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One-of-a-Kind Trophy Awaits Champions of 2021 PBR Origin Tournament

By: Kacie Albert

No matter the sport, athletes across all disciplines share a common goal – winning and claiming the accompanying trophy or prize awarded alongside the title of champion. And over the years, those symbols of greatness, including the Vince Lombardi Trophy, Olympic gold medal and Stanley Cup, have become part of the everyday lexicon, synonymous with excellence.

While in Western sports, that prize is often a buckle, including a golden one awarded annually to the PBR World Champion, for the 2021 PBR Origin tournament, the winner will be presented the sparkling trophy crafted by Bob Berg Designs.

“Our main objective was to get a trophy that was unique to our sport,” PBR Australia General Manager Glen Young said. “We wanted to create the desire for riders to have their team engraved on it annually, and also build the rivalry between Team New South Wales and Team Queensland to where our rising stars look forward to the day of wearing their state colors and having their team engraved on the winner’s trophy.”

Originally crafted in 2020, more than 100 hours were put into the design and craftsmanship of the glittering trophy.

Weighing approximately 10 kilograms, the PBR Origin trophy is made of a granite base and features bronze casting, chrome and rose gold plating, and a titanium overlay.

The trophy also prominently features maroon and blue hues, representing Team Queensland and New South Wales, respectively, in addition to various other eye-catching colors, a hallmark of any Bob Berg creation.

While the trophy’s handles are aptly shaped like bucking bulls, the trophy’s cup is adorned with several buckles to honor the past, current and future champions of the PBR Origin tournament.

“It was originally built last year. However, the 2020 award on the trophy will go unclaimed for eternity,” Young added. “It will be a great reminder to teams of the challenges the world faced that year and had to overcome in order for the competition to return in 2021.”

The 2021 PBR Origin tournament gets underway July 10 in Brisbane, Queensland. Action begins at 7:30 p.m. AEST at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, with tickets still available at Ticketek.com.au or pbraustralia.com.au.

The event will feature three rounds of competition. After each of the 10 competing bull riders for both teams attempt one bull each in Round 1 and Round 2, the Top 4 riders from each team will advance to the bonus round for one final out. The event winner will be the team with the highest combined score in the event aggregate.

In addition to vying for the title of PBR Australia Origin Champion and their share of the event purse, riders will also be competing for points towards the Australian national standings and broader PBR world standings.

Three-time PBR Australia Champion Aaron Kleier will lead defending champion Team Queensland, while 2017 PBR Australia Champion Troy Wilkinson will captain Team New South Wales as it looks to avenge its loss from 2019.

The complete Team Queensland roster is completed by: Macaulie Leather, Brady Fielder, Kurt Shephard, Dan Ruhland, Lawson Nobbs, Lane Mellers, Caiden Sandilands, Bailey Woodard and Kelsey Pavlou.

The remaining riders set to represent Team New South Wales are: Lachlan Richardson, Lachlan Slade, Cody Heffernan, Trefor Sproule, Sam Woodall, Ty Thomson, Joe Down, Thomas Hudson and Chris Wilson.

“Origin is a competition that brings both athlete and fan together,” Young concluded. “It’s one of the biggest rivalries in this country, no matter the sport, and it is always seen as the pinnacle of competition.”

All future PBR Australia events are subject to change, planned in accordance with directives issued by relevant government and health authorities given the evolving regulations during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

For more information, stay tuned to PBRAustralia.com.au and follow the tour on Facebook (PBR Australia), Twitter (@PBRAustralia), and Instagram (@PBRAustralia) for the latest results.

© 2021 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

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