Bull-riding event planned in Jacksonville

Professional Bull Riders (PBR) will ride into VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on Feb. 20-21 for the third straight year and 11th appearance in Jacksonville.

For two adrenaline-charged nights, the world’s top bull riders will go head-to-head against the toughest animal athletes on the planet in a series of jaw-dropping unpredictable 8-second battles.

In 2025, Austin Richardson now a rider for the Nashville Stampede in the separate PBR Teams league, narrowly claimed the Jacksonville event title with 265.25 points on the weekend while 2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco finished runner-up missing the top spot by 0.75 points. Three quarters was the difference maker between second and third as well with Brady Fielder finishing in the final podium position.

The Progressive PBR Jacksonville will be the 10th event of the 2025-26 Unleash The Beast season, which showcases the top athletes in the sport, both human and bovine. Each stop on the tour counts toward qualifying for the prestigious PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tickets are on sale now for the general public with options for VIP Elite Seats and combos as well.

Tickets can be purchased:

• At the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena Box Office

• Online at Ticketmaster.com, PBR.com/tickets, and jaxevents.com

• PBRewards Members can also call PBRDirect at 800-732-1727 or purchase via PBR.com

Event Fast Facts

• 750 tons of dirt (1.5 million pounds) are brought in to transform VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena into a bull-riding mecca.

• The dirt is a special clay-sand blend establishing a firm enough surface for the bulls to buck hard but soft enough so that every rider is not injured when thrown like a rag doll.

• It takes seven semi-trucks to haul in the equipment for the event.

• A crew of about 30 works around the clock to prepare the venue.

• More than 50 of the rankest bucking bulls on the planet will be on site.

• PBR bulls are remarkable animal athletes born to buck. Each is a member of a special breed: The American Bucking Bull. 

• By virtue of competing in PBR, they get the best food and care, avoiding a very brief career in the meat packing industry.

• The average PBR bull weighs 1,800 pounds.

• The average bull rider? Just 140 lbs.

PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 1,000 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour, which features the top bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour; the PBR Touring Pro Division; and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil and Canada.

In 2022, the organization launched PBR Teams, 10 teams of the world’s best bull riders competing for a new championship, as well as the PBR Challenger Series with more than 50 annual events nationwide.

For more information, go to PBR.com.