Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Kicks Off 2024 Season in Lexington, Kentucky, Jan. 5-6

By: Kacie Albert

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the seventh time in as many years, PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour will buck into Lexington, Kentucky, returning to the iconic Rupp Arena on January 5-6, 2024, with PBR Lexington.

For two nights only, some of the best bull riders in the world will battle the sport’s rankest bovine athletes in the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast in one of the most exciting live sporting events to witness.

PBR’s return to Lexington comes on the spurs of one of the organization’s most dynamic individual seasons in 2023, as the Velocity Tour broke and reset numerous attendance and competition records en-route to its most successful season to date.

The upcoming PBR Lexington will mark the first event of the new individual season for the PBR’s expansion series. Eventgoers will watch on as riders vie for crucial points in the race to be crowned the 2024 PBR Velocity Tour Champion.

When PBR’s Velocity Tour was last in Lexington in January 2023, Brazilian sensation Alex Marcilio (Macaubal, Brazil) captured the event win.

Marcilio first put points on the board in Round 1 when he covered Rock Solid’s Cowboy Cartel (Rock Solid Bucking Bulls) for 85 points. Marcilio then faced Shakira (Cannon Cattle Co.) in Round 2, conquering the powerful animal athlete for 88.5 points to capture the round win and punch his ticket to the final round.

The steadfast Brazilian then went to work against Hey Bartender (JQH Bucking Bulls/Skip & Elaine Jones) in the championship round. Remaining white-hot, Marcilio delivered another round-winning 88.5-point score to clinch the event victory.

For his efforts, Marcilio garnered a crucial 148.5 Velocity Global points to overtake the then No. 1 ranking in the Velocity Global standings.

As the 2023 PBR Velocity Tour season continued, Marcilio remained atop the standings, logging an additional event win in Wheeling, West Virginia, in March before concluding the season No. 14 in the standings.

Prior to Marcilio’s golden finish in 2023 and Francisco Morales’ (Irapuato, Mexico) victory in 2022, two riders had parlayed a win in Lexington on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour into career-defining seasons in 2020 and 2021.

In 2021, Eli Vastbinder (Statesville, North Carolina) won the event en route to being crowned Rookie of the Year and finishing a career-best No. 9 in the world.

The season prior, in 2020, Cole Melancon (Paris, Texas) and Lindomar Lino (Anapolis, Brazil) tied for the event win. Both riders collected crucial world points, and each earned a berth to compete on the elite Unleash The Beast for the Iron Cowboy Major at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Capitalizing on the opportunity, Melancon parlayed his elite tour invite into yet another victory, becoming just the second rookie in the sport’s history to win a PBR Major when he was crowned the Iron Cowboy. Narrowly edged out for the Rookie of the Year honor at season’s end, Melancon concluded 2020 a career-high No. 10 in the world.

Other past event winners include 2019 PBR Lexington Champion Stormy Wing (Dalhart, Texas) and Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah) who won the event en route to being anointed the 2018 PBR Rookie of the Year.

The bull riding action for PBR Lexington begins with Round 1 at 7:45 p.m. ET on Friday, January 5, followed by Round 2 and the championship round at 6:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 6. All 40 competing bull riders will get on one bull each in Round 1. The Top 36 riders from Round 1 will advance to Round 2 Saturday evening. The riders’ individual two-round scores will be totaled with the Top 10 advancing to the championship round for one more out and a chance at the event title.

Tickets for the two-day event go on sale Friday, September 15 at 10:00 a.m. EDT, and start at $20, taxes and fees not included. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, RuppArena.com and PBR.com, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.

PBR Elite Seats are available for avid fans who want an exclusive VIP experience while enjoying the world’s top bull riding circuit. These tickets, available in three tiers, offer premium seats, personal on-site concierge at the PBR fan loyalty booth, and more. For more on elite seats call (800) 732-1727, or to purchase visit Ticketmaster.com.

For more information about the PBR and the 2024 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour schedule, or to purchase tickets, visit PBR.com.

Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media

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