Andy Watson
Kaique Pacheco attempts to ride Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd/Chris Utz/Bert Farris’s Shake & Bake during the second day of the Nashville PBR Teams event. Photo by Andy Watson / Bull Stock Media
Boy howdy, the rodeo is coming to town.
Dust off those boots and saddle up, because from August 18-20, the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series barrels into Bridgestone Arena for PBR Stampede Days. Nashville Stampede, Music City’s first-ever professional bull-riding team, currently holds the PBR Team Series Champion title, and this event marks the team’s second annual homestand. The PBR Team Series, which launched last July, transforms bull riding from an individual sport into a team- formatted competition further heightening the intensity of this already adrenaline-inducing spectacle. Building on the existing structure of professional bull riding, the Team Series utilizes the same rules for judging and scoring qualified 8-second bull rides.
During the 2023 regular season, each of the eight founding teams will compete in 28 head-to-head, five-on-five bull-riding games. These games are held across 10 events and staged in a tournament-style format with all teams competing against a different opponent each day. The team with the highest aggregate score of qualified rides among its riders is crowned the game-winner. The team with the most game wins across an event is declared the event winner, with a special bonus round that serves as a tiebreaker to determine the final event standings.
Each team hosts a three-day homestand, in addition to also competing at two neutral site events. PBR Stampede Days at Bridgestone Arena marks the fourth event of the 2023 PBR Team Season and the second team-hosted homestand. The Stampede Days action kicks off on Friday, August 18, at 7:45 p.m. when the Nashville Stampede face off against the Missouri Thunder. On Saturday, beginning at 6:45 p.m., the team takes on the Kansas City Outlaws. And rounding out the action-packed event on Sunday at 1:45 p.m. the Nashville Stampede are up against the Arizona Ridge Riders, who the team defeated last year in a Cinderella story victory to become the reigning PBR Team Series Champions.
Last year’s triumph came after a devastating regular season that left Nashville Stampede ranked last in the standings when they arrived in Las Vegas for the Team Series Championship. But instead of crumbling under pressure, the team rose to the occasion: delivering a shocking run of upsets that resulted in Nashville Stampede being crowned the inaugural PBR Team Series Champions. In addition to becoming league champions, Nashville Stampede’s head coach, two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride, and the team’s general manager, Tina Battock, were voted Coach and Executive of the Year by their PBR Teams peers.
After proving they are a force to be reckoned with, Nashville Stampede is eager to defend their title at this year’s homestand. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased online, at Bridgestone Arena’s box office, or by phone through PBR’s customer service number. Tickets start at $20 and three-day ticket packages are also available, offering fans a 15 percent discount on select price levels. No ifs, ands, or bucks about it, this rodeo is sure to be an incredi-bull time.
(Bridgestone Arena, 1-800-732-1727; pbr.com)