There is nothing quite like the world of professional bull riding (PBR). For both the riders and onlooking fans, PBR offers the most intense and exciting eight seconds in sports. PBR Teams events offers PBR fans new and old the comradery of cheering on their favorite team as riders fight to stay on bulls who are bred to buck. In team bull riding, it’s all about wins and losses heading toward the annual Championship. Add in the live music, arena lights, pyro, and the adrenaline-packed atmosphere of fans, combined with the grit and athleticism of the riders competing in bull riding games create a PBR experience unlike any other.
The Austin Gamblers, the Capital City’s PBR Team, will be returning to Moody Center on August 25-27 for Gambler Days presented by Tecovas, the second-annual homestand and fifth event of the 2023 regular season. During the event, the Gamblers will face the Kansas City Outlaws (August 25), Texas Rattlers (August 26), and Oklahoma Freedom (August 27).
PBR was founded when 20 cowboys broke away from the rodeo in 1992. Each contributed $1,000 to found a new standalone sport dedicated to bull riding. One of those cowboys, eventual 1997 PBR World Champion Michael Gaffney, is now Head Coach of the Austin Gamblers, the Capital City’s PBR team.
In 2002, PBR launched a new league accompanying the individual competition – PBR Teams. Teams features a 10-event regular season schedule among eight founding teams; the October Championship takes place in Las Vegas. Each team hosts a three-day weekend homestand while also competing in two two-day neutral-site events. Every event showcases traditional 8-second bull rides structured in a tournament-style format with all teams at each event competing in daily head-to-head games.
As the team inches closer to Gambler Days, they top the PBR Teams season standings. Having now won two of the three PBR Camping World Team Series events in 2023, the Austin Gamblers boast a perfect season with a 7-0 record. It’s safe to say, the red-hot team is painting the town Gambler green. When Moody Center opens its doors, Texans will experience the heart-pounding adrenaline of bull riding, the two-stepping beats of country music, and Gamblers Fan Fests.
Throughout the weekend Austin Gamblers fans can head to Moody Center early to indulge in drink specials and mouthwatering bites from food trucks like 915 Taco, Mighty Fine Burgers, and more. A live DJ will be spinning tunes and fans can enjoy special live performances by Kelley James, and pre-event performances by country music stars Warren Zeiders (August 25), William Clark Green (August 26), and Kevin Fowler (August 27).
On Friday, August 25 college students can experience the thrills of bull riding with a specially discounted ticket at $24. They can grab their friends and cheer on the hometown team with drink specials, UT Football, Cheer & Pom, Hook ‘Em and the beloved Alumni Band. To top it all off, the first 1,000 fans will receive a must-have “Yellowstone” Dutton Ranch hat, courtesy of the Nyle Maxwell Family of Dealerships.
To kick off Gambler Days, the hometown team will go head-to-head with the Kansas City Outlaws. The Gamblers fell short of their second consecutive event win in Kansas City when they were edged by the Outlaws in extra outs. Earlier in the night, the three preceding games will feature the Carolina Cowboys taking on the Texas Rattlers, Missouri Thunder going head-to-head with the Arizona Ridge Riders, and the Oklahoma Freedom squaring off with the Nashville Stampede.
On the second night of PBR Gambler Days on Saturday, August 26, the first 1,000 fans will receive a “Yellowstone” Dutton Ranch t-shirt, sponsored by UB Bucking Co. The Austin Gamblers will take on the Texas Rattlers in a Battle for the Lone Star State. The Gamblers currently lead the rivalry series 1-0 knocking off the Rattlers 173.25-171.25 in Kansas City, Missouri. The remaining games that evening include: the Oklahoma Freedom against the Missouri Thunder, Carolina Cowboys taking on the Arizona Ridger Riders, and the Nashville Stampede going up against the Kansas City Outlaws.
Championship Sunday will ring in the culmination of three days of bull riding games with one emerging the PBR Gambler Days Champion. On Sunday, August 27 the Austin Gamblers will welcome kids to join in on the fun. With each adult ticket purchase, guests will receive one free kid’s ticket, making it a perfect family outing. Additionally, a Gamblers belt buckle sponsored by Rock & Roll Denim will be gifted to the first 500 kids in attendance. Head over to Moody Center before the riders enter the bull pen for a free family-friendly festival complete with live music, kids’ activities, and more!
The final day will feature a showdown between the Lone Star State and the Sooner State, as the Austin Gamblers go up against the Oklahoma Freedom. The game will mark the first time the two titans go head-to-head in game play during the 2023 PBR Camping World Team Series season. Earlier that afternoon the event will kick off with a game between the Carolina Cowboys and Kansas City Outlaws, followed by a showdown between the Nashville Stampede and Arizona Ridge Riders, and a battle between the Missouri Thunder and Texas Rattlers.
Before Gambler Days kicks off, catch the team on the highly-rated Prime Video docuseries The Ride, which was released at the end of May. The Ride gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at this fast-growing sport and follows an ensemble cast of bull riders and coaches (including the Austin Gamblers) throughout the PBR Teams inaugural 2022 season. There are budding rivalries, exhilarating highs, and challenging lows in this compelling look into PBR’s newest team-based competition.
Tickets for PBR Gambler Days Presented by Tecovas are on sale now, and start at $26 and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, PBR.com and MoodyCenterATX.com, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727. Three-day ticket packages are available, offering fans a 15% discount on select price levels.
