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The PBR Returns to Anaheim

ANAHEIM, Calif. – For the 18th consecutive year, the Honda Center will host three nights of the most intense man vs. beast battles in sports when the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Anaheim Invitational, part of the elite 2015 Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS), returns to Southern California on Feb. 6-8.

From Friday through Sunday, the world’s Top 35 bull riders will take on bulls more than 10 times their weight in writhing muscle during 8-second clashes that will leave only one athlete standing at the buzzer. The action begins Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 6:50 p.m. and Sunday at 2:50 p.m.

For the last two years, the PBR’s stop in Anaheim has set attendance records of more than 30,000 fans for the three-day competition and it is expected to do the same in 2015. Tickets, ranging in price from $17 to $129, can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, at the Honda Center Box Office and via phone at (800) 745-3000.

Anaheim has been a game changer the last two years, catapulting the event winner into first place in the world standings. Fans can expect more of the same intense competition this year.  They’ll see sophomore sensation Matt Triplett, the No. 1 bull rider in the PBR world standings, and three-time PBR World Champion (2014, 2012, 2011) Silvano Alves fighting for their second win of the season. Hot on their heels is fan favorite and 2013 World Champion J.B. Mauney, with up-and-coming superstars Reese Cates, Chase Outlaw and Ryan Dirteater making a hard charge up the world standings.

Starting with Round 1 on Friday, each bull rider will face one bull apiece through Rounds 1- 3.

Following Sunday’s Round 3, the 15 riders with the highest cumulative scores after three rounds will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round that same day. The overall event winner will be the rider who earns the most event points through four rounds of competition, earning a guaranteed $30,000 for first place.

Previous winners in Anaheim include:

2014 –  Valdiron de Oliveira

2013 – Shane Proctor

2012 – Guilherme Marchi* (2008)

2011 – Silvano Alves * (2011, 2012, 2014)

2010 – Kody Lostroh* (2009)

2009 – Kody Lostroh* (2009)

2008 – Mike White

2007 – Greg Potter

2006 – Mike Lee* (2004)

2005 – Greg Potter, Adriano Moraes* (1994, 2001, 2006)

2004 – Greg Potter

2003 – Justin McBride* (2005, 2007)

2002 – Adriano Moraes* (1994, 2001, 2006)

2001 – Ty Murray

2000 – J.W. Hart

1999 – Cody Custer

1998  – Troy Dunn * (1998)

*PBR World Champions

On Friday night, Triplett will face Hawaiian Hurricane (Scott Silveira) in Round 1. This bull is new to the BFTS, with only one previous out taking place in September 2014 in Oakland, California, when he bucked off Jordan Hupp in 3.37 seconds.

Barstool Mountain (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/ Clay Struve) awaits Alves in Round 1. This will be his third out on the BFTS, previously making short work of Joao Ricardo Vieira in Chicago and Luis Blanco in Baltimore earlier this year.

Cates will start the weekend on No Regrets (D&H Cattle Co.). No Regrets has been ridden successfully only once in six outs on the BFTS. Marchi covered him for 87.50 points two weekends ago in Oklahoma City.

The series’ best bulls will also be in attendance. Mick E Mouse, Roy, I’m a Gangster Too and Long John are just some of the bovine athletes that await the Top 15 bull riders in the championship round and will thrill fans with their athleticism and power.

Anaheim is the sixth of 27 stops on the 2015 PBR Built Ford Tough Series schedule and one of three stops the series will make in California in 2015 with Sacramento (Jan. 30-31) and Fresno (March 7-8) also on the schedule. It visited Baltimore, Maryland on Jan.2-3 to start the season and will travel to New York, Chicago, Dallas and Las Vegas on its 18-state tour, culminating with the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Oct. 21-25 when the 2015 PBR World Champion, the bull rider who earns the most points during the 2015 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. The Anaheim Invitational will air live on CBS Sports Network on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 10 p.m. ET and on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 8 p.m. ET.

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.

Fans can also watch each round of action in real-time on PBR LIVE at www.pbr.com/live.

© 2015 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

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