Bull riders travel to Las Vegas for the finals of the PBR Teams Series

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The Professional Bull Riders Teams Series will return to the South Point Arena in Las Vegas, pitting the world's best bull riders against powerful, bucking bulls.

“The PBR Teams Series takes individual bull riding and turns it into a team aspect,” said LJ Jenkins, a PBR stock contractor and retired horseman. “There are five bull riders on each team. There are ten teams fighting for the World Cup.”

In this championship, professional bull riders work together to control the animals. LJ Jenkins is well aware of the thrill, excitement and even danger of the sport of rodeo.

“It's an adrenaline rush whenever you get in. One can only imagine; “You’re getting on an 1,800-pound bull that’s going to try to throw you off,” Jenkins said. “You're nervous because you want to do good. You’re nervous because you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

In the competition, both the rider and the bull are judged by a panel of judges who evaluate each ride based on the challenge posed by the bull. The more difficult the ride, the higher the points awarded. Riders receive no points if they touch the bull or themselves with their free hand. Additionally, they receive no points if they fall or let go before eight seconds have passed.

Over 100 bulls from across the country are carefully selected for competition to ensure riders have the best chance of scoring maximum points. These wild bulls are trained and treated like top athletes

“With this being the world championship, you’re going to want the best bulls in the world,” Jenkins said. “These bulls traveled to California from as far east as you can get, and you can’t have great bull rides without great bucking bulls.”

The bull riding event begins with the PBR Challenger Series on October 17 at South Point Arena, followed by the Team Series Championship Ride-In Round. In the ride-in round, the four worst-placed teams in the overall standings compete against each other. The top two teams will then qualify for the eight-team championship, which will take place October 18-20 at the T-Mobile Arena.

For more information, see the PBR Challenger Series.

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