Arizona Ridge Riders Announce Buckeye Equestrian & Events Center as Team’s Official Training Home
By Mandi McCary
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Western media and entertainment company Teton Ridge, owner of Arizona’s first professional bull riding team, the Arizona Ridge Riders, announced today a partnership with Buckeye Equestrian & Events Center to become the team’s official home market training facility.
On Saturday morning the entire team and coaches, who are in the midst of their second annual homestand event, PBR Ridge Rider Days (Sept. 29- Oct. 1) at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, assembled in Buckeye to announce the news to fans and members of the Buckeye community.
“This is such a milestone for our team,” said Ridge Riders General Manager Casey Lane. “Having a home facility where we can host training camps, squad games and more will help us advance the already exceptional talent of our athletes. In addition, knowing that this will give the team even more opportunities to connect with the local community and Arizona fans overall is so special. We are thankful to the team at Buckeye Equestrian & Events Center for this opportunity.”
The PBR Team Series is an elite league launched in 2022, featuring the world’s top bull riders competing on teams in five-on-five bull riding games during a 13-week season beginning in July and culminating at the 2023 PBR Teams Championship October 20-22 in Las Vegas.
Having narrowly lost the inaugural season championship in the final game last November, the Ridge Riders are invested now more than ever in strengthening and training their team for the final stretch of the 2023 season as well as preparation for 2024.
“Buckeye Equestrian & Events Center is excited to become the Official Training Home of the Arizona Ridge Riders,” said Don Nahrgang, General Manager of the facility. “We believe this partnership with the Ridge Riders and PBR is a perfect fit for the vision of our facility and the growth plans we have moving forward. The ability to team up with the Ridge Riders and bring them to Buckeye is amazing opportunity to grow our brand and bring new excitement to the west valley.”
The 2023 athlete lineup is a collection of the world’s top competitors; including Luciano De Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil), Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil), Chase Dougherty (Decatur, Texas), Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah) and Vitor Losnake (Bauru, Brazil), Colten Fritzlan (Rifle, Colorado) and more. Ridge Co-Coaches Paulo Crimber (10-time World Finals Qualifier) and Colby Yates (five-time World Finals Qualifier) continue to lead the all-star squad.
The Ridge Riders represent one of several elevated Western sports properties that Teton Ridge has assembled under its portfolio with the singular focus of elevating the Western lifestyle and culture to the world stage, while broadening and diversifying audiences through enhanced production, technology, and innovation. From acquiring and producing The American Rodeo and The American Contender Tournament, which awarded more than $6 million in cash and prizes in 2023, to assembling a team of the most accomplished and elite champions in the industry, Teton Ridge is committed to strengthening, enriching, and furthering Western sports for future competitors across all disciplines.
Tickets for the action-packed, three-day Ridge Rider Days event in Glendale can be purchase at Ticketmaster. To follow the Ridge Riders journey please visit them online or follow @arizonaridgeriders on Facebook and Instagram, or @AZRidgeRiders on Twitter.
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