Champions
127-538: Awards Professional Bull Riders: Heroes and Legends Tours Statistics The Bud Light Cup Series (BLC) was the first tour and in its first year was the only tour of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). When other tours were created, it became the major league tour of the PBR. This series ran from 1994 through 2002. It was the inaugural and only tour at its time of inception, as
254-444: A $ 1 million bonus. Chris Shivers was the first world champion to claim that bonus. Also in 2003, the PBR purchased Buckers, Inc.; an organization that documented bucking bulls' lineages and put on futurity events for young bulls that would potentially be used for professional rodeo or bull riding events. They renamed it as American Bucking Bull, Inc. (ABBI) and continued with its practices. The ABBI holds several futurity events in
381-558: A 500-foot (150 m) cliff known as the "Rims" separates the Heights from downtown Billings. There are 11 boroughs called "sections" within Billings' city limits. The south side of Billings is probably the oldest residential area in the city, and it is the city's most culturally diverse neighborhood. South Park is an old-growth City park, host to several food fairs and festivals in the summer months. The Bottom Westend Historic District
508-702: A PBR sponsor since 2013, replaced Ford Trucks as the new Premier Series title sponsor; thus the Unleash the Beast Series (UTB) tour name replaced the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) tour name. That same year, the PBR celebrated its 25th championship season and awarded another $ 11 million in prize money, which included the bonus to the World Champion Bull Rider of $ 1 million and the $ 20,000 gold belt buckle. Ford would remain
635-724: A PBR sponsor through 2022. In mid-March 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic , several events were either canceled or rescheduled to later dates. In the spring, the PBR held three UTB events at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and all were closed to the public to avoid the spread of the virus. In the summer, the organization held the Monster Energy Team Challenge, a series of events in which several teams of four riders competed against each other, and each team
762-660: A bigger arena. They wanted to stay in Las Vegas, so the Thomas & Mack Center was the place to go. From 2004 through 2007, the first weekend of the World Finals was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center , followed by the next weekend taking place at the Thomas & Mack Center. In 2008 and 2009, both weekends of the World Finals took place at the Thomas & Mack Center. The World Finals remained at
889-407: A bold and wise businessman, quickly went to work. At the end of his first year, he turned things around; the World Finals paid out $ 1 million in 1996, and increased to $ 1.5 million in 1999. In 1996, the PBR made bull riding protective vests, which were introduced three years earlier, mandatory for all contestants at their events. The same was done for bull riders in all other organizations. After
1016-574: A canyon carved out by the Yellowstone River . Around 80 million years ago, the Billings area was on the shore of the Western Interior Seaway . The sea deposited sediment and sand around the shoreline. As the sea retreated, it left a deep layer of sand. Over millions of years, this sand was compressed into stone known as Eagle Sandstone . Over the last million years the river has carved its way down through this stone to form
1143-661: A certain number of bulls at select Built Ford Tough Series events to try to earn money and points for their respective teams. At the beginning of the year, 22 bull teams chipped in $ 50,000 a piece for their opportunity to win their share of the $ 1.1 million total competition purse. Out of the 33 Built Ford Tough Series stops held that year, 17 were Bull Team Challenge events, including the PBR World Finals. Each stop had between five and eight bull teams that included five bulls, plus two alternates per team. Each team could only compete in five events. At each Bull Team Challenge stop,
1270-439: A diverse economy including a large and rapidly growing medical corridor that includes inpatient and outpatient health care. Billings has a large service sector including retail, hospitality and entertainment. The metro area is also home to commercial and residential construction, building materials manufacturing and distribution, professional services, financial services, banking, trucking, higher education (4 campuses, 19 others have
1397-560: A far more likely site. Coulson was a rough-and-tumble town where arguments were often followed by gunplay. Liver-Eating Johnson was a lawman in Coulson. Perhaps the most famous person to be buried in Coulson's Boothill cemetery is H.M. "Muggins" Taylor, the scout who carried the news of Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn to the world. Most buried here were said to have died with their boots on. The town of Coulson had been on
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#17327807558171524-626: A few days prior. By 2002, Livestock Director Cody Lambert was working with a minimum of 20 stock contractors in order to have around six contractors featuring approximately 75 bulls at each event. Upon conclusion of the PBR's regular season, the 45 bull riders who had earned the most money in Bud Light Cup Series and Challengers Tour events combined qualified for the PBR Bud Light Cup World Finals in Las Vegas. The Qualifier Standings showed which riders were in
1651-584: A few years of rivalry between BRO and PBR, the former organization officially went out of business in the spring of 1998. In 2001, one month after that year's World Finals, the PBR held the Bud Light World Challenge in Austin, Texas , which featured the top riders from the 2001 year-end world standings, as well as some international invitees. 2002 was the last year in which PBR bullfighters wore traditional make-up and baggy outfits. Since
1778-659: A five-state region is the First Interstate Center , which stands at 272 feet (83 m) and 20 floors above ground level. Billings is also home to the world's tallest load-bearing brick building, the DoubleTree Tower , which stands 256 feet (78 m). With a floor count of 22 floors above ground level, the DoubleTree Tower is the tallest hotel in the city and state. It was the tallest from 1980 to 1985. The Wells Fargo Building, formerly
1905-532: A hard financial hit in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; all scheduled events for the year were canceled due to pandemic restrictions and there were no events in 2021 due to continued restrictions. By 2022, things had returned to normal for the most part in the country, but there were still no PBR events. In the spring of 2023, a PBR event was held on Mexican soil for the first time since 2019. However, this would soon turn out to be PBR Mexico's final event and
2032-633: A hotel room in Scottsdale, Arizona . The bull riders all rode in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), the top rodeo organization in the world which had been around for many years, as well as Bull Riders Only (BRO), an all-bull riding organization that had been in existence for just one year. Each founder contributed $ 1,000 to forming the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. This group
2159-447: A household in the city was $ 35,147, and the median income for a family was $ 45,032. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,207. As of 2021, the median household income had risen to $ 63,608, slightly higher than the statewide median income of $ 60,560. Per capita income was $ 37,976. About 9.2% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over. 36.6% of
2286-524: A milk processing center in the town. Billings plays a vital part in the energy sector. Out of Montana's 4 oil refineries, 3 of those are in Yellowstone County. Montana has about three-tenths of the nation's estimated recoverable coal reserves. In 2022, a large pumped hydro storage project was planned near Billings. Corporate headquarters include Kampgrounds of America , First Interstate Bank , and The Waggoners Trucking. Billings also has
2413-465: A nearby facility for Molson Coors , a manufacturing facility for Coca-Cola, and several other food and beverage distributors. Some major employers include St. John's Lutheran Ministries, Avitus Group, Franz Bakery , and Komatsu . MetraPark , currently called "First Interstate Arena at MetraPark" due to sponsorship, is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose building that was completed in 1975. METRA stands for "Montana Entertainment Trade and Recreation Arena". It
2540-413: A physical presence/classes), auto parts wholesaling and repair services, passenger and cargo air, cattle, media, printing, heavy equipment sales and service, business services, consumer services, food distribution, agricultural chemical manufacturing and distribution, energy exploration and production, surface and underground mining, and metal fabrication, providing a diverse and robust economy. Agriculture
2667-690: A protective face mask underneath their cowboy hat or simply with their cowboy hat if so desired. In 2014, shortly before that year's World Finals, the PBR held an event at a beach in Huntington Beach, California , aptly titled "Bulls on the Beach", which featured the top 15 riders attempting to gain additional points towards the world standings. In April 2015, it was announced that events and talent management firm WME - IMG (now Endeavor ) would acquire PBR from Spire Capital Partners, reportedly paying around $ 100 million. In 2018, Monster Energy ,
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#17327807558172794-530: A quarter of the wholesale business for the entire state (these figures do not include Billings portion of sales for Wyoming and the Dakotas). Billings is an energy center because it sits amidst the largest coal reserves in the United States, as well as large oil and natural gas fields. In 2009, Fortune Small Business magazine named Billings the best small city in which to start a business. Billings has
2921-539: A regular-sized championship belt buckle and money bonus. The team's ownership group also wins a money bonus. During the Team Series' inaugural 2022 season, the PBR awarded the MVP (the individual rider that scored the most points during the Team Series regular season) with a $ 50,000 bonus. Beginning in 2023, in addition to the award, the year-end MVP receives a 100,000 bonus. Since 2023, the PBR has also awarded an MVP of
3048-415: A single church. The town needed a sheriff and the famous mountain man John "Liver-Eating" Johnson took the job. Many disagreements were settled with a gun in the coarse Wild West town. Soon a graveyard was needed and Boothill Cemetery was created. It was called Boothill because most of the people in it were said to have died with their boots on. Today, Boothill Cemetery sits within Billings' city limits and
3175-477: A small series of events in 1993 with Bud Light as the primary sponsor, and had its first championship season in 1994 with the Bud Light Cup Series (BLC). The organization has since grown to include five tours in the United States which stage over 100 events every year. Prize money for contestants had exploded from over $ 330,000 in 1994 to over $ 11 million in 2008. The original CEO of the PBR
3302-464: A strong economy. From 1969 to 2021, the Billings area population growth was 89%, compared to Montana's overall increase of 59%. Parts of the metro area are seeing hyper growth. From 2000 to 2010 Lockwood , an eastern suburb, saw growth of 57.8%, the largest growth rate of any community in Montana. In 2020, the area experienced its highest growth rate in a decade with a 2.3% increase. Billings avoided
3429-411: A year-end world finals event in 1994, with TNN remaining its official television partner. There were eight regular season events, as well as the World Finals. The world championship race was based on points won throughout the season. The regular-season stops ranged from one-day to three-day events. There were 30 contestants in each stop. All would ride in the regular long rounds, then the top 15 riders with
3556-517: Is Montana's #1 industry. Billings contributes to this economy with the Western Sugar Cooperative Plant , processing multi-million dollar crops of sugar beets each year. Other crops include alfalfa, wheat, barley, and corn. Billings has 2 livestock auction locations out of the 13 statewide. Several farm and ranch supply stores are located in Billings, providing for the large retail radius the city serves. Meadow Gold has
3683-470: Is an accepted version of this page Champions Awards Professional Bull Riders: Heroes and Legends Tours Statistics The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. ( PBR ) is an international professional bull riding organization headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas , United States. It is the largest bull riding league in the world, sanctioning hundreds of events every year in
3810-617: Is based on previous performance. The Premier Series is where the best riders and bulls compete, and it culminates at the PBR World Finals at the end of the regular season where the world champion is crowned. Due to sponsorship changes, the Premier Series has had different titles throughout its history. It was known as the Bud Light Cup Series (BLC) from 1994 through 2002, the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) from 2003 through 2017, and since 2018 has been known as
3937-512: Is home to many of Billings' first mansions. Midtown, the most densely populated portion of the city is in the midst of gentrification on a level few, if any, areas in Montana have ever seen. New growth is mainly concentrated on Billings West End, where Shiloh Crossing is a new commercial development, anchored by Scheels, Montana's largest retail store. Residentially, the West End is characterized by upper income households. Denser, more urban growth
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4064-483: Is land and 0.11 square miles (0.28 km ) is water. Around Billings, seven mountain ranges can be viewed. The Bighorn Mountains have over 200 lakes and two peaks that rise to over 13,000 feet (4,000 m): Cloud Peak, at 13,167 ft (4,013 m) and Black Tooth Mountain, at 13,005 ft (3,964 m). The Pryor Mountains directly south of Billings rise to a height of 8,822 feet (2,689 m) and are unlike any other landscape in Montana. They are also home
4191-486: Is named for Frederick H. Billings , a former president of the Northern Pacific Railroad from Woodstock, Vermont . An earlier name for the area was Clark's Fork Bottom. The Crow people from the nearby Crow Indian Reservation call the city Ammalapáshkuua . It means 'where they cut wood', and is named as such because of a sawmill built in the area by early white settlers. The Cheyenne from
4318-577: Is occurring in Josephine Crossing, one of Billings' many new contemporary neighborhoods. Downtown is a blend of small businesses and office space, together with restaurants and a walkable brewery district. The Heights, defined as the area of the city northeast of the Metra, is predominantly residential, and a new school was recently completed in 2016 to accommodate growth in the neighborhood. The tallest building in Billings and Montana as well as
4445-478: Is the only remaining physical evidence of Coulson's existence. When the railroad came to the area, Coulson residents were sure the town would become the railroads hub and Coulson would soon be the Territories largest city. The railroad only had claim to odd sections and it had two sections side-by-side about two miles west of Coulson. Being able to make far more money by creating a new town on these two sections
4572-690: Is today was known as Clark's Fork Bottom. Clark's Fork Bottom was to be the hub for hauling freight to Judith and Musselshell Basins. At the time these were some of the most productive areas of the Montana Territory . The plan was to run freight up Alkali Creek, now part of Billings Heights, to the basins and Fort Benton on the Hi-Line . In 1877, settlers from the Gallatin Valley area of the Montana Territory formed Coulson
4699-597: The Air Force Reserve to support military causes in Texas. The 2020 event took place in the autumn, after the conclusion of that year's PBR World Finals, while the one in 2021 took place on Labor Day Weekend. The 2022 edition took place at King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas , also during Labor Day Weekend and donations from that event went towards conservation and sustainability efforts across Texas. A donation to
4826-595: The Midland Empire . After World War II , Billings became the region's major financial, medical and cultural center. Billings has had rapid growth from its founding; in its first 50 years growth was, at times, as high as 200 to 300 percent per decade. Billings growth has remained robust throughout the years. In the 1950s, it growth rate was 66 percent. The 1973 oil embargo by OPEC spurred an oil boom in eastern Montana, northern Wyoming and western North Dakota. With this increase in oil production, Billings became
4953-564: The Northern Pacific Railway president Frederick H. Billings , the city was founded in 1882. The Railroad formed the city as a western railhead for its further westward expansion. At first the new town had only three buildings but within just a few months it had grown to over 2,000. This spurred Billings' nickname of the Magic City because, like magic, it seemed to appear overnight. The nearby town of Coulson appeared
5080-716: The Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ; and the 2019 & 2020 Global Cups at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. Because the five PBR countries had different protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Cup was ultimately not held in 2021. However, it returned to AT&T Stadium in 2022. The PBR Global Cup was never held in Mexico or Brazil. The PBR's Mexico circuit took
5207-651: The Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas. In October 2024, it was announced that PBR would be sold to TKO Group Holdings —originally established as a merger between Endeavor-owned mixed martial arts promotion UFC and professional wrestling company WWE —as part of a larger, $ 3.25 billion agreement expected to close in 2025. The proposed sale is connected to Silver Lake Partners ' plans to take Endeavor private , and also includes IMG and sports hospitality firm On Location Experiences. More than 800 bull riders from
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5334-618: The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association was also included and the money was to be distributed to multiple local and rural fire departments that helped landowners fight wildfires across Texas earlier in the year. On November 5, 2021, a new tour was announced; the PBR Team Series. It debuted in 2022 and runs from the summer to autumn of every year. The first eight teams and their respective owners were announced on January 6, 2022. The teams representing different regions of
5461-561: The Unleash the Beast Series (UTB). The PBR World Finals were held in Las Vegas, Nevada , for over a quarter century. They were held at the city's MGM Grand Garden Arena from 1994 through 1998, the Thomas & Mack Center from 1999 through 2015 (the first weekend of the World Finals from 2004 through 2007 was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center ), and T-Mobile Arena from 2016 through 2019. In 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions,
5588-405: The Yellowstone River , which made it ideal for the commerce steamboats brought up the river. However, when the Montana & Minnesota Land Company oversaw the development of potential railroad land, they ignored Coulson, and platted the new town of Billings just a couple of miles to the northwest. Coulson quickly faded away; most of her residents were absorbed into Billings. Yet, for a short time,
5715-502: The 1910 census, Billings' population had risen to 10,031, ranking it the sixth fastest-growing community in the nation. Billings became an energy center in the early years of the twentieth century with the discovery of oil fields in Montana and Wyoming. Then the discovery of large natural gas and coal reserves secured the city's rank as first in energy. In the early 20th century, its served as regional trading center and energy hub for eastern Montana and northern Wyoming, an area then known as
5842-534: The 1970s, Billings became a shopping destination for an ever-larger area. The 1970s and 1980s saw new shopping districts and shopping centers developed in the Billings area. In addition to the other shopping centers, two new malls were developed, and Rimrock Mall was redeveloped and enlarged, on what was then the city's west end. Cross Roads Mall was built in Billings Heights, and West Park Plaza mall in midtown. Several new business parks were also developed on
5969-442: The 2003 season, they wear sport jerseys and shorts that feature corporate sponsor logos. Also in 2003, Ford Trucks , an official PBR sponsor since 2001, replaced Bud Light as the new Premier Series title sponsor; thus the Bud Light Cup Series became the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS). Bud Light would remain a PBR sponsor through 2007. PBR world champions had always received a year-end money bonus, but starting in 2003, they received
6096-773: The 2010s, Eastern Montana and North Dakota experienced an energy boom due to the Bakken formation , the largest oil discovery in U.S. history. Two-thirds of the city is in the Yellowstone Valley and the South Hills area and one-third in the Heights-Lockwood area. The city is divided by the Rims, long cliffs, also called the Rimrocks . The Rims run to the north and east of the downtown core, separating it from
6223-415: The 2010s. After a few years, ABBI Brazil was discontinued. The ABBI also planned to hold events in Mexico by 2021. However, said project never materialized. Beginning with the 2013 season, the PBR made it mandatory that all contestants at their events who were born on or after October 15, 1994, ride with a full bull riding helmet. Those born before that date were grandfathered in and permitted to ride with
6350-406: The 21st globally. Projects to achieve this status included increased efficiency at the water and waste water treatment plant, adding electric city buses and EV charging stations, and adding a conservation area to the west-end. Significant road developments began, providing infrastructure for city growth. In 2000, a new exit on Interstate 90 was completed. Zoo Drive exit provides ease of access to
6477-510: The BLC season. In late 2001, The National Network was rebranded as The New TNN, and the BLC was televised on said channel for its entire 2002 season, with the exception of the last regular-season BLC event in Columbus, Ohio , which was broadcast on CBS . It was the only event in the history of the Bud Light Cup Series to have not been televised on TNN. Professional Bull Riders This
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#17327807558176604-553: The Billings Logan International Airport. In the summer, the temperature can rise to over 100 °F (37.8 °C) on an average of 1 to 3 days per year, while the winter will bring temperatures below 0 °F or −17.8 °C on an average of 12.9 days per year. The snowfall averages 57.4 inches (146 cm) a year, but because of warm chinook winds that pass through the region during the winter, snow does not usually accumulate heavily or remain on
6731-498: The Billings area home since about 1700. The present-day Crow Nation is just south of Billings. In July 1806, William Clark (of the Lewis and Clark Expedition ) passed through the Billings area. On July 25 he arrived at what is now known as Pompey's Pillar and wrote in his journal "... at 4 P M arrived at a remarkable rock, i ascended this rock and from its top had a most extensive view in every direction." Clark carved his name and
6858-494: The Billings area. With the addition of more interchange exits along I-90 , additional hotel chains and service industry outlets are being built in Billings. Development of business parks and large residential developments on the city's west end, South Hills area, Lockwood, and the Billings Heights were all part of the 1990s. Billings received the All-America City Award in 1992. In the 21st century, Billings saw
6985-638: The CBR World Finals. The bull teams racked up points and money and from 2010 to 2018, a year-end CBR Bull Team Challenge champion was crowned. After CBR went out of business in the summer of 2018, the CBR Bull Team Challenge was renamed the Million Dollar Bull Team Challenge (MDBTC) and returned to its roots by rejoining the PBR. MDBTC events now take place at U.S. lower-level PBR events. In
7112-592: The Cheeseburger Island Style Hawaii All-Star Challenge, which featured the top 15 riders from the 2006 year-end world standings, as well as five riders that were voted online by fans to compete at the event. In April 2007, investment firm Spire Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in PBR. In 2008, the PBR launched the Bull Team Challenge; a series of events in which stock contractors bucked
7239-557: The Heights to the north and Lockwood to the east, with the cliffs to the north being 500 feet (150 m) tall and to the east of downtown, the face rises 800 feet (240 m). The elevation of Billings is 3,126 feet (953 m) above sea level. The Yellowstone River runs through the southeast portion of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 43.52 square miles (112.72 km ), of which 43.41 square miles (112.43 km )
7366-493: The Montana Territory were carried on paddle riverboats. It is believed it was decided to name the new town Coulson in an attempt to attract the Coulson Packet Company that ran riverboats between St Louis and many points in the Montana Territory. In spite of their efforts the river was traversed only once by paddle riverboat to the point of the new town. Coulson was a rough town of dance halls and saloons and not
7493-618: The Norwest Bank Building, was the tallest building in Montana from 1977 until 1980. Billings is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Statistical Area. The metropolitan area consists of three counties: Yellowstone , Stillwater , and Carbon . The population of the entire metropolitan area was at 184,167 in the 2020 Census. As of the census of 2010, there were 104,170 people, 43,945 households, and 26,194 families residing in
7620-492: The PBR World Finals moved to Las Vegas' Thomas and Mack Center . A new rule was put in place, called the "World Champion's Exemption", where former PBR world champions could compete in as many or as few elite series events as they chose (while still needing to qualify for the World Finals by earning enough money like all other riders). TNN's name was changed from The Nashville Network to the National Network late in
7747-477: The PBR is 98.75 points. Each Premier Series event always has four judges. At the end of each event, the top 12 riders compete in the Championship Round; the rider with the highest point total from the entire event becomes the champion. The PBR started their inaugural championship season in 1994 with one tour. Today, it offers five tours in the United States. Eligibility of contestants at each level
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#17327807558177874-512: The PBR started their inaugural season in 1994. This series became the elite series of the PBR. The entire series was telecast on TNN . Each event used three judges – except for the PBR Bud Light Cup World Championships, which had four – with two typically scoring up to 50 points each, and a reserve judge to provide a tiebreaking score if needed. Two-day events featured two preliminary rounds in which
8001-689: The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range. The Beartooth Mountains are the location of Granite Peak, which at 12,807 feet (3,904 m) is the highest point in the state of Montana. The Beartooth Highway , a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks along the Montana–Wyoming border, rises to 10,947 feet (3,337 m). It was called "the most beautiful drive in America" by Charles Kuralt . The Beartooth Mountains are just northeast of Yellowstone National Park. The Crazy Mountains to
8128-537: The Team Series Championship event with a $ 10,000 bonus. The other teams that finish in the top four of the Championship event, including each individual team member and ownership group, also receive a year-end money bonus. On February 23, 2024, the PBR announced the addition of two new teams to the series. The trophy cup that the PBR's annual individual world champion receives in addition to
8255-430: The Thomas & Mack Center through 2015. In 2016, the PBR moved the World Finals to the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip . In 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and Nevada state restrictions on large events, the World Finals were moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas , with a limited and socially distanced crowd for every day of competition. The event returned to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for
8382-472: The United States every year and the ABBI Finals have been held every autumn since 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2005, the PBR opened offices in Canada , Mexico , Brazil , and Australia to produce tours in said countries starting the next year. In 2006, just shortly after that year's World Finals, the PBR held two events in Hawaii . The first was a regular lower-level event, the Myron Duarte Maui Challenge in Wailuku , followed by an event in Honolulu ,
8509-408: The United States go head-to-head against each other in events in each of the teams' respective hometowns, as well as two "neutral site" events. The season culminates with the Team Series Championship, which is held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The year-end champion team wins a trophy shaped like a giant belt buckle, as well as a large money bonus. Each individual member of the champion team also wins
8636-425: The United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and other countries hold PBR memberships, and compete in PBR-sanctioned events in the four mentioned countries. At the end of each season, the PBR world champion receives a $ 1 million bonus, trophy cup, and championship gold belt buckle. The PBR has become one of the most globally successful television sports programs. Total viewership, including live event attendees and
8763-590: The United States, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. Over 800 bull riders from said countries, as well as others hold PBR memberships. The organization was founded on April 12, 1992, through the efforts of businessman Sam Applebaum and 20 professional bull riders; David Bailey Jr., Clint Branger, Mark Cain, Adam Carrillo, Gilbert Carrillo, Cody Custer, Jerome Davis , Bobby DelVecchio, Mike Erickson, David Fournier, Michael Gaffney, Tuff Hedeman , Cody Lambert , Scott Mendes , Daryl Mills, Ty Murray , Ted Nuce , Aaron Semas, Jim Sharp , and Brent Thurman ; who all gathered in
8890-413: The World Finals is an eight-day event; the first four days of the event are followed by two days off, then the next two days are followed by another day off, then the final two days conclude the event. From 2007 through 2010, the PBR hosted a team competition format called the PBR World Cup , where 25 bull riders (altogether representing the five countries where PBR events are sanctioned) competed to win
9017-421: The World Finals were relocated to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas . The World Finals returned to Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena for the final time in 2021. Billings, Montana Billings is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana , with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census . Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and
9144-530: The World Finals. Starting with the BLC event in Billings, Montana , the PBR adopted a half-point scoring system in their events (whereas in prior seasons they scored rides in whole points), a change that would remain in place until the end of the 2005 Built Ford Tough Series season (when a quarter-point system would be implemented full-time). After five years at the MGM Grand Garden Arena,
9271-598: The best of each. The home country was granted a competitive advantage. It was a series that visited each nation each year and continued until one nation held all five pieces of the Global Cup—including the native soil of each territory. Thus, only one country could be claimed the Toughest Nation on Dirt . The 2017 PBR Global Cup was held at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada ; the 2018 Global Cup at
9398-412: The bull on how rank (difficult to ride) he is. Two judges score the rider on how proficient he is. The rider has to stay on top of the bull for eight seconds and ride with one free hand. He is disqualified if he touches himself, the bull, the riding equipment, or the ground with his free arm during the course of the ride. Any ride that is scored 90 points or higher is deemed exceptional. The highest score in
9525-411: The bull when he successfully rides the bull for eight seconds. An event has four judges, all former bull riders themselves. Each judge may award up to 25 points. Two judges score the rider, and two judges score the bull. All of the judges' scores are tallied together. That figure is divided by two for the official score. One-half of the possible score is based on the bull's performance. The two judges score
9652-500: The calendar year. Cowtown Coliseum was the site of the very first PBR event in April 1993. The PBR World Finals was held in Las Vegas, Nevada , for over 25 years. The inaugural 1994 World Finals was held at the city's MGM Grand Garden Arena . The event remained at that venue through 1998. In 1999, the PBR moved the World Finals to the Thomas & Mack Center . The organization was stretching its current arena's limits and really needed
9779-540: The canyon walls known as the Billings Rimrocks or the Rims. The Pictograph Caves are about five miles south of downtown. These caves contain over 100 pictographs (rock paintings), the oldest of which is over 2,000 years old. Approximately 30,000 artifacts (including stone tools and weapons) have been excavated from the site. These excavations have proven the area has been occupied since at least 2600 BC until after AD 1800. The Crow Indians have called
9906-537: The circuit folded shortly thereafter. From 2020 through 2022, the PBR held Cowboys for a Cause; an event that featured sponsored teams of three bull riders competing against each other in a winner-take-all format while donating money to charitable causes. During its first two years, the event took place on the launch deck of the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas , and was held in conjunction with
10033-509: The city is home to many regional headquarters and corporate headquarters. Because Montana has no sales tax, Billings is a retail destination for much of Wyoming, North and South Dakota as well as much of Montana east of the Continental Divide . $ 1 out of every $ 7 spent on retail purchases in Montana is spent in Billings. The percentage of wholesale business transactions done in Billings is even stronger: Billings accounts for more than
10160-584: The city's growth rate stayed high during the shale oil boom. Attractions in and around Billings include ZooMontana , the Yellowstone Art Museum , Pompey's Pillar , Pictograph Cave , Chief Plenty Coups State Park , Little Bighorn Battlefield , Bighorn Canyon , Red Lodge Mountain , and the Beartooth Highway . The northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park is a little over 100 miles (160 km) from Billings. The city
10287-464: The city's west end during this period. Billings was affected by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in May; the city received about 1-inch (25 mm) of ash on the ground. The Yellowstone fires of 1988 blanketed Billings in smoke for weeks. In the 1990s, the service sector in the city increased with the development of new shopping centers built around big box stores which built multiple outlets in
10414-411: The city. The population density was 2,399.7 inhabitants per square mile (926.5/km ). There were 46,317 housing units at an average density of 1,067.0 per square mile (412.0/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 89.6% White , 4.4% Native American , 0.8% Black , 0.7% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.4% from other races , and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.2% of
10541-412: The city. The tornado was accompanied by hail up to golf ball size, dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning, and heavy winds. The tornado destroyed a number of businesses and severely damaged the 12,000-seat MetraPark Arena. See or edit raw graph data . Billings has many sections that comprise the whole of the city. The sections are often defined by Billings unique physical characteristics. For example,
10668-569: The completion of the Shiloh parkway, a 4.8-mile (7.7 km) multi-lane street with eight roundabouts . Other new centers include Billings Town Square and West Park Promenade, Montana's first open-air shopping mall. In 2009, Fortune Small Business magazine named Billings the best small city in which to start a business. On June 20, 2010 (Father's Day), a tornado touched down in the downtown core and Heights sections of Billings. The MetraPark Arena and area businesses suffered major damage. In
10795-472: The date into the rock, leaving the only remaining physical evidence of their expedition. He named the place Pompey's Tower, naming it after the son of his Shoshone interpreter and guide Sacajawea . In 1965, Pompey's Pillar was designated as a national historic landmark, and was proclaimed a national monument in January 2001. An interpretive center has been built next to the monument. The area where Billings
10922-409: The development of operations centers in the city's business parks and downtown core by such national companies as GE, Wells Fargo, and First Interstate Bank. The Downtown Billings Alliance led efforts to transform downtown in order to increase economic and civic opportunities. In 2002, Skypoint was completed. This artistic structure provides a defining area to host events. Downtown saw a renaissance of
11049-410: The eastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park. Downtown Billings has a humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfa ) bordering on a cold semi arid climate (Köppen: Bsk ), with dry, hot summers, and cold, dry winters. However, areas outside of downtown can have a hot-summer continental climate, even with the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm, due to the urban heat island effect, as exemplified by
11176-472: The economic downturn that affected most of the nation from 2008 to 2012 as well as the housing bust. With more hotel accommodations than any area within a five-state region, the city hosts a variety of conventions, concerts, sporting events, and other rallies. With the nearby Bakken oil development , the largest oil discovery in U.S. history, as well as the Heath Shale oil discovery north of Billings,
11303-482: The final time in 2021. The World Finals were relocated to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas , in 2022 and were held there in 2023, as well. Since 2024, the event has been split into two different venues in two different cities in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex ; the first six days taking place at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, then the final two days taking place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The PBR
11430-537: The first and only one in which the world championship race was based entirely on money won throughout the season. This was also the year that the PBR's first minor league tour, the Touring Pro Division was introduced, making the televised Bud Light Cup Series the PBR's elite series. There were now 30 contestants at the World Finals: the top 20 money-earners from the Bud Light Cup Series, as well as
11557-465: The first place team won $ 20,000, while second place won $ 10,000. The top bull teams then competed at the PBR World Finals for a $ 500,000 purse, with $ 250,000 going to the champion team. The PBR discontinued the Bull Team Challenge after just one year. However, the concept was picked up by another bull riding organization, Championship Bull Riding (CBR) in 2010, and the CBR Bull Team Challenge hosted several bull teams competing at regular events, as well as
11684-399: The first three days taking place the first weekend, followed by the next four days taking the following weekend; from 2010 through 2019, it was again a five-day event; in 2020 and 2021, it was again a four-day event; in 2022 and 2023, it went back to being a seven-day event with the first three days taking place one weekend, then the next four days taking place the following weekend. Since 2024,
11811-499: The first town of the Yellowstone Valley. The town was started when John Alderson built a sawmill and convinced PW McAdow to open a general store and trading post on land Alderson owned on the bank of the Yellowstone River. The store went by the name of Headquarters, and soon other buildings and tents were being built as the town began to grow. At this time before the coming of the railroad, most goods coming to and going from
11938-645: The gold belt buckle and money bonus was originally called the Bud Light Cup from 1994 through 2002. However, when Bud Light was no longer the Premier Series' title sponsor by 2003, it was referred to simply as the PBR Cup or PBR Championship Trophy. In 2022, the trophy cup was officially renamed the Jerome Robinson Cup; in honor of former bull rider and longtime PBR arena director Jerome Robinson, who died earlier in that year. In September 2022, it
12065-437: The ground for long: the greatest depth has been 33 inches (84 cm) on April 5, 1955, after a huge storm which dumped 4.22 inches (107 mm) of water equivalent precipitation as snow in the previous three days under temperatures averaging 26.7 °F (−2.9 °C). The snowiest year on record was 2017–18, with 106.1 inches (269 cm), topping the 2013–14 previous record of 103.5 inches (263 cm). The first freeze of
12192-518: The headquarters for energy sector companies. In 1975 and 1976, the Colstrip coal-fire generation plants 1 and 2 were completed; plants 3 and 4 started operating in 1984 and 1986. In the 1970s and 1980s, Billings saw major growth in its downtown core; the first high-rise buildings to be built in Montana were erected. In 1980, the 22-floor Sheraton Hotel was completed. Upon its completion, it was declared "the tallest load-bearing brick masonry building in
12319-452: The highest combined scores returned to the Championship Round. The inaugural PBR World Finals took place at Las Vegas, Nevada 's MGM Grand Garden Arena . There were 46 contestants at the two-day event. All would ride in Rounds 1 and 2, then the top fifteen point-earners competed in the Championship Round. Throughout the years, more events were added to the PBR schedule. The 1995 season was
12446-485: The historic area as building after building was restored. In 2007, Billings was designated a Preserve America Community . Various changes were made to make the city more environmentally friendly. The MET Transit Center for city buses received LEED Platinum status in 2010. This was the first transportation facility in the US to do so. In 2022, Billings received LEED Gold certification, the first city to do so in Montana and
12573-558: The hunt for a berth to the Bud Light Cup World Finals. Once the finalists were at the World Finals, however, the World Champion was determined by Bud Light Cup Points won throughout the season. The points system was a very thorough one that ensured the most consistent rider of the season was proclaimed the champion. Bud Light Cup points were awarded only at Bud Light Cup events. They were calculated by using
12700-523: The nearby Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation referred to the city as É'êxováhtóva , 'sawing place' and the Gros Ventre from the nearby Fort Belknap Indian Reservation referred to it as ʔóhuutébiθɔnɔ́ɔ́nh , 'where they saw lumber', both also named for the sawmill, or translations of the Crow name. The downtown core and much of the rest of Billings is in the Yellowstone Valley,
12827-461: The population has a bachelor's degree or higher. Billings' location was essential to its initial economic success. Billings' future as a major trade and distribution center was basically assured from its founding as a railroad hub due to its geographic location. As Billings quickly became the region's economic hub, it outgrew the other cities in the region. The Billings trade area serves over a half million people. A major trade and distribution center,
12954-439: The population. There were 43,945 households, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
13081-555: The principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area , which had a population of 184,167 in the 2020 census. With one of the largest trade areas in the United States, Billings is the trade and distribution center for much of Montana east of the Continental Divide . Billings is also the largest retail destination for much of the same area. The Billings Chamber of Commerce claims the area of commerce covers more than 125,000 square miles (320,000 km ). In 2009, it
13208-550: The quickly growing west-end area. The Yellowstone River bridge is being rebuilt as part of the Billings Bypass project, which will create a new arterial roadway from Lockwood to the Heights. The city saw a significant growth in businesses. With the completion of the Shiloh interchange exit, the TransTech Center was developed and more hotels were built. In 2010 the Shiloh corridor was open for business with
13335-425: The railroad decided to create the new town of Billings, the two towns existed side by side for a short time with a trolley even running between them. However, most of Coulson's residents moved to the new booming town of Billings. In the end Coulson faded away with the last remains of the town disappearing in the 1930s. Today Coulson Park, a Billings city park, sits on the river bank where Coulson once was. Named after
13462-491: The ride score and adding any bonus points for the Standings position in each round and the event overall position. The World Champion Bull Rider title and the gold buckle went to the rider with most Bud Light Cup points. Source: After a small series of PBR-sanctioned events televised on The Nashville Network (TNN) with Bud Light as the primary sponsor took place in 1993, the organization had its first official season with
13589-485: The season on average arrives by October 6 and the last is May 5. Spring and autumn in Billings are usually mild, but brief. Winds, while strong at times, are considered light compared with the rest of Montana and the Rocky Mountain Front . Due to its location, Billings is susceptible to severe summer weather as well. On June 20, 2010, a tornado touched down in the Billings Heights and Downtown sections of
13716-609: The summer of 2008, the PBR Team Shootout was held. This was a series of five events in which the top 20 riders in the PBR world standings each selected a rider of their choice, and as a team competed against each other for the Team Shootout championship. Each team rode in two of the first four events, held respectively in Del Mar, California ; Paso Robles, California ; Molalla, Oregon ; and Guthrie, Oklahoma . Then,
13843-420: The television audience, grew 52 percent between 2002 and 2004. In 2004, 16.4 million fans watched or attended a PBR event. By 2008, over 100 million watched the PBR on television, and over 1.7 million attended a live event. In 1995, roughly 310,000 fans attended an event. Now, around 3 million fans attend a live event. A qualified ride is worth up to 100 points. That is, 50 points for the rider and 50 points for
13970-846: The title of best bull riding country in the world. The 2007 PBR World Cup was held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia ; the 2008 World Cup at the Manuel Bernardo Aguirre Gymnasium in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico ; the 2009 World Cup at the Parque do Peão in Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil ; and the 2010 World Cup at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States . The PBR World Cup
14097-501: The top 10 money-earners from the Touring Pro Division. It was a six-round event where all contestants rode in the first five rounds, then the top fifteen point-earners rode in the Championship Round. Starting in 1996, the PBR reduced the maximum number of go-rounds in an event from four to three (meaning now, two long rounds and the Championship Round). Also, the number of riders on the BLC series increased from 30 to 45, and
14224-534: The top 10 teams rode at the finals event in Pueblo, Colorado. 2009 was the first year in which most of the contestants on the PBR's televised Premier Series rode with helmets instead of cowboy hats. In 2010, a week before the start of that year's World Finals, the PBR held an event in New York City's Times Square which featured the top 10 riders competing for the chance to receive additional points towards
14351-532: The top 45 bull riders who each rode one bull per night; the top 15 riders by score from these preliminaries rode in a short go-round, called the Built Ford Tough Championship Round in 2002, on the second night. The rider who had the highest score total from his three rides was the event winner. One day events followed the same format but only had one preliminary round. Riders were drawn for each bull ahead of an event and then posted
14478-420: The top 45 money-earners based on money won at all PBR-sanctioned events would qualify for the World Finals. Also, the world championship race returned to a point system. The World Finals was now a five-round event where all contestants rode in the first four rounds, then the top fifteen returned for the Championship Round. This was the first season where a million dollars in total prize money would be offered at
14605-486: The two towns coexisted; a trolley even ran between them. But ultimately there was no future for Coulson as Billings grew. Though it stood on the banks of the Yellowstone River only a couple of miles from the heart of present-day downtown Billings, the city of Billings never built on the land where Coulson once stood. Today Coulson Park sits along the banks of the Yellowstone where the valley's first town once stood. By
14732-429: The west rise to a height of 11,209 feet (3,417 m) at Crazy Peak, the tallest peak in the range. Big Snowy Mountains , with peaks of 8,600 feet (2,600 m), are home to Crystal Lake. The Bull Mountains are a low-lying heavily forested range north of Billings Heights. The Absaroka Range stretches about 150 mi (240 km) across the Montana–Wyoming border, and 75 miles (121 km) at its widest, forming
14859-514: The world standings. On February 23, 2011, the PBR announced that Jim Haworth had become its new CEO. Then on June 29, 2015, the PBR announced that Haworth was promoted to Chairman, while COO Sean Gleason had become the new CEO. After several years of only holding events in the United States, the ABBI expanded to having futurity events as well as year-end finals in Canada, Australia, and Brazil by
14986-694: The world" by the Brick Institute of America. During the 1970s and 1980s, other major buildings were constructed in the downtown core; the Norwest Building (now Wells Fargo), Granite Tower, Sage Tower, the MetraPark arena, the TransWestern Center, many new city-owned parking garages, and the First Interstate Center , the tallest building in Montana. With the completion of large sections of the interstate system in Montana in
15113-400: The year, PBR events, including the World Finals, consisted of limited and socially distanced crowds. The length of the PBR World Finals has changed throughout its history. The inaugural 1994 World Finals was a two-day event; the 1995 World Finals was a five-day event; from 1996 through 2003, it lasted four days; from 2004 through 2009 it lasted seven days, but was split into two weekends, with
15240-399: Was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.90. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.6% of residents under the age of 18; 9.8% between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% from 25 to 44; 26.3% from 45 to 64; and 15% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age in the city was 37.5 years. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. As of 2000 the median income for
15367-535: Was Sam Applebaum. Randy Bernard became CEO of the PBR in 1995, a position he held until he resigned in 2010 to become the CEO of INDYCAR . When Bernard took over the position of CEO in 1995, it was just after the conclusion of the first World Finals at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada . At that time, the PBR's bank account held $ 8,000 and the organization was $ 140,000 in debt. Bernard,
15494-598: Was announced that the PBR Hall of Fame would be located at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , within the museum's American Rodeo Gallery. It opened the following year. From June through August 2022, the PBR hosted lower-level tour events on Sundays at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas . Since 2023, these events take place at the venue on most Thursdays of
15621-490: Was estimated to serve over 500,000 people. Billings was nicknamed the "Magic City" because of its rapid growth from its founding as a railroad town in March 1882. The nearby Crow and Cheyenne peoples called the city Ammalapáshkuua and É'êxováhtóva respectively, meaning 'where they cut wood', named as such because of a sawmill built in the area by early white settlers. The city has experienced rapid growth and maintains
15748-616: Was never held in Canada. From 2017 through 2020, and again in 2022, another event, the PBR Global Cup , offered bull riders a chance to compete in a five country competition. This event was a different format from the PBR World Cup; it was not a continuation of the old event. Like the World Cup, the Global Cup was staged annually across the countries where PBR events are sanctioned. National team riders were matched against
15875-652: Was originally headquartered in Irvine, California , before moving to downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado , in 1995. By 2007, the organization had enough of its cramped office in Colorado Springs, so they moved their world headquarters to a new four-story building on the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk in Pueblo, Colorado . In 2024, they once again relocated their world headquarters; this time to
16002-609: Was represented by a corporate sponsor. The regular events were held at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas, while the series finale was held at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota . While the regular events were closed to the public, the championship event allowed fans to attend, but in limited numbers and they needed to socially distance themselves. For the rest of
16129-471: Was seeking to break away from the rules set by the PRCA and BRO, and form their own bull riding competitions, which included them as well as other top bull riders. "We wanted to create a better product for the fans, so that when they tuned in they were seeing the best of the best every time," said PBR co-founder and nine-time world champion rodeo cowboy Ty Murray, who later served as the president. The PBR put on
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