CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper Events Center announced Thursday that the “PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour” will return this October for four nights. This will be the third year in a row the tour has come to Casper.
“In a league first, the 2020 edition of the tour stop in the Cowboy State will feature four separate events, with America’s Original Extreme Sport bucking into the Casper Events Center on Oct. 2-3 and Oct. 9-10 for the fan-attended Casper Invitational,” the Events Center said.
The Events Center says PBR is cooperating with the Casper-Natrona County Health Department and implementing COVID-19 safety protocols. Those include:
- All PBR staff, riders and stock contractors will be undergo COVID-19 (coronavirus) medical testing to participate in the event.
- All Casper Events Center employees, vendors and show personnel will wear masks, and be subject to a daily temperature checks and symptom screenings. Gloves will also be worn in any hand-to-hand interactions.
- PBR will only sell up to 50% of arena capacity to separate fans.
- All fans will be in POD seating, which increases distancing and minimizes fan crossover when entering and exiting their seats.
- There will be a focus on mobile ticketing.
- Increased sanitization of high-contact areas including bathrooms, concourses, concession stands, elevators, dining areas, and the SinclairTix Box Office at the CasperEvents Center.
- Hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the venue in high touch point areas to promote hand hygiene.
“Prior to mass-gathering restrictions implemented due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), PBR’s Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour last competed in front of fans in Bangor, Maine, at Cross Insurance Center March 6-8,” the Events Center added. “On July 10-12, PBR welcomed back fans for the first time in Sioux Falls, S.D. for the playoffs of a special team tournament created to keep the sport going during the pandemic, the groundbreaking PBR Monster Energy Team Challenge, as well as a Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event.”
The Events Center recalled highlights of past events in Casper.
“When the PBR’s expansion series was last in Casper, 2018 PBR Rookie of the Year Keyshawn Whitehorse used a dominant 2-for-2 showing to capture the event win,” the Events Center said. “The victory, which included an 87.5-point ride on Hy Test and 86-point effort aboard Smooth Sailing, was critical in Whitehorse’s efforts to qualify for the second PBR World Finals of his career.”
“In 2018, the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour debuted in the Oil City as Brazilian Alisson de Souza rode to the event win as the only rider to go a perfect 2-for-2. The inaugural tour stop also featured a runner-up performance by veteran rider and 12-time PBR World Finals qualifier Sean Willingham.”
The Events Center says the four events of the Casper Invitational “will be critical for riders attempting to qualify for both the season-culminating 2020 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals and the sport’s most prestigious event, the 2020 PBR Unleash The Beast World Finals.”
“Nightly, all 45 riders will attempt one bull each in Round 1 of the Casper Invitational,” the release adds. “The Top 15 cowboys will then advance to the championship round later that evening for one more out and a chance at the event title.”
“At each of the four events, a cowboy will have the opportunity to win a maximum 44 world points, with one rider having the opportunity to exit the two-weekend, four-event marathon with 176 world points. Additionally, each of the four event winners will earn a berth to compete on the elite PBR Unleash The Beast, featuring the Top 35 bull riders in the world.”
The events will begin at 7:30 pm each night. Tickets go on sale at 10 am Friday, Aug. 21. Tickets start at $15.
“They can be purchased online atwww.SinclairTix.com, at the SinclairTix Box Office at the Casper Events Center or at any statewide SinclairTix outlet, or by calling 800-442-2256 or PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727,” the release states.
