Bull Riding Brings Big Thrills to Rodeo Fans
Hold on tight to big PBR events across the United States
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In the world of bull riding, eight seconds makes all the difference. That’s the time that it takes for a ride to be considered successful, to be judged against the competition, to make a champion. It’s the time between the gasps of a crowd on the edge of their seats and the roars that follow a winning ride. Eight seconds. For a bull rider, it’s an eternity.
For a spectator, it’s one of the most dramatic and exciting moments in sports. And if you’re looking to experience the best of the best, the PBR — that’s the Professional Bull Riding — circuit is the place to be. Surprisingly, the top annual events can be found at venues across the country, from classic cowboy hotpots to urban meccas. See for yourself as men battle bulls — and each other — for big money prizes and a place in the history books.
Photo: Gilles Rolland Monnet
PBR World Finals
Each May for the last four years, the PBR circuit has culminated at the renowned Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, for the biggest and baddest event in bull riding — the World Finals. Nicknamed “Unleash the Beast,” it’s like the cowboy version of the Super Bowl and the World Series all rolled into one. The multi-day event includes eight rounds of competition, the world’s best bucking bulls and the best riders from that year, as well as daily music performances from a rotating cast of country music favorites and nighttime spectacles like drone shows and fireworks.
The area around the Fort Worth Stockyards, where the tourney plays out, is also full of restaurants and honky-tonk bars so you can dance the night away long after the bulls are back in their stables. For 2027, organizers have split the event between Fort Worth and Glendale, Arizona, meaning even more fun in the sun as the year’s top riders take to the desert for the championship rounds. Get your tickets early. This one sells out fast.
PBR World Finals. Photo: Digital Reach U
PBR Team Series Championship
The days of the bull rider as a mystique-filled loner are long gone when it comes to the competitive circuit. Since its inaugural season in 2022, the PBR team tournament has quickly become one of the sport’s most popular events. The season includes often sold-out shows in Arizona, New York, Missouri, and other locales, before culminating in the championship at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in November.
The 5-on-5 league features ten teams from around the country battling for a $1.2 million prize purse, plus glory for their hometowns. Last year, the Carolina Cowboys from Greensboro took the trophy home, but stiff competition from the Missouri Thunder, Nashville Stampede, New York Mavericks, and others always looms.
Photo: Joey Chacon
Pendleton Whiskey Velocity Tour Events
The World and Team Finals feature some of the best bull riders on the planet, but what about hungry bucks looking to make their mark? If it’s up-and-comers with a real taste for action you’re after, there’s no better show than PBR’s Velocity Tour sponsored by Pendleton Whiskey.
The 26-event season lands in 19 different states before its own finals event at the Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Hotspots on the circuit include January’s stopover in Denver, where a bigger purse than usual draws major competition. San Diego in February is another favorite, with high-stakes action set against a picture-perfect coastline. The shows last around two hours and feature top-of-the-line pyrotechnics and musical numbers sure to keep even the city folk entertained.
Photo: Paul J. Everett
The New York City Invitational
What do you get when the neon lights of Midtown Manhattan mix with the leather-slapping, hoof thundering, crowd-roaring mayhem of a rodeo? The New York City Invitational at Madison Square Garden — that’s what. Also known as the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden, this PBR event has run for twenty years straight and is widely considered one of the most high-profile bull-riding spectacles in the world.
MSG features some of the city’s best food, like brick-oven-baked Paulie G’s Pizza and finger-licking Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, and the arena sits in the heart of Midtown, making it easy to pair a bull-riding outing with a memory-making visit to the Big Apple. As for the competition, the Invitational lets you see the top 35 riders in the world duke it out in the World’s Most Famous Arena. For a once-in-a-lifetime rodeo experience, it’s hard to beat.
Greg Donahue
James Donahue is a writer and outdoors enthusiast whose travels have taken him to 45 states and nearly as many countries around the world. When he's not hiking, biking, or fly fishing (or writing about all three), you can usually find him exploring the beaches up and down the East Coast with his wife and daughter.
