N E W S R E L E A S E

N E W S &n= bsp; R E L E A S E

Cord McCoy Invitational

cordpbr.com<= /u>

For information = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; (660) 254-1900

Contact Ted Harbin = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = media@pbftour.com

Brandon Bates to= call the action close to home

ADA, Okla. – Brandon Bates makes a pretty good living as the arena announcer at = the biggest Professional Bull Riders events in the world

The final weekend o= f May, he’ll get to do so pretty darn close to home.

Originally from Louisiana, Bates moved to Oklahoma as a teenager, returning to t= he land his grandparents owned near Atoka. Now he’s getting ready to work about an hour from the house in Ada, home of the Cord McCoy Invitational presented by Cooper Tires, May 29-30, at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex.

&n= bsp; Bates is the arena voice of the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series, calling the action at spots like Madison Square Garden in New York and the PBR World Finals in = Las Vegas.

&n= bsp; Even at a relatively young age, has made a name for himself, primarily for being= one of the youngest yet most sought-after announcers in the game. The young man= who grew up involved in the competitive aspect of the sport of rodeo now can be heard bringing the sport to life with his voice at many of the worlds premier western events.

Among his career hi= ghlights are announcing the 2003 Dodge National Circuit Finals, 2003 First Frontier Circuit Finals and the PBR World Finals.

The Cord McCoy Invitational= presented by Cooper Tires will be part of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, and money w= on in Ada will count toward qualification to the PBR’s World Finals, whi= ch take place each fall in Las Vegas. The top 45 cowboys on the money list at = the end of the regular season qualify for the year-end championship, and McCoy = has played on the PBR’s biggest stage each of the last three years.

In addition to the Cord McC= oy Invitational featuring the best bull riders in the sport, the event will al= so feature the top cowboys in the Professional Bullfighters Daisy Protection Bullfight Tour, a competition that focuses on the basics of good protection bullfighting.

Tickets will go on sale thi= s week and can be purchased at Steppin’ Out Western Outfitters in Ada and the Kountry Store in = Tupelo. The Pontotoc County Agri-Plex w= ill seat about 5,000 fans, so it will be imperative for those interested in see= ing some of the greatest cowboys battling the toughest bulls in the business to= get their tickets in advance.

www.prorodeoannounc= er.com

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