The BFTS Returns to Nampa

NAMPA, Idaho – As the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) continues its stretch drive to the 2016 Built Ford Tough World Finals, one of America’s hottest sports will buck back into Nampa, Idaho, for the fifth consecutive year, and the 16^th overall on October 7-8, with its elite Built Ford Tough Series event, the Dewalt Flexvolt Invitational, presented by Wrangler.

The Ford Idaho Center will host the world’s Top 35 bull riders for two days of non-stop, nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat excitement. The toughest men on dirt go up against the rankest bulls in vying for their piece of the $140,000 payout.

With only three regular-season BFTS events until the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, competition at the PBR’s elite level is intense: just over 1,500 points separate the Top 5 bull riders in the world. Fourteen different bull riders have won BFTS events this season, while six have held the No. 1 position in the world standings.

2008 PBR World Champion Guilherme Marchi, the winner in Nampa in 2015, will be back this year to defend his event title, alongside three other PBR World Champions: Mike Lee (2004), three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves (2011, 2012, 2014) and two-time reigning PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney. Current No. 1 man in the PBR world standingsKaique Pacheco, who’s starring in the new Netflix docu-series, “Fearless,” as well as rookie sensations Jess Lockwood, Nevada Newman and Derek Kolbaba are also scheduled to compete.

Competition will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8. All Top 35 bull riders will get on one bull each in Rounds 1 and 2 on Friday and Saturday. After Round 2 on Saturday, the riders’ individual two-round scores will be totaled and the top 15 riders on two bulls will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round for one more ride and a chance at the $30,000 event title.

Tickets for the two-day event are on sale now and range in price from $15 to $105 and can be purchased through ICTickets.com, through the Ford Idaho Center Box Office at 208-442-3232 or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.

For an enhanced PBR experience, fans can purchase the PBR Elite Seats. Located in an exclusive section of the arena near all of the action, the PBR Elite Seats are priced at $350 each and will give fans the VIP experience of a lifetime, including a pre-event catered reception, backstage tours featuring a PBR 101 presentation, and meet-and-greets with the PBR’s top stars. Contact the PBR Customer Service Department at (800) 732-1727 for more information.

CBS Sports Network will broadcast Round 2 and the Built Ford Tough Championship Round on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

Fans can also watch each round in real time on PBR LIVE. PBR LIVE is available at no charge to all fans and media. Visit www.pbrlive.com to view. Fans can also watch all of the action via the PBR LIVE app, available for download now on Google Play and iTunes.

The Dewalt Flexvolt Invitational will be the 22^nd 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.