PUEBLO, Colo. – PBR (Professional Bull Riders) has announced changes to the event format and points for its premier Unleash The Beast series.
At the beginning of the 2021 season, PBR had implemented a change to the Unleash The Beast event format – creating daily winners by adding new championship rounds. After consultation with its riders, PBR is reverting to last year’s event format, effective at the Pendleton Whisky Invitational in Arcadia, Fla., which concluded yesterday, through the remainder of the 2021 season.
In addition to reverting to the 2020 format (a typical two-day event will feature a long round on each day with 12 riders advancing to one championship round following Round 2), several additional changes will be made:
- PBR will award bonus points toward the PBR world standings based on ride scores: 9 points for any ride scored 90 or better; 8 points for any 80-plus ride and 7 points for any 70-plus ride (unless a re-ride was offered and declined). These points will not impact a rider’s standings in any event; they count instead as bonus points in the world standings to provide riders additional rewards for qualified rides, the most basic measure of success in bull riding.
- Final event standings, aggregate points awarded and the payouts will all be based on the aggregate score (not world points) in determining final event winner.
- Each event weekend’s championship round will consist of 12 riders.
- The event aggregate will determine final event placement and payouts
PBR also will bring back the 15/15 Bucking Battle format to Unleash The Beast events in select markets, under the same structure as last year. The 15/15 Bucking Battle matches the Top 15 bull riders as measured in the world standings against the Top 15 bulls in attendance. The winner is the bull rider with the highest ride score in this special round.
“We appreciate the efforts of the PBR organization as they work hard to keep us working in challenging times,” said Cooper Davis, on behalf of PBR riders. “After reviewing format options with PBR officials that could lessen the strain on the top riders through a long season, we mutually agreed that reverting back to the 2020 format was in the best interests of the league and riders. We’re looking forward to continuing an exciting season in Okeechobee.”
The PBR Unleash the Beast: American Roots Edition next travels to the Agri-Civic Center in Okeechobee, Florida, for the PBR Coors Banquet Invitational. The event, which will include a 15/15 Bucking Battle, will be held on Saturday, January 30 and Sunday, January 31 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Should a PBR Unleash The Beast tour stop get canceled mid-event due to COVID, that event will be considered concluded after the last complete round and will not be made up in the future. In the event of this happening, the event will be deemed concluded without additional rounds scheduled. No aggregate points would be awarded; only round points would be given.