The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

KENNEWICK—For the first time in league history, PBR (Professional Bull Riders) will buck into Kennewick, Wash., welcoming fans to the Toyota Center Sept. 10-11 for the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s PBR Tri-Cities Classic.

For two nights only, some of the best bull riders in the world will battle the sport’s rankest bovine athletes in the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast in one of the most exciting live sporting events to witness.

The PBR Tri-Cities Classic will also tentatively mark the first major ticketed touring event hosted at full capacity inside Toyota Center since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the league has never stopped in Kennewick, neighboring city Pasco welcomed the developmental Touring Pro Division in 2009 and 2010. After Chris Newsom (Hammon, Okla.) won the inaugural event in 2009, Chon Miranda (Ruidoso Downs, N.M) captured the title in PBR’s most recent trip to Pasco in 2010.

Washington is also home to PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour events, with Yakima hosting the series from 2015-2017. Evergreen State event victors are Bonner Bolton (2015 – Odessa, Texas), Cody Ford (2016 – Stanfeild, Ore.), and Joao Ricardo Vieira (2017 – Itatinga, Brazil). Before the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s debut in Yakima in 2015, the city welcomed the league’s Touring Pro Division eight times from 2006-2014.

Adding to the region’s familiarity with world-class Western sports, the Tri-Cities has produced the likes of World Championship-contending bull rider Derek Kolbaba. Hailing from nearby Walla Walla, the 25-year-old has qualified to the PBR World Finals six times, finishing runner-up to the PBR World Championship in 2017.

The bull riding action for the PBR Tri-Cities Classic begins at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 10, and at 7:00 p.m. PDT on Saturday, September 11 at the Toyota Center.

Friday night, all 40 competing riders will attempt one bull each in Round 1. The same 40 riders will then return for Round 2 on Saturday evening. The top 10 riders from round 2 will advance to the championship round where each will attempt one final bull in hope of being crowned the event champion.

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, July 23 at 10:00 a.m. and start at $15, taxes and fees not included. Tickets can be purchased online at TicketMaster.com or PBR.com or by calling PBR Customer Service at 1-800-732-1727.

For an enhanced PBR experience, fans can also purchase PBR Elite Experience Add On for $50, which will provide a behind-the-chutes look into the toughest sport on dirt.

The Elite Experience Add On, available on both Sept. 10-11, includes a pre-event question and answer session with PBR stars, a commemorative lanyard, and a post-event photo opportunity in the arena. For more information, contact PBR Direct at 800-732-1727.

Throughout the 2021 season, PBR will continue to commit to providing a safe environment for fans, athletes, employees, and crew by working with its venue partners to implement health and safety protocols for live events while following health guidance from local and state officials