After about 30 years of being held in Las Vegas, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Finals event has come to Fort Worth for the first time.
“This is really a monumental deal that we were able to pull together,” said executive director of the Fort Worth Sports Commission, Jason Sands. “When it’s all said and done, we’ve got one of the most epic events in the western world here in Fort Worth.”
The Professional Bull Riders World Finals is estimated to bring up to 70,000 visitors into Fort Worth throughout its run.
The event began on May 13 at Dickies Arena, located at 1911 Montgomery Street in the Will Rogers Memorial Center. The first three rounds come to a close on Sunday, May 15.
On May 17, Paul McCartney is scheduled to perform at the arena, paving the way for the final rounds of the Professional Bull Riders World Finals, which will be held from May 19 to May 21. Other big names, such as Charley Crockett, Leann Rimes, Robert Earl Keen, and Travis Tritt, will also perform in the PBR World Finals Concert Series. More information about each concert can be found here.
Per NBC 5, Matt Homan, general manager at Dickies Arena, said that the organizing team has been working on the event for a long time and is excited. “It’s going to be a lot of work. It’s going to be a lot of hours, but our team has been planning for this for months. We’re ready for the challenge, and we’re excited for the challenge. This is what we’re built for, right? We’re built to do multi-events. Do them overnight, change over, and get back into the event.”
The staff at Dickies Arena are not the only ones to handle the big crowds. Taco Heads across the street will also get a share of foot traffic.
Ahead of the event, owner Sarah Castillo said that she and her staff were working to accommodate the influx. “We have to figure it out. We can’t seat everyone. … We obviously reconfigure our parking lot. So, we have a party in the parking lot, which is so much fun.”
The Professional Bull Riders World Finals features a purse costing more than $2.7 million. The PBR World Finals Champion will receive a $1 million bonus and the gold World Champion buckle. A bonus of $100,000 will also be presented to the 2022 YETI PBR World Champion Bull.
This year’s tournament will have riders from cross-country and beyond competing. Last year’s champion, Jose Vitor Leme, will also compete.
Each night’s event will be aired on CBS Sports Network. Next weekend’s tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster.
