Professional Bull Riders Return to Madison Square Garden for 17th Time on Jan. 5-7
By: Kacie Albert
NEW YORK, N.Y. – For the 17th time since the organization was founded, PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) premier Unleash The Beast will compete in New York, New York, bucking into Madison Square Garden from Jan. 5-7 with PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at The Garden presented by Ariat.
Adding to the significance of the tour stop, the PBR premier series’ event in New York City will be the first of three Majors held during the 2024 season, offering the competing riders increased points and a share of the expanded $250,000 event purse.
For three days only, more than 30 of the best bull riders in the world will go head-to-head against the sport’s rankest bovine athletes, showcasing the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast in one of the most exciting live sporting events to witness.
The upcoming PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at The Garden, presented by Ariat event, will be the sixth of the new individual season as riders vie for early points in the race to be crowned the 2024 PBR World Champion.
During PBR’s most recent trip to the Big Apple in January 2023, two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) was electric in his 2023 season debut, going 3-for-4 and delivering the high-marked ride of the tour stop to clinch the victory inside “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
Leme quickly struck in Round 1, covering Pickle Moonshine (Shuler Bucking Bulls) for 87.75 points. Tied for fifth on the event leaderboard, Leme rose to second when he converted aboard Bad Decisions (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.) for 86.5 points in Round 2.
Leme was finally stopped by Choc Tease (Cord McCoy/BuzzBallz LLC/McCoy Rodeo) as Championship Sunday got underway with Round 3, tossed to the dirt in a swift 3.25 seconds. The 2-for-3 showing gave Leme the third pick in the championship round bull draft, which he used to select Cliff Hanger (Cord McCoy/Pioneer Bulls/McCoy Rodeo). The former Brazilian soccer star remained in perfect time with the animal athlete and reached the requisite 8 for a mammoth 92 points to cement the event win.
With the victory, Leme earned a crucial 158.5 Unleash The Beast points, catapulting to No. 10 in the World Championship race.
As the regular season concluded, Leme had recorded three event wins, four 90-point rides, and seven round wins. He held the No. 1 rank for eight weeks, the longest of any of the six riders to ascend to the top spot during the 2023 regular season. Qualifying for his seventh career World Finals No. 2 in the world, Leme fell just short of his record-tying third World Championship, remaining No. 2 in the world.
Beyond the 2023 event, in recent history, the early-season New York City event was instrumental to one rider’s campaign that etched his name in the league record books.
In 2019, Jess Lockwood made history inside Madison Square Garden. As one of three riders to go a perfect 4-for-4, Lockwood won the New York City Major for the second time in his career, joining the elite company of two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney (2007, 2009, 2014) and 11-time World Finals qualifier Valdiron de Oliveira (2008, 2011) in taking the prestigious event in multiple seasons.
Lockwood first won the New York event in 2017, a victory which was a valuable stepping stone for the Montana cowboy, then 20, to become the youngest World Champion in league history that November.
Lockwood’s victory inside The Garden in 2019 propelled him to an early world No. 1 and set him on a path to becoming the youngest two-time World Champion in league history to end the 2019 season.
Other past New York City event winners include: Shane Proctor (2010), Cody Nance (2012), Robson Palermo (2013), Fabiano Vieira (2014), Guilherme Marchi (2015), Paulo Lima (2016), Gage Gay (2018) and Joao Ricardo Vieira (2020).
The bull riding action for PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at The Garden, presented by Ariat, begins with Round 1 at 7:45 p.m. ET on Friday, January 5, followed by Round 2 at 6:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 6, and concludes with Round 3 and the championship round at 1:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 7. All competing bull riders will get on one bull each in Rounds 1-3. Following Round 3 on Sunday afternoon, the riders’ individual three-round scores will be totaled, with the Top 12 advancing to the championship round for one more out and a chance at the event title.
Tickets for the three-day event are on sale now and start at $23. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, MSG.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, visit https://pbr.com/elite-seats-unleash-the-beast, or call (800) 732-1727
For more information about the PBR and to see the full 2024 PBR Unleash The Beast schedule, visit PBR.com.
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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