Toughest Cowboy
Toughest Cowboy presented by Jagermeister
News Release
Contact: Ann Bleiker 719-226-2009 (office)/719-330-4293 (cell)
Jan. 14, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Murphy captures first tournament win of 2008, leads standings for Jäger Ranch
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The 2008 World's Toughest Rodeo featuring Toughest Cowboy presented by Jagermeister got underway at the newly built Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Winning the first stop on the 2008 Tour was Bandy Murphy of Weatherford, Okla. Murphy was matched against Logan Hodson of Telwka, B.C. Murphy, sponsored by The Home Depot, started strong winning the bareback riding with 86 points to Hodson’s 82. However in the saddle bronc riding, Hodson scored a win defeating Murphy by a five-point spread. Murphy solidified his spot in the match winning the bull riding by a spread of 45 points, which brought his event total to 229 points to Hodson’s 185 and three wins to one.
“Last year when I heard they were launching this series I thought it was tailor-made for me,” said Murphy, who won the inaugural season in 2007. “Getting this first win is a great start to the season. This is my creed and what my entire focus is for the next couple months. Hopefully, I will add another Toughest Cowboy title to my resume along with the deed to Jäger Ranch.”
Coming in second to Murphy in the overall competition was Nelson Tsosie of Farmington, N.M. with three wins and a total of 228 points. Tsosie, sponsored by B&W Trailer Hitches was matched again Jägermeister’s Clovis Crane of Lebanon, Pa., who finished with one win and 200 points. Crane won the bareback riding but it was Tsosie who won the saddle bronc riding and bull riding. In fact, Tsosie turned in an event high of 85 points to win the bull riding. Trey Broussard who was matched against Chad Eubank was the only other competitor to match Tsosie’s 85-point bull ride on the night.
B.J. Schumacher, the 2006 PRCA World Champion Bull Rider, is a new face on the 2008 Toughest Cowboy Tour and at his first event he was matched against Danny Ward, another new face on this year’s Tour. Schumacher, of Hillsboro, Wis., finished the night with three wins to one after winning the saddle bronc riding, bull riding and the overall point match total, which was 197 points to 124. Schumacher, who is sponsored by Polaris, looks for a stronger showing at the second stop in Raleigh, N.C.
Toughest Cowboy presented by Jagermeister is revolutionizing the sport by introducing an exciting and innovative format to audiences across the United States. Unlike other rodeos where riders usually compete in just one discipline, Toughest Cowboy is an unprecedented test of endurance as all competitors must ride in three disciplines in one night (Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding and Bull Riding). The events feature head-to-head matches throughout the season leading to the playoffs and championship…ultimately crowning someone the Toughest Cowboy Champion.
Jagermeister, the country's best selling shot brand and top selling imported liqueur, is the first presenting sponsor of the Toughest Cowboy rodeo competition and tour in 2008. The Champion at the end of the season will be awarded the deed to the beautiful Jager Ranch located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
For more information on this popular event visit www.toughestcowboy.com.
Toughest Cowboy presented by Jagermeister
Kansas City Results
Match 1
Bandy Murphy, Weatherford, Okla. vs. Logan Hodson, Telkwa, B.C. - 3 wins to 1; total points 229 to 185 on three head
Match 2
Wade Sundell , Boxholm, Iowa vs. Erik Wolford, Clinton, Mich. - 2 wins to 2; total points 205 to 196 on three head
Match 3
B.J. Schumacher, Hillsboro, Wis. vs. Danny Ward, Mabank, Texas - 3 wins to 1; total points 197 to 124 on three head
Match 4
Jared Green, Socorro, N.M. vs. Shane Proctor, Powell, Wyo. - 3 wins to 1; total points 222 to 216 on three head
Match 5
Nelson Tsosie, Farmington, N.M. vs. Clovis Crane, Lebanon, Pa. - 3 wins to 1; total points 228 to 200 on three head
Match 6
Trey Broussard, Estherwood, La. vs. Chad Eubank, Cleburne, Texas - 3 wins to 1; total points 220 to 203 on three head
Overall winner: Bandy Murphy
Overall standings from Kansas City:
1. Bandy Murphy
2. Nelson Tsosie
3. Jared Green
4. Trey Broussard
5. B.J. Schumacher
6. Wade Sundell
7. Erik Wolfrod
8. Shane Proctor
9. Chad Eubank
10. Clovis Crane
11. Logan Hodson
12. Danny Ward
About Grit Rock Rodeo
Grit Rock Rodeo is one of the largest producers of live and televised rodeo events in the world. Grit Rock Rodeo owns the World’s Toughest Rodeo, a national touring rodeo that consists of World’s Toughest Bulls and Broncs and Toughest Cowboy. Toughest Cowboy, a revolution in the sport which featured 8 cowboys riding 3 times in a performance, was carried in 2007 on Fox Sports Net nationally on Sunday nights. Grit Rock Rodeo also owns the license rights to the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour, which is the premier Tour of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. The 2007 Wrangler ProRodeo Tour and the Ariat Playoffs of the Tour aired nationally on Fox Sports Net and CBS Sports.
www.toughestcowboy.com
www.prorodeotour.com
www.bullsandbroncs.com
About AEG
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, owns or controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center, Toyota Sports Center, Toyota Park, NOKIA Theatre Times Square, NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie, Hollywood’s El Rey Theatre, Seattle’s WaMu Theatre, Minneapolis’ Target Center and the just opened The O2, a 28-acre development located in the eastern part of London along the Thames River which includes a 20,000 seat arena and over 650,000sf of leisure and entertainment use; sports franchises throughout the world including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Los Angeles Riptide (MLL) and three MLS franchises in addition to overseeing privately held management shares of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA). AEG developed and operates The Home Depot Center, a $150 million national training facility on the Campus of California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, California designated as an “Official U.S. Olympic Training Site” by the United States Olympic Committee that includes major facilities for soccer, tennis, track & field, cycling, lacrosse, rugby, action sports, beach volleyball, basketball and other sports.
The company’s live entertainment division, AEG LIVE is one of the world’s leading concert promotion and touring organizations that has recently promoted national tours on behalf of artists such as Prince, Bon Jovi, Kenney Chesney and Cheetah Girls as well as producing “A New Day…” starring Celine Dion appearing exclusively at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace and the international museum tour of King Tut’s artifacts.
AEG is overseeing the development of L.A. LIVE, a 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential & entertainment district featuring NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE, a 7,100-seat state-of-the-art live theatre, a 54-story, 1001-room convention center “headquarters” hotel, Club NOKIA at L.A. LIVE, a 2,200 capacity live music venue, a 14-screen Regal Cineplex, “broadcast” facilities for ESPN, along with entertainment, restaurant, residential and office space and additional arenas, O2 World, on a 45-acre site in the heart of Berlin, Citizen’s Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri and in Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.aegworldwide.com
www.toughestcowboy.com
