Bracket announced for bull-riding competition at Cowboys Stadium February 19

Top-ranked Valdiron de Oliveira, from Brazil, returns to defend the title.

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ARLINGTON — The Professional Bull Riders announced the 24 bull riders who will be competing in the 2011 Dickies® Iron Cowboy Invitational presented by WinStar World Casino at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on February 19.

After hosting the two top teams in the National Football League for the Super Bowl, the state-of-the-art facility will showcase the world’s best cowboys and fiercest bucking bulls. The Dickies Iron Cowboy international field features 17 Americans, five Brazilians, one Australian, and one Canadian.

Superstar singer/songwriter Toby Keith will perform a special one-hour concert prior to the Dickies Iron Cowboy Invitational, beginning at 7 p.m. Good seats are still available, beginning at $20, and the price includes the concert and the Iron Cowboy. Tickets are on sale at the Cowboys Stadium box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com, and by telephone at (800) 745-3000.

The bracket-style event has the riders competing head-to-head for $200,000, the largest one-day payout of the regular season. The winner will receive $50,000, and has the opportunity to win an additional $100,000 if he can ride one of the top contenders for World Champion Bull. The runner-up receives $25,000, and each qualified ride will earn $1,000.

The Dickies Iron Cowboy will also mark the return of PBR fan favorite Justin McKee to the arena as an announcer, working alongside Brandon Bates and Clint Adkins.

The Top 8 seeds are the top finishers in the final regular-season 2010 Built Ford Tough Series standings. 2010 PBR World Champion Renato Nunes of Buritama, Brazil, however, is unable to compete due to a broken hand, so the No. 9 finisher moves to a final No. 8 seeded position. The Top 8 riders receive a bye in the first round.

Click for the 2011 Dickies® Iron Cowboy Invitational presented by WinStar World Casino bracket.

Austin Meier of Kinta, Okla., who finished second in the world last season, replaces Nunes as the top seed, while J.B. Mauney of Mooresville, N.C., is No. 2. Defending Iron Cowboy Champion and current top-ranked rider Valdiron de Oliveira of Aparecida de Goiania, Brazil, is the No. 3 seed, and 2004 PBR World Champion Mike Lee of Decatur, Texas, is No. 4. Robson Palermo of Rio Branco, Brazil, is the No. 5 seed, and 2008 PBR World Champion Guilherme Marchi of Leme, Brazil, is No. 6. 2010 PBR Rookie of the Year Silvano Alves of Pilar do Sul, Brazil, is the No. 7 seed, and Ryan McConnel of Atoka, Okla., is No. 8.

The remainder of the field is filled with the 16 highest-ranked riders on the Built Ford Tough Series as of Jan. 31: Travis Briscoe of Edgewood, N.M., who finished second in the 2010 Dickies® Iron Cowboy; Cody Campbell of Summerville, Ore.; Ned Cross of Midland, Ore.; Douglas Duncan of Alvin, Texas; Dustin Elliott of North Platte, Neb.; Jordan Hupp of Cheyenne, Wyo.; L.J. Jenkins of Porum, Okla.; Ben Jones of Goulburn, Australia; Skeeter Kingsolver of McLouth, Kan.; Paulo Lima of Bezerros, Brazil; 2009 PBR Rookie of the Year Cody Nance of Paris, Tenn.; Shane Proctor of Mooresville, N.C.; Pistol Robinson of Burleson, Texas; Aaron Roy of Asquith, Saskatchewan; Sean Willingham of Summerville, Ga.; and Stormy Wing of Dalhart, Texas.

Fourteen riders who competed in the inaugural event are back this year: Briscoe, Cross, Elliott, Jenkins, Kingsolver, Lee, Marchi, Mauney, McConnel, Meier, Oliveira, Palermo, Proctor, and Willingham. Roy qualified for the event in 2010, but did not compete as conflicted with his wedding day.

In 2010, Briscoe, who was the No. 9 seed, and Oliveira, who was the No. 4 seed, reached the championship round. McKennon Wimberly, who was the No. 14 seed, and Jenkins, who was the No. 15 seed, advanced to the semifinals.

Source: Professional Bull Riders, Inc.