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The Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) was the elite series tour name of the
Professional Bull Riders The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is an international professional bull riding organization based in Pueblo, Colorado, United States. In the U.S., PBR events have been televised on CBS and CBS Sports Network since 2012. In 2013, the ...
(PBR) competitions from 2003 to 2017. The BFTS kicked off its tour on November 16, 2002 with the Mohegan Sun Invitational in
Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ea ...
. Six of the series events were broadcast on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
. The entire series was broadcast on
Outdoor Life Network OLN (formerly Outdoor Life Network) is a Canadian English-language Category A specialty channel. OLN primarily broadcasts factual-based and adventure-related reality programming aimed at male audiences. OLN is wholly owned by Rogers Sports & ...
(OLN).
Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by Comcast. It provides content nationally with pr ...
broadcast two events. The first run of the series was held in 29 cities.


2003 inaugural season

In its inaugural season, the BFTS featured the world's top 45 riders at each event throughout the season. The 45 riders who earned the most money at all PBR-sanctioned events qualified to compete at the PBR BFTS World Finals at the
Thomas and Mack Center The Thomas & Mack Center is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada. It is home of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team of the Mountain West Conference. History The facility was fi ...
in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
. If a rider failed to maintain his ranking by not earning enough money, he could be replaced by another rider from the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour who earned more money. In 2003, the
Bud Light Cup Series The Bud Light Cup Series (BLC) was the first tour and in its first year was the only tour of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). When other tours were created, it became the major league tour of the PBR. Background This series ran from 1994 t ...
became the Built Ford Tough Series. This was also the first season in the PBR where the World Champion received a $1 million bonus. The 2003 Built Ford Tough World Finals was the last in which there were five rounds, in which all riders rode in the first four rounds and the top 15 rode in the Championship Round.


2004 season changes

In 2004, the PBR introduced an enhanced scoring system to the World Finals to make sure the champion is not determined prior to the event. First, 5,500 potential points were available, that ensured any of the top ten riders headed to the event had a chance to win the title. The first place competitor in a round scored 400 points. The second place competitor scored 350 points. Riders placing between third and 10 were awarded points on an incremental scale down to 15. And riders also received the points they earned for a qualified ride. The PBR returned to having some three-day regular season events, after having stopped from 1996 to 2003. There were now eight rounds in the PBR World Finals divided into two weekends. The first three rounds took place at the
Mandalay Bay Events Center The Michelob Ultra Arena, formerly the Mandalay Bay Events Center, is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena at the Mandalay Bay, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by M ...
, and the final five took place at the
Thomas and Mack Center The Thomas & Mack Center is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada. It is home of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team of the Mountain West Conference. History The facility was fi ...
. All of the riders competed in the first seven rounds. The top 15 riders advanced to the Championship Round. The rider who won the World Finals received 2,500 BFTS points and $250,000. Second place received 2,250 points. And the riders placing between 3rd and 10th received points on an incremental scale down to 250.


2005 season changes

In 2005, a change was made to the tour. Wherein upon the conclusion of every fifth event on the series, the five lowest ranked riders were sent down to the Challenger Tour. It was based on money earned. Then the top five Challenger Tour riders were sent up to the BFTS. This shifting ensured the best riders competed at the right levels of competition. The Challenger Tour was used as a means as providing talent to the BFTS. Additionally, BFTS riders could freely compete in the Challenger Tour and the Hump n' Horns Tour events assuming no conflicts would occur. BFTS riders might have done this because money earned at lower level tours also counted towards reaching the desired top-ranked 45 riders standings.


2006 season changes

In 2006, the PBR began producing events in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, and Australia. Starting with the 2006 PBR World Finals, the top contestant from each of the international tours was invited to compete at the first three rounds of the PBR World Finals along the with the top 45 money-earners who qualified for the event. If any of the international invitees succeeded in finishing among the top 15 riders based on total points after the first three rounds, they were invited to compete for the rest of the World Finals. If they were not among the top fifteen, they were eliminated from the rest of the event. Also, beginning with this season, rides were now scored with a quarter-point system (as opposed to whole points or half points in previous seasons, a system which was first tested at the 2004 and 2005 PBR World Finals), which remains in place to this day.


2007 season changes

In 2007, the Built Ford Tough Series practiced the "First to Fail" format, where the order of the top 5 riders going into the championship round of the event was reversed, meaning the leader would ride first and the 5th-place rider would ride last. This format proved unpopular with fans and the championship round was reverted to its original format in 2008.


2008 season changes

From 2004 to 2007, the first three rounds of the PBR World Finals took place at Mandalay Bay Events Center, but from 2008 to 2009 all eight rounds now took place at the Thomas and Mack Center.


2009 season changes

In 2009, the PBR BFTS World Champion was determined by the bull rider who earned the most BFTS points. The world finals event champion was determined by the highest aggregate score from 8 rounds. Also, after the first five events of the BFTS this season, the number of riders on the tour was cut from 45 to 40. Qualifying for the PBR World Finals was now based on the top 40 money earners.


2010 season changes

The PBR World Finals’ format changed to the one used in 1995 where all contestants rode in the first five rounds, then the top 15 advanced to the Championship Round. Starting with the 2010 World Finals, the top rider from each of the PBR’s international tours was invited to compete at the event’s first two rounds along with the top 40 money-earners who qualified for the event. If any of the international invitees was among the top 15 riders based on total points after two rounds, they were invited to compete at the rest of the World Finals. If they were not among the top 15, they were eliminated from the competition. The rider who won the Finals event received 2,500 BFTS points and $250,000. Second place received 2,250 points. And the riders placing between 3rd and 10th received points on an incremental scale down to 250.


2012 season changes

In 2012, after the first five events of the BFTS season, the number of riders on the tour was cut from 40 to 35. Also, qualification for the PBR World Finals was now determined by the top 35 point earners. Previously, from 2009 to 2011 qualifying for the World Finals was based on the top 40 money earners. 2012 was the year in which the 15/15 Bucking Battle was introduced. At select regular-season BFTS events after the conclusion of the first round, the top 15 riders at the time of the event were randomly matched up against 15 of the rankest bulls in the PBR for an opportunity to win additional points. The 15/15 Bucking Battles were televised on CBS Broadcast Network.


2014 season changes

In 2014, the BFTS was then known as the nationally televised elite tour of the PBR. At that time, the tour was composed of the world's top 35 bull riders facing down the world's toughest bulls. The tour made 27 stops in 19 states that year. It opened with its first event at the Madison Square Garden in
New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. It concluded in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, with the PBR BFTS World Finals. The PBR BFTS World Finals were bull riding's richest and it awarded almost $2.3 million that year if the $1 million bonus to the world champion is counted as well as the $10,000 belt buckle. In 2014, the BFTS followed these rules. The PBR BFTS World Champion was the bull rider who accumulated the most points while competing in events in the regular season and in the world finals event. The BFTS used the point system to be certain the most consistent rider became the World Champion Bull Rider. Points were earned at each event for a rider's finish in each round and in the event. First place received 100 points. Second place received 90 points. Remaining riders between third and 10th place received points on an incremental scale. Each BFTS event contained a round with 35 bull rides. For a two-day event, the 35 bull riders will compete in Round 1 and 2. The top 15 scores advanced to the BFTS Championship Round. The event winner was the rider with the highest combined score from all three rounds. The winner received 300 points. The second place finisher received 270 points. Riders placing between third and 10th received points in an incremental scale down to 30. For a three-day event, the 35 bull riders completed in Rounds 1, 2, and 3. The top 15 scores advanced to the BFTS Championship round. The event winner was the rider with the highest combined score from all four rounds. The winner received 400 points. The second place finisher received 260 points. Riders placing between third and 10th received points in an incremental scale down to 40. In 2004, the PBR introduced an enhanced scoring system to the BFTS World Finals to make sure the champion is not determined prior to the event. These rules were still followed until 2015, when they were slightly modified by removing qualified ride scores from World Standings points totals. First, 5,500 potential points were available, that ensures any of the top ten riders heading to the event had a chance to win the title. The first place competitor in a round scored 400 points. The second place competitor scored 350 points. Riders placing between third and 10 were awarded points on an incremental scale down to 15. And riders also received the points they earned for a qualified ride. There were six rounds in the PBR World Finals. All of the riders competed in the first five rounds. The top 15 riders advanced to the Championship Round. The rider who won the Finals event received 2,500 BFTS points and $250,000. Second place received 2,250 points. And the riders placing between 3rd and 10th received points on an incremental scale down to 250. Riders could qualify for the PBR BFTS World Finals in several ways. One way was by competing in BFTS events throughout the season. They could also compete in the Touring Pro Division and international events. Countries where they could compete are Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.


2015 season changes

For 2015 and beyond, the PBR modified the PBR BFTS points system. The BFTS World Champion Bull Rider is the one who accumulated the most world points during the regular season and the World Finals combined. Prior to 2015, the points system was focused on making sure the most consistent rider became the World Champion. However, the PBR's founders have always desired the bull rider who wins consistently be the one who wins the most events; thus, the championship. So starting in 2015, a new points system went into effect. The change affected all of the PBR's tours, the 15/15 Bucking Battle, and the international tours in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. Qualified ride scores were no longer included in the World Standings point totals. They were, however, used to determine placements in event rounds and event aggregates, and to determine both event and World Standings. Each BFTS event contained a round with 35 bull rides. For a two-day event, the 35 bull riders would compete in Round 1 and 2. The top 15 scores advanced to the BFTS Championship Round. The event winner was the rider with the highest combined score from all three rounds. For a three-day event, the 35 bull riders will completed in Rounds 1, 2, and 3. The top 15 scores advanced to the BFTS Championship round. The event winner was the rider with the highest combined score from all three rounds. There were four events on the BFTS that were considered major events. They were
New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
; Arlington, Texas;
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
; and
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
. Major events offered competition in different formats, bonus bulls, and more prize money. These major events were broadcast on CBS. Together, these four major events composed the PBR Grand Slam Series. The 15/15 Bucking Battles were offered at some PBR BFTS events. This type of event matched the top 15 bull riders in the PBR against the top 15 bulls at the event. The matching was random. There was a separate purse for this event. Points were earned at the rate of 1 and 1/2 times the round points. Points did not factor into the winner but did count toward the World Standings. The winner was the bull rider with the highest ride score. Qualifying for the PBR BFTS World Finals was based on points. Points could be earned on all of the PBR's tours: Built Ford Tough Series, Velocity Tour, Pro Touring Division and the International tours. International tours included Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. The top 35 ranked riders in the World Standings according to points earned competed at the World Finals. The Velocity Tour Champion, the top three highest ranked finishers at the Velocity Tour Finals, and the highest ranked finishing international invitee at the Velocity Tour Finals also competed at the World Finals. The 2015 BFTS World Finals concluded in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded almost $2.2 million. This included the $1 million bonus to the World Champion. The World Champion also received a $10,000 championship belt buckle. This was the 17th and last time the PBR World Finals would take place at the Thomas and Mack Center.


2016 season changes

In 2016, the PBR World Finals moved to
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on the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city ...
.


See also

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Professional Bull Riders The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is an international professional bull riding organization based in Pueblo, Colorado, United States. In the U.S., PBR events have been televised on CBS and CBS Sports Network since 2012. In 2013, the ...
*
Unleash the Beast Series The Unleash the Beast Series (UTB) is the Premier Series of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). Monster Beverage Corporation is the current series sponsor for the premiership since 2018. From its founding in 1994 until 2002, it was sponsored by ...
*
Bud Light Cup Series The Bud Light Cup Series (BLC) was the first tour and in its first year was the only tour of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR). When other tours were created, it became the major league tour of the PBR. Background This series ran from 1994 t ...


References


Bibliography

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External links


PBR World Finals

Professional Bull Riders
{{DEFAULTSORT:Built Ford Tough Series Ford Motor Company Equestrian sports competitions in the United States Rodeo competition series Professional Bull Riders Bucking bulls Bull riders Sports competitions in Las Vegas