Toughest Cowboy
Toughest Cowboy presented by Jagermeister
News Release
Contact: Ann Bleiker – 719-226-2009 (office)
March 7, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2008 Toughest Cowboy title and deed to Jäger Ranch to be awarded this weekend on FSN
DENVER - The Championship Round of the 2008 World's Toughest Rodeo featuring Toughest Cowboy presented by Jagermeister, will take center stage at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and Fox Sports Network (FSN) will broadcast all the historic action beginning Saturday at midnight. Following seven regular-season stops and the Tour Playoffs, the field has been narrowed to four cowboys who will ride an unprecedented six head of stock – two bareback horses, two saddle bronc horses and two bulls – all in one night to determine the 2008 Toughest Cowboy and answer the season long question, "Who will win Jager Ranch?"
This one-of-a-kind ironman of rodeo event will not lack for excitement and will be the true test of toughness in this revolutionary rodeo competition. During the Playoffs last week in Nashville, Chad Eubank pulled off the biggest upset in the history of the Toughest Cowboy series when he defeated the reigning champion Bandy Murphy. By doing so he earned a spot in the semifinals and a head-to-head match with Trey Broussard, who defeated Nelson Tsosie in the Playoffs to advance.
The second semifinal match will pit Shane Proctor, who defeated Jared Green to advance and with Murphy eliminated becomes the odds on favorite to win, against Erik Wolford. Wolford got the win over Clovis Crane in the Playoffs to move one step closer to the title. This will be the first time these two have matched all season long.
With that the stage has been set for a tough semifinal round but the excitement won’t end there. The winners of the semi-final round will then face each other in the championship round, riding two more broncs and a bull before determining the champion. The one with the most wins in the final match gets handed the deed to Jäger Ranch. The two losers of the semi-final matches compete in the consolation round where they will also ride three more head to determine the third and fourth place finishes of the 2008 series.
Be sure to watch this historic event starting this weekend on FSN. Each exciting episode of Toughest Cowboy can be seen weekly on several FSN affiliates in primetime (day and time depend on each affiliate) and at midnight every Saturday nationwide, please consult local listings or log onto www.toughestcowboy.com for times in your area. Fans will be taken into the heart of the action to savor the triumph, suffer the anguish and share the intensity of the ultimate challenge that is Toughest Cowboy. Nowhere else will you see four cowboys riding two bulls and four broncs all in one night in the same arena in a match style format, so be sure to catch all the action from Columbus.
Rodeo is among the fastest growing sports in America, and Toughest Cowboy presented by Jagermeister is revolutionizing the sport by introducing an exciting and innovative format to new audiences in venues 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.
Toughest Cowboy is a true test of endurance and strength and only the strong will survive. Each competitor must come ready to ride both bulls and broncs every night eight seconds at a time. In the end, one competitor will be crowned the champion and become the new owner of Jager ranch.
For more information on this rodeo revolution and a list of broadcast times in your area visit www.toughestcowboy.com.
"Who will win Jäger Ranch?"
Shane Proctor, Powell, Wyo.
Erik Wolford, Clinton, Mich.
Trey Broussard, Estherwood, La.
Chad Eubank, Cleburne, Texas
2008 CHAMPIONSHIP, TOURNAMENT 9 MATCH-UPS
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Semi-final Match 1
Chad Eubank, Cleburne, Texas vs. Trey Broussard, Estherwood, La.
Semi-final Match 2
Shane Proctor, Powell, Wyo. vs. Erik Wolford, Clinton, Mich.
Consolation Match
Loser of semifinal match 1 vs. Loser of semifinal match 2
Championship Match
Winner of semifinal match 1 vs. Winner of semifinal match 2; winner of this match wins Jager Ranch
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
