North Carolina Bull Riding Champion to Defend Title in Laughlin Colorado River Chute Out

The Colorado River Chute Out presented by Laughlin Tourism Commission and CBR

LAUGHLIN, Nevada – (August 14, 2017) – At the heart of the 2017 Colorado River Chute out is a bull rider from Statesville, North Carolina who will arrive in Laughlin on September 9 to defend his title of the Western Entertainment tradition held every fall on the dirt in front of the Laughlin Events Center.

Vastbinder, the twenty-six year old cowboy who turned in nine 90 point plus rides this season including two at the CBR World Finals, returns to Laughlin with payback on his mind after finishing a heartbreaking six points behind Kimzey in July at the CBR year-end World Championship at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

“It’s a new season full of new opportunities and I’m gonna do my best to make sure I’m the one holding the gold buckle at the end of the road this year,” said Vastbinder when asked about returning to Laughlin and the CBR’s Road to Cheyenne professional bull riding tour.

Between the bright lights and the desert heat of the Colorado River, Eli Vastbinder was the first and the last bull rider the fans saw make a qualified ride in Laughlin last year as he rode three bulls to win the lion’s share of the $30,000 prize package, beating out the best bull rider in the world, six time World Champion Sage Steele Kimzey by 1.5 points.

“When I won last year, I was thinking about the events I did do good at, and I try and repeat my pattern of when I won,” said Vastbinder. Vastbinder, a self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie that says he always rides best when money and titles are on the line. Vastbinder lived up to that theory as he completed his CBR season riding 75% of the bulls he attempted including four of five bulls in Cheyenne last month and five of five bulls during the 2016 CBR World Finals at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Vastbinder has been on tour with CBR since 2014 when he won the CBR Las Vegas Shoot Out his rookie year. He finished 2014 ranked number five in the CBR World Standings and after a stellar World Finals in 2016 he finished sixth. But the 2017 season was his best as he kept pace and almost unseated the number 1 ranked bull rider in the world.

You won’t want to miss this year’s “Chute Out” as the veteran gladiators of the arena try to get a jump start on the season fighting off what is sure to be a new class of bull riding rookies. World Champions, National Finals Rodeo qualifiers, and this year’s class of red hot rookies are sure to provide three rounds of heart stopping action filled with family fun entertainment from Barrel man Hippy Englekes.

Tickets are on sale for the annual Colorado River Chute Out brought to Laughlin by Championship Bull Riding and Laughlin Tourism Commission. The nationally televised bull riding delivers family entertainment that provides an adrenaline rush atmosphere that appeals to seasoned bull riding fans as well as first timers. Come see the cowboy gladiators in the man vs beast competition on the third stop on the CBR’s Road to Cheyenne twelve month tour where great bulls are matched up with super star riders, upbeat music and family friendly arena entertainment. There is something for everyone at the CBR Colorado River Chute Out.

This year’s competition will feature the CBR 8 Second Format which features a three round no guarantee tournament style format; the only way for cowboys to earn a paycheck is to ride better than the rest of the 24-man field. The field of competition begins with 24 riders, 12 advance to the semi-final round and then four get a third opportunity to ride in a winner take all ending. The format appeals to new spectators and established fans alike because riders can challenge as many as three bulls in one performance.

With 30 years of bull riding history on his resume, Hedeman has made a name for himself in the production of great bull riding events and will arrive in Laughlin for the fourth time with a roster that features twenty-four of the elite bull riders including multiple World Champions and Wrangler National Finals Rodeo pitted against the industry’s best bulls who are also competing for cash prizes.

The CBR not only brings great cowboy athletes to Laughlin, but feature the wildly popular “other side of the ride”, the CBR’s Bull Team Challenge competition. Bull owners from all around the country will bring three bulls that are featured during the first two rounds of competition. The bulls are competing for points based on their performance in the arena plus time ridden that is added to the bull’s score. The owner with the aggregate three highest-scoring bulls will receive the first place $20,000 as the top four places share the total $45,000 package.

The doors will open at the Laughlin Events Center at 6:30 pm with the Get Famous Energy Bullfighters signing autographs at the Merchandise booth at 7 pm and the bull riding action begins at 8:00 p.m. Hedeman will be signing autographs with the bull riders following the event.

In addition to lucrative prize money, bull riders accumulate points which qualify them for the World Finals, part of the legendary Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration held Wyoming next July. At the end of the World Finals, the contestant who has the most points will be crowned the world champion and receive a $100,000 bonus.

After spending the day hiking, swimming, or golfing in Laughlin treat yourself to one of Laughlin’s premier night life events, the Colorado River Chute out.

Advance tickets are available at laughlineventcenter.com or by calling 877-344-1187. Prices start at $25 with a variety of options available.

WEBSITES: www.laughlineventcenter.com

Event Location: 500 E. Bruce Woodbury Drive, Laughlin, NV 89029

For interviews, press credentials and more information please contact Leigh Ann Schroeder at 940.902.1112 or leighann@cbrbull.com

Courtesy of CBR