Professional Bull Riders

The PBR's U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour is comparable to baseball's minor league. It offers up-and-coming bull riders the opportunity to compete in PBR sanctioned events while earning money to qualify them for the elite Built Ford Tough Series.

Once the season begins, the World's top 45 bull riders have five Built Ford Tough Series events at which they will compete to secure their positions. After the fifth event, the bottom five riders ranked based on points, are dropped from the Built Ford Tough Series. The top five U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour riders, based on Challenger, Enterprise and Discovery Tour money earned, are then allowed to move into those five positions.

After this first cut, the elimination process then takes place after each fifth Built Ford Tough Series event. A rider that has been dropped from the BFTS must compete in the Challenger Tour, hopefully earning enough money to regain a BFTS roster position.

Worth an estimated $1.5 million in prize money, approximately 30 plus U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Challenger Tour events are anticipated for the 2008 season.