PBR Returns to Des Moines

DES MOINES, Iowa – Des Moines has experienced thrilling, high-flying rides and jaw-dropping wrecks from the PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) elite Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) for eight years. This season the excitement will be back when the Top-35 bull riders in the world converge on Wells Fargo Arena, April 23-24.

For two nights fans will witness the intense matchups between man and beast, where 8 seconds can mean victory or defeat to each opponent. The cowboys of the PBR will leave you amazed as the bravest riders in the world risk it all against monstrous animal athletes that can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds – more than 10 times the riders’ weight. The bull riding action will begin at 7:00 p.m. CT on Saturday and at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday.

Tickets for the two-day event go on sale Thursday, Jan. 14, and start at $10. They will be available at the Wells Fargo Arena Ticket Office online at www.Hy-VeeTix.com and by telephone at 1-844-55-HYVEE.

New to the ticket options this year are the PBR Elite Seats. Located in an exclusive section of the arena immediately next to the chutes and all of the action, the PBR Elite Seats are priced at $350 each, and will give fans the VIP experience of a lifetime; a pre-event reception with refreshments, backstage tours featuring a PBR 101 presentation, and meet-and-greets with some of the PBR’s top stars. These seats are also on sale now.

Last season, two-time PBR World Champion, J.B. Mauney (2015, 2013) captured his first win since March 2014 when he went 2-for-3. Mauney will return to defend his title at Wells Fargo Arena in 2016, alongside three-time World Champion, Silvano Alves (2014, 2012, 2011) and fan favorites, Matt Triplett, Nathan Schaper and J.W. Harris.

The Des Moines Invitational will be the 15th event on the 2016 PBR Built Ford Tough Series schedule. The season will consist of 26 stops, traveling to such cities as Chicago, New York, Anaheim, Calif., and Dallas. It will climax with the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Nov. 2-6 when the 2016 PBR World Champion, the bull rider who earns the most world standings points during the season, will receive the coveted World Championship belt buckle and $1 million bonus.

The BFTS is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network 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.