Unleash the Beast Series

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Professional Bull Riders

Champions

  • PBR World Champions
  • World Finals Event Champions
  • Rookie of the Year
  • World Champion Bull
  • Touring Pro Division Champions
  • Velocity Tour Champions
  • PBR Global Cup
  • American Bucking Bull

Awards

  • Glen Keeley Award recipients
  • Lane Frost/Brent Thurman Award recipients
  • Stock Contractor of the Year
  • Bull of the Finals

Professional Bull Riders: Heroes and Legends

  • Ring of Honor
  • Ty Murray Top Hand Award
  • Brand of Honor
  • Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Sharon Shoulders Award

Tours

Statistics

  • 90 Point Club
  • High Marked Bull
  • All Time Money Earners


Rodeo of the Ozarks 001.jpg
  • v
  • t

The Unleash the Beast Series (UTB) is the premier series (also still referred to as the elite series) of the Professional Bull Riders since 2018. Prior to that, the premier series was known as the Bud Light Cup Series (BLC) from 1994 to 2002 and the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) from 2003 to 2017.[1][2] As has become the tradition in recent years, the PBR premier series opens at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.[3] The top 30 riders and top bulls compete at each event.[1] It culminates in the PBR World Finals at the end of the year, which was temporarily moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The finals had previously been held for 26 years in Las Vegas, Nevada.[4] The PBR World Finals are scheduled to return to Las Vegas in 2021. The UTB series includes no more than 30 events across the United States each year. Pyrotechnics, pulsating music, and special effects open each event.[1] Each UTB event contains a round with 30 bull rides. For a two-day event, the 30 bull riders will compete in Rounds 1 and 2. The top 12 scores advance to the Championship Round. The event winner is the rider with the highest combined score from all three rounds. For a three-day event, the 30 bull riders will compete in Rounds 1, 2, and 3. The top 12 scores advance to the Championship round. The event winner is the rider with the highest combined score from all four rounds.[5]

  • Next comes the Iron Cowboy, which took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas from 2010 to 2018 before moving to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California in 2019.[7]
  • The third Major of the year is the Last Cowboy Standing, which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada from 2011 to 2018, except for the one-off year in 2012 when the event was held at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.[8] In July 2019, the Last Cowboy Standing event found a new home at Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming.[9] In 2020, Cheyenne Frontier Days was canceled for the first time in its 124-year history. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It ultimately effected the Last Cowboy Standing event as well.[10] Cheyenne Frontier Days returned in 2021, as did the Last Cowboy Standing event.[11]

Major events offer competition in different formats, bonus bulls, and more prize money. These major events are broadcast on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports. Together, these four major events compose the PBR Grand Slam Series.[5] The PBR did not visit New York City or Los Angeles in 2021, and the Iron Cowboy event took place at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, that year in the summer instead of its usual run in the winter.[15]

15/15 Bucking Battles are offered at some PBR UTB events. This type of event matches the top 15 bull riders against the top 15 bulls in attendance. The matching is random. There is a separate purse for this event. Points are earned at the rate of 1 and 1/2 times the round points. Points do not factor into the event winner but do count toward the World Standings. The winner is the bull rider with the highest ride score.[5]

Qualifying for the PBR UTB World Finals is based on points. Points can be earned on all of the PBR's tours, which include the UTB elite tour, mid-level (Velocity Tour), and entry level (Pro Touring Division) tour, and the International tours. International tours include Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. The top 30 ranked riders in the World Standings according to points earned compete at the World Finals. The Velocity Tour Champion, the top three highest ranked finishers at the Velocity Tour Finals, and the highest ranked finisher international rider at the Velocity Tour Finals also compete at the World Finals.[16]

The PBR World Finals concludes in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awards almost $2.2 million. This includes the $1 million bonus to the World Champion. The World Champion also receives a championship gold belt buckle, for which the value increased from $10,000 to $20,000 in 2018.[3][16]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Monster Energy Expands Relationship with Professional Bull Riders". Professional Bull Riders. www.pbr.com. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  2. ^ 2020 PBR Media Guide, PBR Tours and World Finals, p. 8.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b 2020 PBR Media Guide, The PBR & Bull Riding Basics - PBR Belt Buckle, p.25.
  4. ^ "2020 PBR World Finals relocated to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d 2016 PBR Media Guide, PBR USA Tours - Built Ford Tough Series, p.43.
  6. ^ "2017 PBR World Champion Lockwood Wins Monster Energy Buck Off At The Garden". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  7. ^ "Joao Ricardo Vieira earns third Iron Cowboy title". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  8. ^ "Kaique Pacheco Wins Third Career Last Cowboy Standing". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  9. ^ "PBR Last Cowboy Standing To Be Held At Cheyenne Frontier Days In 2019". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  10. ^ "Cheyenne Frontier Days canceled for 1st time in 124 years". 9 News. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  11. ^ "PBR Last Cowboy Standing 2021". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  12. ^ "Teel Wins Music City Knockout In Nashville". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  13. ^ "Professional Bull Riders in Nashville". Visit Nashville TN. July 12, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  14. ^ "PBR Returns to Nashville in 2021". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  15. ^ "PBR Iron Cowboy 2021". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b 2016 PBR Media Guide, Built Ford Tough Series Scoring - World Finals Qualification, p.29.

Bibliography[]

External links[]

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