Parker County Today February 2016 | Page 56

our sports: PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDING Championship Bull Riding Fox Sports Networks expands coverage of the CBR. Fans can see the events even faster this spring on Fox Sports 2 BY MELISSA MOORMAN FEBRUARY 2016 PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY C atch even more of the Championship Bull Riding as CBR announces additional coverage of its premiere bull riding events on Fox Sports and Fox Sports 2. The coverage, which began in January, will feature additional airings of its premiere bull riding events from the first quarter of the 2016 Road to Cheyenne Tour which has already begun. The CBR on Fox Sports 2 will feature the highlights from the 14 events plus the CBR World Finals on the Road to Cheyenne Tour beginning with the first event in Jackson, Tennessee and culminating with the World Championships at Cheyenne Frontier Days from Cheyenne, Wyoming, which will air in August.  Viewers can learn more about the sport with commentary from four-time World Champion Bull Rider Tuff Hedeman. Also adding to the program is Ali Dee who gets up close and personal with all of the riders just after they leave the arena. Their insights and on-the-spot analysis of the cowboys and the bulls adds to the excitement of the weekly programming on Fox Sports 2. Throughout the tour, you can see last year’s CBR winner Cody Rostockyj 54 battle it out with more experienced cowboys like the number one and two ranked bull riders in the PRCA, Sage Kimzey and Cody Teel. See veterans like Brennon Eldred who won two events last season compete with newcomers such as 18-year-old Wyatt Rogers. Rogers won the largest season purse of $43,000 in his debut event as a professional. The sixty-minute format also features former CBR superstar bull rider Cody Whitney joining rodeo royalty, Jeff Me dders, from the broadcast booth. Fans can keep up with the riders and the current point standings by visiting the CBR’s website at http://www.cbrbull. com/points.html. The cowboys will continue to vie for first place through the finals. It’s anyone’s guess who can stay healthy until Cheyenne to win the $100,000 prize. “I think the highlight of the season is the matchup of Cody Teel, the reigning world champion, and Sage Kimzey who won the last two PBR World Championships. They are two marquee names and have a lot of great young talent. Also, Tuff Hedeman was a great bull rider, but he’s even better at choosing bulls. You see the best bulls with the best riders,” said Jeff Medders of Geronimo Productions, who produces the shows.  Not just the cowboys compete for big prize money in the CBR. The competition is fierce among stock contractors who compete for a total of $45,000 in each of the 14 tour stops. The bucking bulls of the CBR are in high demand as each champion team on the Road to Cheyenne stop wins $20,000. In addition to the four money earned placings, Bull of the Event (High Marked Bull) and Champion Bull (High Marked Ride) honors are rewarded with Hyo Silver buckles, and a custom pair of Feneglio boots. Fans will see their favorites including Corpus Red, Gold Buckle, Karaoke, Little Shyster, and Cadillac Red. The prize money for the CBR World Champion Team is an impressive check for $100,000 along with bragging rights for the year. “CBR is extremely excited to be broadcast on Fox Sports Net’s programming lineup in 2016,” stated Josh Oakley, Director of Acquisitions for FSN, “Bull riding has a very passionate fan base that has helped solidify FSN as the home of the CBR. We look forward to continuing to build on that audience over the coming years.”