The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is excited to unveil its newest investors--two of the sporting world’s most renowned athletes. National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer John Elway and National Hockey League (NHL) Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky are two of the PBR’s newest shareholders through Spire Capital Partners, L.P., the PBR’s partner and private equity firm.
Randy Bernard, PBR CEO, shared his excitement, “The PBR is extremely proud to have these two incredible athletes associated with our organization. This is another way the PBR can become more visible in the world of mainstream sports.”
Former Denver Bronco, John Elway, is still revered as being one of the best NFL quarterbacks of all time. He holds many records, one of these being 148 games won as a starting quarterback, as well as holding the record of being a 5-time Super Bowl starting quarterback.
“To be associated with a group of people like the Professional Bull Riders, and my good friend Wayne Gretzky, is a win-win situation for me,” said Elway. “I really look forward to being involved with this great group and sharing in our successes together.”
Gretzky, widely considered the greatest player in the history of the National Hockey League, still remains the most statistically dominant player in the history of North American team sports. He captured 61 NHL scoring records during his 20-year career, and continues to hold or share these records. “The Great One” also won four Stanley Cups, as well as many international competitions. Following his final NHL game on April 18, 1999, Gretzky became the first and only player in NHL history to have his jersey number retired by all member clubs.
“Coming on board with the Professional Bull Riders is an exciting and unique opportunity,” said Gretzky. “Their success as an entertainment vehicle has been well documented, and to be a part of such a well-respected and up-an-coming venture is thrilling.”
Spire Capital Partners completed its partnership with PBR in April 2007. Spire Capital Partners, L.P., is now the majority investor of PBR, the leading, global professional bull riding organization.
The Des Moines Classic treated fans to two action packed nights of the best bull riding in the world. The 19th stop of the elite Professional Bull Riders’ (PBR) Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler (BFTS) made its debut appearance at the Wells Fargo Arena. Current points’ leader, Guilherme Marchi (Leme, Sao Paulo, Brazil) walked away with top honors and separated himself even further from the field of 45 bull riders.
During the first round of competition, Marchi scored 86 points aboard #10 Bucking Bulls’ Bad Brad on Friday night. In the second round of action, he topped Chad Berger/Clay Struve’s Spiderman for 84.75 points. Marchi’s consistency paid off when he scored 88.25 points aboard D&H Cattle Co.’s Bad Yeller during the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. As the only man to ride all three bulls and a total score of 259 points, he easily claimed the event championship and the $27,320 in prize money.
“I’ve tried and tried in the past to win the PBR World Championship,” said Marchi. “This year I’ve trained a little harder and had a lot of support from my friends and family. I hope that it’s finally my time.”
The Des Moines Classic event win marks the third win of the season for Marchi and his ninth career victory. The sensational bull rider from Brazil has maintained an exceptional 80.36% riding percentage through 19 BFTS events this season. Through the first half of the season, Marchi has dominated the chase for the 2008 PBR World Championship, extending his lead to more than 3,000 points.
Texas cowboy, Zack Brown (Santa Fe) continued to move toward the top of the standings by claiming second place overall in the event with 179 points. In the first round, Brown received 88.25 points aboard Danny Lemmons’ Splat Kat. In the second round, he was bucked off of Page & Teague Bucking Bulls’ Page W4L but his single score was enough to qualify him for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. Brown claimed the win during the final round of action when he scored 90.75 points aboard Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Julie Rosen’s Sir Patrick. Brown earned $16,718 for his performance.
Event alternate, Harve Stewart (Stephenville, Texas) did his best to re-claim his spot among the elite bull riders when he took third place in the overall event standings. Although he was bucked off of Stace Smith’s Wild Berry in round one, he dominated Silverado Rodeo Company’s Malibu in round two and received 88 points. In the Built Ford Tough Championship Round, Stewart scored 90.5 points aboard Frontier/Teague/Ron White’s Nervous Waters. Stewart added $11,334 in PBR bucks to his pocket book.
Fourth place was claimed by three-time PBR World Champion, Adriano Moraes (Cachoeira Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil) with a total score of 177.5 points. Earlier this season Moraes announced that 2008 would be his farewell tour and he’s making the most of it with five top five finishes thus far in the year. Clayton Foltyn (El Campo, Texas) rounded out the top five with 177 points.
The PBR Team Challenge was once again a thrilling race in Des Moines. Twenty-two teams have been formed, each providing $50,000 for the opportunity to win their share of the $1.1 million total competition purse through the 2008 season. The teams known as D&H/Enlow/Gilbert and Ron White’s Comedy Tour tied for the win with 222.5 points and they each took home $15,000 in prize money.
The race for PBR’s million dollar world title takes the top 45 bull riders in the world to San Antonio, Texas for the Ford Best in Texas Shootout on May 17. The VERSUS network airs PBR events every Saturday and Sunday evening. Be sure to check www.pbrnow.com for upcoming cities, ticket information, and complete broadcast times.
INJURY REPORT
Kasey Hayes (Liberal, Kan.) fractured his C-6 vertebrae after he was thrown off his first round bull. He will undergo surgery and is out for an undetermined amount of time.
Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) sustained a concussion when he was thrown off his short round bull. He was transported to the hospital and is under observation for a neck injury.
Bryan Richardson (Dallas, TX) sprained his left shoulder. He is probable for San Antonio.
Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, NM) bruised his hip after he was thrown from his round one bull. He is probable for San Antonio.
BEHIND THE CHUTES
Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s “Ride with the Best” Bonus:
As the winner of round two at the Cooper Tires Invitational, Mike White (De Kalb, Texas) was eligible to compete for the $5,000 Enterprise Rent-A-Car “Ride with the Best” bonus during round one of Des Moines Classic. He did not make the required eight second whistle aboard Three Alarm, thus the $5,000 bonus was awarded to Frontier Rodeo Company.
The Des Moines Classic round one winner, Luke Snyder (Raymore, Mo.) was eligible to compete for the $5,000 Enterprise Rent-A-Car “Ride with the Best” bonus during the second round of competition in Des Moines. Snyder did not make the eight second whistle on the bull, Spit Fire, and consequently, C&G Rodeo Livestock, LLC was awarded the $5,000 bonus. As the winner of round two, L.J. Jenkins (Texico, N.M.) will be eligible for the bonus May 17 in San Antonio, Texas.
Ford Truck Moment of Truth Bonus:
Adriano Moraes (Cachoeira Paulista, SP, Brazil) was in the lead going into the Built Ford Tough Championship Round and ultimately did not win the Des Moines Classic event title. As the $10,000 bonus was not claimed, it will increase to $15,000 at the Ford Best in Texas Shootout in San Antonio, Texas on May 17. The bonus grows by $5,000 each week if it is not claimed. Once claimed, it returns to $5,000.
Ford Super Duty Challenge:
As the Des Moines Classic event winner, Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) has qualified for a chance to compete at the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, against all other 2008 Built Ford Tough Series event winners, for $50,000 toward the purchase of a 2009 Ford Super Duty Truck. The Ford Super Duty Challenge contestant who finishes the highest in the event aggregate during the 2008 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals will win the Ford Super Duty Challenge.
Salem NationaLease Bull of the Event:
Jacob’s Pet owned by D&H Cattle Co./Runyan earned Bull of the Event honors with a score of 46.50 points in Des Moines. This honor is acknowledged by an award of $1,250 going to the top bull of each event as determined by the PBR judges’ bull score.
Cabela’s World’s Foremost Ride:
L.J. Jenkins (Texico, N.M.) recorded the highest marked ride of the event when he scored 92 points on Chad Berger/Denny Hawks’ Scaredy Cat, during the second round of the Des Moines Classic. Consequently, he earned a $1,000 bonus.
The rider who achieves the highest score at each BFTS regular season event, excluding the PBR World Finals receives a bonus of $1,000 for the accomplishment. The PBR athlete who achieves the highest marked qualifying ride during the entire 2008 BFTS regular season, excluding the PBR World Finals event will receive $25,000, while second and third place finishers will be awarded $10,000 and $5,000, respectively. The bull rider who achieves the highest marked ride through the course of the entire 2008 PBR BFTS World Finals will earn an additional $10,000.
DES MOINES CLASSIC RESULTS
ROUND ONE: 1) Luke Snyder (Raymore, Mo.) 90.75 points on Frontier Rodeo Company’s Flash, $2,730; 2) Adriano Moraes (Cachoeira Paulista, SP, Brazil) 90.25 points on Chad Berger/Clay Struve’s Team Equine’s Evil Forces, $1,950; 3) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 88.75 points on Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Julie Rosen’s Montego Bay, $1,170; 4) Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) 88.5 points on Chad Berger/Clay Struve’s Texas, $780.
ROUND TWO: 1) L.J. Jenkins (Texico, NM) 92 points on Chad Berger/Denny Hawks’ Scaredy Cat, $2,730; 2) Dustin Elliott (North Platte, NE) 91.75 points on Chad Berger/Clay Struve’s Walk the Line, $1,950; 3/4) Brian Canter (Randleman, NC) Frontier Rodeo Company’s Flash, $975; 3/4) Mike White (De Kalb, TX) 89.75 points on Danny Lemmons’ Splat Kat, $975.
BUILT FORD TOUGH CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND: 1) Zack Brown (Santa Fe, TX) 90.75 points on Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Julie Rosen’s Sir Patrick, $2,730; 2) Harve Stewart (Stephenville, TX) 90.5 points on Frontier/Teague/Ron White’s Nervous Waters, $1,950; 3) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 88.25 points on D&H Cattle Co.’s Bad Yeller, $1,170.
OVERALL EVENT STANDINGS: 1) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 259 points, $27,320; 2) Zack Brown (Santa Fe, TX) 179 points, $16,718; 3) Harve Stewart (Stephenville, TX) 178.5 points, $11,334; 4) Adriano Moraes (Cachoeira Paulista, SP, Brazil) 177.5 points, $7,350; 5) Clayton Foltyn (El Campo, TX) 177 points, $5,156; 6) Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil) 176.75 points, $3,450.
BUILT FORD TOUGH WORLD STANDINGS: (The PBR World Champion is based on total Built Ford Tough Series points earned throughout the season.)
1) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 8729 points, $191,812; 2) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 5882.25 points, $112,024; 3) Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goiania, GO) 5472.75 points, $75,549; 4) J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, NC) 5224 points, $103,531; 5) L.J. Jenkins (Texico, NM) 5081.25 points, $121,006; 6) Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, NM) 4672 points, $226,817; 7) Mike Lee (Decatur, TX) 4442.5 points, $68,456; 8) Ross Coleman (Molalla, Ore.) 4362 points, $46,539; 9) Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) 4237 points, $175,291; 10) Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil) 4176 points, $60,426.
About the PBR:
More than 100 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on FOX, NBC, VERSUS, and on a host of foreign networks across the globe. With approximately 400ours of prime time programming annually PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air. In addition to attracting over one and one half million live event attendees each year with its multi-tiered event structure which includes the marquee Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler, the Copenhagen Bull Riding Challenger Tour, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, and the Discovery Tour, designed specifically for entry level contestants. The PBR is headquartered in Pueblo, Colo., and has over 1,200 PBR bull riders competing in more than 300 PBR sanctioned competitions in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.
He’s respected as much for his instruction as he is for the World Championship he won in 1970. Gary Leffew, long since referred to as the bull riding guru, has devoted his entire life to the sport.
At his ranch along the central coast of California, he teaches today’s riders to understand both the physical and mental techniques it takes to be a World Champion.
In the first of a series of scouting reports, Leffew breaks down the Top 10 riders in world.
10. Renato Nunes: He likes to ride in what I call the backdoor, but he’s good at it. He’s definitely going to stay in the Top 10. He’s a rank bull rider. He’s constantly moving and constantly hustling. That style of riding that he’s riding is a little tougher on you sometimes because you’re taking a lot of whip back there. He rides a little more back in what I call the "house of pain," but he’s really good at it. If he can finish out the year without really taking any hard whips and getting drilled into the ground, then he can stay healthy and probably end up in that Top 10. I don’t think he’s going to win a championship riding where he rides back there, because it’s a little too hard on you and it cuts your percentage down.
9. Robson Palermo: He is one of my favorites. I love watching him ride, and he is just such a great young rider. I think Robson’s problem was that he was a little too anxious to come back before he was ready, because this kid is incredibly talented. He has one of the best moves into his hand. He’s pretty darn tough away from his hand too, but he’s much tougher into his hand. He was one of my picks to challenge for a World Championship if he could have stayed healthy.
8. Ross Coleman: I’ve been working with Ross ever since he was 12 years old, and he’s amazing for his size. I think the first five years he was in there he was up in the Top 10. He’s a great talent and then he had a little run of injuries that kind of held him back. Seems like the baby and everything has got him refocused. When he gets his game going, he’s just about as tough as anybody. He never has quite got to that level for a championship, but he’s been close. Going into this end run, it’s just a matter of whether he keeps his game together. When he’s on, he’s super tough—straight forward and straight back, there’s nothing fancy about it. He rides up on his legs where I teach guys to ride. No matter how big you get your riding arm, it’s never going to get as big as your legs.
7. Mike Lee: He got in a heck of a slump last year. He got to what I call Barbie Dolling behind his rope, but when he’s straight forward, straight back, riding up on his legs, I don’t think there’s anybody tougher than him. Obviously he kept that highest percentage for a number of years in ride ratio, but I really don’t know what it was. He changed ropes for a while last year, and that rope was giving him heck and he was having a hard time getting out in front of it. When he’s riding good, you’ll see him moving up on the front end and then sitting down, and then moving back up there. Watch his riding arm shoulder—when it’s moving with him he’ll be tough, but if that arm stays back and he’s not driving with it, he seems to have a little problem because he gets to riding behind his rope. That’s not where he rides good. As of late, it’s hit and miss. One day he’s just perfect and another day he’s popping up and down behind that rope. It could be an injury or a bull rope that he’s having a little problem with.
6. Travis Briscoe: He is one of the best riders there is at riding in what we call the house of pain in between the rope and the flank. If he ever learns how to ride in front of that rope – with the try that he’s got – he’d be unbeatable. The way he rides, he’s catching up with his rope all the time. He’s got a lot of great moves behind the rope, but everybody that I’ve ever studied – and I’ve done a 40-year study of it – who rides behind that rope pays the price by injuries. When you make a mistake they slam you. He probably has more try and more heart than probably anyone I’ve ever seen, and you combine that with a little bit different style of riding and he would win more gold buckles then he would know what with, but, unfortunately, I’ve never seen anyone win a gold buckle riding that style of riding. He has to reinvent his style. He needs to take a style like Justin McBride, who rides up on his legs. It’s a very simple style—it's move up on your legs, ride around the corner and sit down. You’re never playing catch up. You’re always out in front of the bull and he’s pushing you. You can learn a new style by just role modeling, but it takes a little time. It would be hard to do it during the season. It would almost have to be done during the off-season and revamped before next season, because if you get to thinking about riding a new style in the middle of a season, you’re going to get yourself hurt. He could become one of the legends if he would just learn to revamp his style.
5. L.J. Jenkins: He’s having a real good year. He hasn’t had any injuries for a change, because that’s been holding him back, but here’s a guy who I don’t think knows how talented he is. He is one of the premiere rank bull riders in the business, and once he gets it in his mind that he can win a World Championship...I think the only thing holding him back is that he maybe doesn’t realize how talented he is.
4. J.B. Mauney: Would I love to work with this guy. Of all the riders I study, the great ones have a foundation—meaning from the waist down they have the most bend in their legs. They look like a jumping horse rider with a great bend in their leg. J.B. has the best foundation that I think I’ve ever seen in the game. He can sit anywhere on a bull and still have that foundation. He proved last year by how hard he pushed Justin McBride. He just kept raising the bar, so you see how talented the kid is, and everybody runs through great riding streaks and slumps (and he’s one of the Top 5) so if he ever gets his game together, like he did last year, and adds a little more to it, then there has to be a gold buckle in this guy’s future somewhere. He’s got heart and incredible talent, and those are the ingredients that are going to win a gold buckle.
3. Valdiron de Oliveira: He’s long and tall and goes away from his hand and into his hand. I think he’s coming into it again, and if he goes into the Finals (like that) there is not a lead too far ahead of him that is safe. He’s one of those guys who can really get hot and take it all at the Finals as well as the stretch run here because he’s really tough.
2. Kody Lostroh: He probably has the best move into his hand because he rides up on his legs, so he takes the power away from the bulls. His move into his hand is as good as there is out there, and then away from his hand he’s pretty darn tough going in that direction as well. The thing about him is that when he really comes alive is at the Finals. Last couple years he’s just dominated there. I think that if he just keeps up at the pace that he’s going he play along there at number two and make it a really exciting stretch race, which is always the most exciting when you can come from behind. That’s what this could play out to be, is him riding safely along in second place and then, if coming into the Finals Guilherme starts looking over his shoulder, this kid’s got the tools to gather him up ... that mindset to make big rides.
1. Guilherme Marchi: He’s had a tendency to fall apart at the Finals a couple times, especially if he draws a lot of bulls away from his hand, because he rides that style where he drops in and moves out going away from his hand. If bulls do give him trouble, it’s usually away from the hand. His mechanics are great. He has a little bit of a tendency to move in and then drop back out. That works most of the time on bulls away from his hand, but on those ranker bulls it can get to be a problem, especially if he stiffens up a little bit and gets to thinking about who’s behind him. If he just keeps his eye on the prize and never thinks about who’s behind him, then he’s probably going to be all right. If he maintains that consistency then I don’t think he has anything to worry about—nobody is going to catch him.
—by Keith Ryan Cartwright
Elvis Presley. Tiger Woods. The Rolling Stones. Dale Jr.
What do the biggest names in entertainment have to do with the Toughest Sport on Dirt?
All have teamed with Sportstoday, a division of Musictoday – a Live Nation company – to advance direct response and e-commerce efforts.
That means PBR fans will see aggressive changes over the next year at www.pbrstuff.com. A new version of the site was re-launched this past weekend, and it’s where fans can find everything from PBR jeans – the same ones worn by world No. 1 Guilherme Marchi – and other men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, to collectables for your home, office and car.
This year the top selling items have been the CD released by Justin McBride – the reigning World Champion – PBR Action Calendar, PBR Hunks Calendar, PBR decal and the 2007 World Finals DVD.
Previous visitors will notice that shoppers are now able to search for merchandise by keying in the name of their favorite rider or the rankest bull.
“Sportstoday has a proven track record of marketing sports teams and athlete merchandise,” said PBR Chief Marketing Officer Sean Gleason. “They are the ideal partner to help us service the growing demands of our fans.”
With a growing fan base that exceeds 20 million – many of whom are from urban areas like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles – the association with Sportstoday will continue to foster more visibility and exposure to a much broader demographic as the sport of professional bull riding continues to grow.
In marketing a hipper and trendier new line of merchandise, the partnership will introduce the PBR well beyond Built Ford Tough Series attendees and TeamPBR fan club members.
