The PBR Returns to St. Louis for 20th Year

ST. LOUIS – After welcoming over 38,000 fans to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, last weekend to crown an Iron Cowboy, the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) will celebrate its 20^th consecutive year of bringing the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) to St. Louis, as the Scottrade Center hosts the Bass Pro Chute Out, presented by Cooper Tires, on Feb. 24-26.

Since 1997, the PBR’s elite tour has stormed into St. Louis bringing the toughest 8 seconds in sports to the Gateway City.  Hundreds of PBR bull riders have competed, earning more than $2.5 million in prize money over the past two decades.

In 2016, Shane Proctor, PBR’s 2016 Iron Cowboy, knocked out a perfect 4-for-4 performance to capture the St. Louis event title and jump from 23^rd to No. 7 in the world standings.

This year, five-year veteran Eduardo Aparecido, the PBR’s newly-crowned Iron Cowboy, will look to stay red hot and notch his third consecutive event win. Aparecido, who finished No. 7 in the world last year, ousted 2016 PBR Rookie of the Year Jess Lockwood from the No. 1 position with his back-to-back wins in Kansas City and Arlington. The Brazilian currently leads Lockwood by 338 points.

Missourian Mason Lowe (Exeter, MO) had a strong weekend in Texas at the PBR’s second Major of the season, scoring the event’s high-marked ride with a 90.75-point effort aboard Smooth Operator (Dakota Rodeo/Rosen/Struve/Berger). Lowe received $26,000 for the ride and $38,766 total in the Frontier Communications Iron Cowboy. Both Lowe and fellow Missouri native Brady Sims are expected to compete this weekend.

During this three-day event at Scottrade Center, the Top 35 bull riders in the world will face opponents 10 times their size through thrilling 8-second rides and death-defying wrecks. The world’s best will vie for a piece of the $140,000 payout in St. Louis, going up against some of the most challenging bovine athletes the sport has ever seen.

The stars of the PBR will face one bull each in Rounds 1 through 3. Immediately following Round 3 on Sunday, the riders’ individual scores will be totaled and the Top 15 will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round for one more ride and a chance at the $30,000 event title.

Competition will begin at 7:45 p.m. CT on Friday, Feb. 24; 6:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 25; and at 1:50 p.m. CT on Sunday, Feb. 26. Tickets for the Bass Pro Chute Out are on sale now and start at $18. They can be purchased at the Scottrade Center Box Office, www.ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000, and all Ticketmaster outlets. PBRewards Members can earn PBRewards points and will receive access to the best available seats by purchasing their tickets through the PBR Customer Service Department at 800-732-1727.

For an enhanced PBR experience, fans can now purchase PBR Elite Seats, which provide a behind-the-scenes look into the toughest sport on dirt. This once-in-a-lifetime experience includes early entry; tickets to a premium seating section; a catered reception; a 60-minute, backstage tour by a PBR Host, featuring a PBR 101 presentation and visit with the sport’s fiercest bulls; and the opportunity for photos and autographs from the top PBR stars. After the event, PBR Elite Seat ticketholders also will be given premium dirt access, where they can get their complimentary 8 Seconds PBR program, Elite Seat lanyard and other memorabilia autographed by the Top 35 bull riders in the world.

The PBR Elite Seats are available for $353 and also can be purchased through Ticketmaster or by contacting the PBR Customer Service Department at 800-732-1727.

St. Louis is the 8^th stop on the 2017 BFTS schedule. The season began in New York City at the world famous Madison Square Garden on Jan. 6-8, 2017 and will conclude at the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Nov. 1-5, 2017 at Las Vegas’s new T-Mobile Arena.