In the sport of bull riding, few events can match the dramatic, edge-of-your-seat thrills fans experience at a PBR Global Cup.
As the lone international, team-formatted event in western sports, the event, akin to the “Olympics of bull riding,” is undeniably one of the sport’s most exciting, can’t-miss events.
As opposed to competing for individual glory, the world’s best bull riders band together in national teams, competing for the very dirt they compete upon, their portion of the record $750,000 USD purse and bragging rights of the “Toughest Nation on Dirt.”
Fueled by a fierce love of country, the event has often come down to the last bull ride, with one decided by a mere 0.75 points.
The Global Cup debuted in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in Nov. 2017, before traveling to Sydney, Australia in June 2018, and Arlington, Texas in Feb. 2019.
And when the event travelled stateside for the first time, history was made inside AT&T Stadium.
In Canada, Team USA marched to an undeniable victory, while in Australia Team Brazil edged the home nation by 0.75 points for the win.
With the 2019 edition of the event already marking the Global Cup’s U.S. debut, the PBR made further history in altering Team USA’s home field advantage. As opposed to competing with a larger roster, they split into two separate teams, with one, the Wolves, being comprised of all Native Americans.
As soon as the first rider stepped boot inside AT&T Stadium, historic moments continued to flow.
The roof of the iconic venue nearly blew off when Team USA Eagles surged to the top of the leaderboard in the final moments of the event. However, Team Brazil’s dominant showing inside the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys led them to make history as the first-ever repeat Global Cup Champions.
Now a year later, with fans left craving the action for upwards of 365 days, the PBR Global Cup is preparing for a return to the Lone Star State, set to buck back into AT&T Stadium on Feb. 15-16.
This year, however, the event will feature a competitive twist. All coaches, including those from both the United States and abroad, will have full control of their rosters.
And those men tasked with leading the United States, both Eagles and the all Native American Wolves, along with Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico, are some of the most talented bull riders in western sports history.
The Eagles will be led by two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride and PBR Ring of Honor inductee J.W. Hart, while the Wolves will helmed by PBR co-founder and 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist Ted Nuce and INFR (Indian National Finals Rodeo) President Mike “Bo” Vocu.
Among the vastly talented pool of international coaches is the first and only Australian PBR World Champion Troy Dunn, in addition to Mr. 600 and 2008 PBR World Champion Guilherme Marchi, who is set to lead Team Brazil for the first time.
With the rosters for most nations still largely incomplete, early selections indicate the 2020 WinStar World Casino and Resort PBR Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy will be one of the fiercest yet.
2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco and annual powerhouse Jose Vitor Leme will look to lead Team Brazil to its third straight Global Cup Championship.
The home nation, however, has assembled two, formidable championship contending teams.
2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis and two-time PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood will look to return the USA Eagles to global glory, while the hard-charging USA Wolves will once again be led by veteran riders Ryan Dirteater and Stetson Lawrence.
Tickets for the 2020 WinStar World Casino and Resort PBR Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy are on sale now and start at just $10. They can be purchased at the AT&T Stadium Box Office, online at ATTStadium.com or SeatGeek.com, or via the phone at (800) 732-1727.
For more information on the event, including premium experience and elite seats offerings, visit PBR.com/GlobalCup.
Guest blog written by Kacie Albert
