LAS VEGAS (Oct. 31, 2016) – For the first time ever, the world’s top bull riders and fiercest bucking bulls will put it all on the line at the brand-new T-Mobile Arena on the famed Las Vegas Strip for the 2016 PBR Build Ford Tough World Finals Nov. 2-6.
Qualifying this season for the richest bull riding event on the planet, which offers a total purse of $2.3 million, are the following athletes:
Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil)
Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas)
J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, North Carolina)
Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, SP)
Jess Lockwood (Volborg, Montana)
Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil)
Fabiano Vieira (Perola, Brazil)
Ryan Dirteater (Hulbert, Oklahoma)
Mike Lee (Paradise, Texas)
Shane Proctor (Grand Coulee, Washington)
Paulo Lima (Bezerros, Brazil)
Guilherme Marchi (Leme, Brazil)
Wallace de Oliveira (Goiania, Brazil)
Tanner Byrne (Prince Albert, SK)
Lachlan Richardson (Gresford, Australia)
Derek Kolbaba (Walla Walla, Washington)
Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Brazil)
Chase Outlaw (Hamburg, Arkansas)
Mason Lowe (Exeter, Missouri)
Gage Gay (Staley, North Carolina)
Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil)
Stetson Lawrence (Trenton, North Dakota)
Rubens Barbosa (Uberlandia, Brazil)
Cody Nance (Paris, Tennessee)
Valdiron de Oliveira (Palestina, Brazil)
Stormy Wing (Dalhart, Texas)
Aaron Roy (Asquith, SK)
Marco Eguchi (Poa, Brazil)
Luis Blanco (San Paulo, Iacanga)
Nathan Schaper (Grassy Butte, North Dakota)
Ty Pozzobon (Merritt, BC)
Tyler Harr (Slovak, Arkansas)
Nevada Newman (Melstone, Montana)
Kasey Hayes (Liberal, Kansas)
Dakota Buttar (Kindersley, SK)
Joining these 35 men at World Finals will be five qualifiers from the BlueDEF Tour Finals. 2016 PBR Brazil Champion Dener Barbosa (Paulo de Faria, Brazil) gained entry as the top performing international qualifier from the PBR’s circuits in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. Emilio Resende (Santa Helena Do Goias, Brazil) and Neil Holmes (Houston, Texas) qualified as the highest ranking BlueDEF Tour finishers who were not already part of the Top 35 in the PBR world standings. Zane Cook (Fort Gibson, Oklahoma) and Juliano da Silva (Eloi Mendes, Brazil) also qualified as the highest BlueDEF Finals event finishers not already in the Top 35.
The honor of protecting the PBR bull riders for every 8-second ride at the Finals has been bestowed upon Shorty Gorham, Frank Newsom, Jesse Byrne and Cody Webster.
Offering a total purse of $2.3 million, the 2016 PBR World Finals includes a $1 million bonus to the World Champion, who also receives the coveted World Champion belt buckle.
Each rider will ride one bull per night during Rounds 1-5 from Wednesday through Sunday. Scores from the five rides will then be combined, and the Top 15 riders will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round following the completion of Round 5 on Sunday, Nov. 6. The rider with the highest total score for the six rounds will earn the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals event title and $250,000 for first place.
CBS Sports Network will broadcast every round of the 2016 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals live at 8:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday-Saturday and then at 3:30 on Sunday. The World Finals pre-show will air live from the Toshiba Plaza at T-Mobile Arena at 8:30 p.m. ET.
For more information on the World Finals, please visit www.pbrworldfinals.com.