strained his left groin. He is questionable for the Tecate Light Invitational next weekend.

BEHIND THE CHUTES:
Ford Moment of Truth Bonus: North Carolina superstar J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) was in the lead going into the Built Ford Tough Championship round of the Sacramento Classic and collected the $5,000 bonus. The e bonus will be $5,000 at the next event in Anaheim, Calif. It grows by $5,000 each week if it is not claimed. Once claimed, it returns to $5,000.

Sacramento Classic:
ROUND ONE: 1) Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.) 88.5 points on Bring It (Chumley Long Cattle, Co), $2,730. 2) Elliot Jacoby (Fredericksburg, Texas) 88.0 points on Shot Gun Willy (Holman Bucking Bulls), $1950. 3) Bryan Richardson (Dallas, Texas) 87.5 points on Zipcode (Sis & Stan’s Bucking Bulls), $1,170. 4/5) Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) 87.25 points on Facial Fear (Don Kish Bucking Bulls), $624. 4/5) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) 87.25 points on Kick Butt (Cosca/Brown Bucking Bulls), $624.

ROUND TWO: 1) J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C) 88.5 points on Shotgun Willy (Holman Bucking Bulls), $2,730. 2/3) Shane Proctor (Grand Coulee, Wash.) 86.25 points on Wolf Tickets (Don Kish Bucking Bulls), $1,560. 2/3) Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goiania, GO, Brazil) 86.25 points on Rockey (Corey & Horst/The Western Group), $1,560. 4/5) Brian Canter (Randleman, N.C.) 85.5 points on Snowball (Corey & Horst Rodeo Co. Inc), $624. 4/5) LJ Jenkins (Texico, N.M) 85.5 points on Speckle Jacket (Chumley Long Cattle Co.), $624.

BUILT FORD TOUGH CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND: 1) Brian Canter (Randleman, N.C.) 88.25 points on Pick a Spot (Champion Bucking Bulls), $2,730. 2) Bryan Richardson (Dallas, Texas) 87.75 points on West Coast Offense (Don Kish Bucking Bulls), $1,950. 3) Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) 86.25 points on Original Prankster (Don Kish Bucking Bulls), $1,170. 4) J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, Okla.) 86 points on Troubadour (Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls), $780. 5) Elliott Jacoby (Fredericksburg, Texas) 85.5 points on Necessary Evil (Don Kish Bucking Bulls), $468.

OVERALL EVENT STANDINGS: 1) J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) 738.75 points, $34,010. 2) Elliott Jacoby (Fredericksburg, Texas) 693.25 points, $15,418. 3) Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.) 645.25 points, $11,542. 4) LJ Jenkins (Texico, N.M.) 555.75 points $6,180. 5) Bryan Richardson (Dallas, Texas) 525.25 points, $7,470.

BUILT FORD TOUGH WORLD STANDINGS: (The PBR World Champion is based on total Built Ford Tough Series points earned through the season):
1) J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) 2,428.25 points, $122,388.40. 2) Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.) 2,028.25 points, $48,281.40; 3) Shane Proctor (Grand Coulee, Wash.) 1,729 points, $51,899.40; 4) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 1,709 points, $242,586.38; 5) Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goiania, GO, Brazil) 1,597.50 points, $32,821.64.

Sacramento sees a $10,000 prize in Round 1!

Sacramento, Calif. (January 16, 2010) – Round 1 of the Sacramento Classic ended with a bang, as fan favorite JB Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) won the Cooper Tires matchup against 2009 World Champ Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.). Going into the special round, Mauney had the higher score, so he got to choose his bull first. He went with Troubadour (Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls). Since Mauney picked his bull first, Lostroh got to ride first. But tonight wasn’t Lostroh’s night… he bucked off of Necessary Evil (Don Kish Bucking Bulls) after just 3.0 seconds. All Mauney had to do was ride longer than that. Not only did Mauney stay on Troubadour longer than 3 seconds, he managed to pull in one of the highest scores of the night: 89.0. Mauney was presented with a $10,000 check from Cooper Tires for his win.

There was something in the air in Sacramento, as the re-ride flags dropped multiple times at Arco Arena during the first round. Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.) made the most of his re-ride, bringing in 88.5 points on Bring It from Chumley Long Cattle, Co. This shot him into first place for the event and gave him the round win. Briscoe took home $2,730 for the round win.

The re-ride flags kept flying, as most of the top five riders for the night placed after the re-ride option. Elliot Jacoby’s (Fredericksburg, Texas) re-ride on Shot Gun Willy (Holman Bucking Bulls) scored him 88.0 points, $1,950 and second place on the leader board. Third in tonight’s standings goes to Bryan Richardson’s (Dallas, Texas) 87.5 point ride on Sis & Stan’s Bucking Bull’s Zip Code. Richardson walked away with $1,170. Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) and 2-time World Champion Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La. (Don Kish Bucking Bulls) tied for fourth and fifth. Meier took on Facial Fear (Don Kish Bucking Bulls) for 87.25 points and $624 while Shivers stayed on Cosca/Brown Bucking Bulls Kick Butt for 87.25 points and $624.

Stay tuned tomorrow for Round 2 of the Sacramento Classic. Also, don’t miss Round 1, and the Cooper Tires Matchup when it airs on NBC tomorrow, Saturday January 16th. Please check your local listings for more details.

For more information about the Professional Bull Riders and the Sacramento Classic, visit www.pbr.com.

INJURY REPORT:
Cody Nance has a bruised knee but is expected to compete the rest of the weekend.

Sacramento Classic: ROUND ONE: 1) Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.) 88.5 points on Bring It (Chumley Long Cattle, Co), $2,730. 2) Elliot Jacoby (Fredericksburg, Texas) 88.0 points on Shot Gun Willy (Holman Bucking Bulls), $1950. 3) Bryan Richardson (Dallas, Texas) 87.5 points on Zipcode (Sis & Stan’s Bucking Bulls), $1,170. 4/5) Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) 87.25 points on Facial Fear (Don Kish Bucking Bulls), $624. 4/5) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) 87.25 points on Kick Butt (Cosca/Brown Bucking Bulls), $624.

PBR introduces the John Wayne Grit Award

New York, NY (January 13, 2010) – The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is proud to introduce the 2010 John Wayne Grit Award, presented by Wayne Enterprises. The award will honor the BFTS rider in first place going into the 2010 World Finals.

“John Wayne was the embodiment of the highest Western values,” said PBR CEO Randy Bernard. “This award honors his legacy, and will serve as inspiration for our athletes to live up to those values.”

During the last five events of the season, the Top 10 riders based on BFTS points will have the opportunity to compete for double the BFTS points in a special extra round following the regularly scheduled first round of each event, also known as The Final Five Chase. The rider with the overall highest total BFTS points at the end of the Final Five Chase going into the PBR World Finals will be the John Wayne Grit Award winner.

“My father, John Wayne, said, courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway,” said Ethan Wayne, Wayne’s youngest son and president of Wayne Enterprises. “On behalf of my father and my family, we are proud and honored to be partnering with the Professional Bull Riders on the John Wayne Grit Award. In the same way John Wayne represents courage and grit, the brave PBR athletes show courage and grit every time they step into the arena. I know my father would be thrilled to be associated with the PBR and what is represents.”

The Grit Award not only recognizes the rider’s achievements on the dirt, but outside of the arena too. The award, presented by Wayne Enterprises, honors many of the qualities that the PBR cowboys stand for: integrity, strength, grit and toughness.

PBR HAS RECORD ATTENDANCE IN NYC!

PBR increase ticket sales and record highest attendance at New York City Invitational! MEDIA CONTACT:

New York, NY (January 12, 2010) – The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) had three sold-out shows and a 21% increase in overall ticket sales from 2009 at this past weekend’s New York City Invitational at Madison Square Garden.

“We had a great weekend at Madison Square Garden. To be up 21% in New York City solidifies that the PBR continues to grow not only with our traditional fans but also with the mainstream,” said Randy Bernard, CEO of the Professional Bull Riders. “New York has become one of the cowboys’ favorite stops in the Built Ford Tough Series, as the city has shown us great hospitality.”

In addition to record setting attendance at Madison Square Garden, the PBR was a presence in New York City in the days leading up to the main event. Fan favorite J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C) created the “PBR Bucking Bull Hero” at the legendary Stage Deli, the PBR and VERSUS rang the closing bell at the NASDAQ and 2009 PBR World Champion Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) and J.B. Mauney appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. New York and national media competed against each other in a charity mechanical bull showdown on the corner of 33rd Street and 8th Avenue. Alex Iglesias of MSG.com beat out fellow media from the New York Post, “Elvis Duran and The Morning Show,” and FoxNews.com and others to win $5,000 for Madison Square Garden’s charity Garden of Dreams.

The PBR also announced a new charitable partnership with Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation at a press conference at Madison Square Garden with Garth Brooks, Ty Murray, Adriano Moraes and Jewel in attendance. The PBR plans to raise $1 million for the Foundation in 2010. Chef Adam Perry Lang provided a special barbeque lunch for Garth Brooks and the PBR courtesy of his New York City restaurant Daisy May’s BBQ U.S.A.

The New York City Invitational marked the PBR’s fourth consecutive year at the World’s Most Famous Arena. In honor of this, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proclaimed January 8 -10, 2010 “Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Invitational Days” through a proclamation which was read at Friday’s event.

Shane Proctor (Grand Coulee, Wash.) won the New York City Invitational and a check for $46,085.40. J.B. Mauney who had won two out of the three past New York City events finished third overall and had one of the most impressive rides of the weekend staying on 2009 World Champion Bull, Code Blue (Walton & Wagoner/Berger & Struve) for 76.25 points and $468. Mauney’s leg got caught up in the rope, and he was heading towards an ugly wreck, but managed to keep his body off of the ground just long enough to make the buzzer. It wasn’t the prettiest ride, but he became the first person to ever receive a score on the champion bull.

GARY ALLAN PARTNERS WITH THE PBR!

Gary Allan to perform for PBR fans in Arlington, Texas
New York, NY (January 11, 2010) – The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is bringing a little bit more country sizzle to its fans. The PBR announced today a partnership with multi-platinum country artist Gary Allan that will give PBR fans more access to his music than ever before.

Allan attended the New York City Invitational this past weekend to make the announcement in person that he will kick off the biggest one day event in PBR history, the 2010 Dickies Iron Cowboy Invitational presented by WinStar World Casino, on February 20th, with a one-time-only concert. He also joined the PBR announcers during the show, which was aired on NBC this past Sunday, to talk about the Arlington event. At the 2010 Dickies Iron Cowboy Invitational, Allan will be performing exclusive and never before released music from his upcoming album GET OFF ON THE PAIN, in stores and online March 9th. Fans can preorder the album at www.GaryAllan.com.

In addition to this special performance in Arlington, Texas, there will also be an increased Gary Allan presence at all PBR events leading up to the March 9th album release, including music from the new album playing during PBR events and various prize giveaways (VIP tickets to an upcoming PBR event, Gary Allan VIP prize packs, CD’s, and much more!). PBR and Gary Allan fans will also have the opportunity to enter to win the trip of a lifetime to the 2010 PBR World Finals in Las Vegas.

Superstar country artist Gary Allan has sold over six million albums to date, and has sold out venues across the nation. Allan has released back to back platinum albums and a string of #1 hits and Top 10 hits at country radio. Named “country’s mainstream maverick” by Rolling Stone magazine, Allan has blazed a trail on his own terms, making him a perfect fit for the PBR.

For more information about the PBR, Gary Allan, and the 2010 Dickies Iron Cowboy Invitational presented by WinStar World Casino, visit www.pbr.com or www.GaryAllan.com.