For the 11th time in the sport’s history, PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) premier Unleash The Beast will buck into Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas, holding the PBR Little Rock March 15-16, 2024.
For two nights only, the Top 40 bull riders in the world will go head-to-head against the sport’s rankest bovine athletes, showcasing the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast in one of the most exciting live sporting events to witness.
PBR Little Rock will be the sixteenth event of the 23-event individual regular season as riders vie for early points in the race to be crowned the 2024 PBR World Champion.
When PBR’s Unleash The Beast last travelled to North Little Rock in March 2023, fresh off his win the weekend prior in Los Angeles, Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) continued his winning ways inside Simmons Bank Arena, going a perfect 3-for-3 to win his second consecutive premier series event. Kasel, who entered the event No. 4 in the world, climbed to No. 2 in the fierce 2023 World Championship race.
Kasel first put points on the board in Round 1, tying for fifth when he covered Old School Cool (Tom Baker Bucking Bulls) for 85.5 points. The 2019 PBR Rookie of the Year then rose to second on the event leaderboard when he rode Black Ice (BMC Bucking Bulls/Jenkins Cattle Co.) for 88.25 points in Round 2.
With the second pick in the championship round bull draft, Kasel selected 2022 PRCA Bull of the Year UTZ BesTex Smokestack (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Garrett Carey), and he covered the striking animal athlete for a monstrous 91.25 points, tying for the round win and ultimately cementing his second consecutive Unleash The Beast event win.
As the season continued, Kasel continued to be a dominant force, qualifying for his fifth consecutive World Finals ranked No. 3 in the world. The Texan’s 1-for-7, sixteenth-place finish, however, was not enough to earn him his first gold buckle, with Kasel ultimately concluding the 2023 individual season No. 5 in the world.
Other past PBR Little Rock event winners include: Jose Vitor Leme (2022), Rafael Henrique dos Santos (2021), Ramon de Lima (2020), J.B. Mauney (2019), Luciano de Castro (2018), Derek Kolbaba (2017), Ryan Dirteater (2016), Wiley Petersen (2003) and Dusty LaBeth (2002).
The bull riding action for PBR Little Rock begins with Round 1 at 7:45 p.m. CT on Friday, March 15, followed by Round 2 and the championship round at 6:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 16. All competing bull riders will get on one bull each in Rounds 1-2. Following Round 2 Saturday evening, the riders’ individual two-round scores will be totaled with the Top 12 advancing to the championship round for one more out and a chance at the event title.
Tickets for the two-day event are on sale now, and start at $15, taxes and fees not included. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, or by calling PBR customer service at (800) 732-1727.
PBR Elite Seats are available for avid fans who want an exclusive VIP experience while enjoying the world’s top bull riding circuit. These tickets, available in three tiers, offer premium seats, personal on-site concierge at the PBR fan loyalty booth, and more. For more on elite seats, visit https://pbr.com/elite-seats-unleash-the-beast, or call (800) 732-1727
For more information about the PBR and to see the full 2024 PBR Unleash The Beast schedule, visit PBR.com.
About PBR (Professional Bull Riders):
PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 800 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. In 2022, PBR launched the PBR Team Series—eight teams of the world’s best bull riders competing for a new championship—as well as the PBR Challenger Series with more than 60 annual events nationwide. The organization’s digital assets include PBR RidePass on Pluto TV, which is home to Western sports. PBR is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.
