PROSERPINE, QLD - Twenty-two of the best bull riders from Australia, Canada and the United States will land in Australia the first week of July for the Professional Bull Riders 2012 Australian Cup Series - a six-city, Saturday-night tour which kicks off at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre July 7.

This three-stop leg of the tour continues at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on July 14, and culminates in the Australian National Finals at Sydney's Allphones Arena on July 21.

Tickets go on sale for the first three events on Friday 2 March at 9 a.m. through Ticketek.  Tickets start at $45, and for the second year in a row, PBR offers the VIP On the Dirt experience.  By purchasing this premium ticket, fans will meet the riders, get an up-close look at the animal athletes and competition arena and get exclusive photo opportunities.  For more information, visit www.ticketek.com.au or www.PBRAustralia.com.

The PBR Australian Cup Series is 100 percent bull riding action from go to whoa!

Contenders include 14 Australians, some returning home from competing in the U.S. and Canada for the first half of the year, and eight internationals from the U.S. and Canada.  Each PBR Australian Cup Series is an individual invitational with its own purse and winner, with points earned counting toward the coveted title of PBR Australian National Champion.

Points earned in Australia also count toward the world standings and entry into the PBR World Finals, where a $US1 million cash bonus is paid to the winner.

Among those returning home from the United States to compete are Newcastle-born Ben Jones, and Morpeth-born, California-based bull rider Brendon Clark, who will host the Brendon Clark Invitational July 7.  Joining them will be 2011 Rookie of the Year Jesse Van Neck and 2011 Australian National Champion Jock Connolly. 

Welcoming the returning athletes is Troy Dunn, Australia's only World Champion bull rider and PBR Australia President. Dunn will host his own signature event, the Troy Dunn Invitational in Townsville, during the second half of the tour this November. 

Each 2012 PBR Australian Cup Series Invitational, including Newcastle, Brisbane and the National Finals in Sydney, is three rounds (all 22 riders ride in the first two rounds) plus a final round of the top eight qualifiers.

If one-tonne bulls and athletic bull riders weren't enough, each Australian Cup Series event will also feature pyrotechnics, video screens and a chest-thumping sound system.

2012 PBR AUSTRALIAN CUP SERIES selling via www.ticketek.com.au Friday 2 March at 9am :
Saturday 7 July Brendon Clark Invitational NEWCASTLE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Saturday 14 July BRISBANE Invitational BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Saturday 21 July Australian National Finals ALLPHONES ARENA | SYDNEY

About Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Australia:
PBR Australia opened its office in Queensland, Australia in 2005, and operates two competition series, producing approximately 20 sanctioned events annually. Australian native Troy Dunn, who is the 1998 PBR World Champion and a 2005 PBR Ring of Honor inductee, is President, and his wife, Jackie, serves as Vice President Competition and Administration. Money earned on all tours counts toward qualification for the PBR Australian National Finals. The bull rider with the most money earned at the end of the year, combining the regular season and Finals, will be crowned as PBR Australia National Champion. The top-ranked rider at the time of the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals automatically qualifies to represent Australia in the first two rounds of the annual event.