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

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

Burelle finds the comforts of home in Ada’s Agri-Plex

ADA, Okla. – Andy Burelle doesn’t= mind the hour-drive from Ardmore to Ada.

In fact, he actually likes = it, and he’s plumb tickled to be returning May 29-30 for the Cord McCoy Invitational presented by Cooper Tires at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex. It’s not only a terrific event where his skills will be showcased in = one of the top Professional Bullfighters Daisy Protection Bullfight Tour competitions in the country, but it’s a chance to work close to home.=

“For me, it’s a hometown deal,” said Burelle, 32, originally from Michigan but living in Carter County for several = years now. “I’ve won freestyle bullfighting world championships in Ada over the year= s, and I’ve been coming to that deal for about 10 years now. Competing in Ada is always a b= ig deal to me.”

That won’t change now= for Burelle, who owns the 2008 PBF world championship with partner Dusty Tuckne= ss of Meeteetse, Wyo. Burelle and Tuckness will be defending the team title the last weekend in May while competing against the best athletes on the PBF Da= isy Tour.

“The PBF world champi= onship is pretty special considering the guys you are competing with are first-class,” Burelle said. “They’re the best bullfighter= s in the world. It’s not like you can go in there and just route anybody. It’s going to be a tremendous competition, just like it was all last year.”

The PBF’s bullfight i= s a simultaneous competition with the bull riding, which is part of the Professional Bull Riders Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour. The bullfight focuses = on the excitement of aggressive protection bullfighting, and it’s quite a show. But then add that to the PBR and McCoy’s promise of bringing the best bull riders and best bucking animals in the world to Ada, and you can see what fans will exp= ect to see when they arrive at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex.

“This is going to be = a good deal for many years go come,” Burelle said of the Cord McCoy Invitati= onal presented by Cooper Tires. “For one, it’s the PBR, and it’= ;s coming to a great venue. You’re not going to find better bull riders,= and this will have the best bulls. And that gives us, the bullfighters, a chanc= e to really put on a show, too.”

Burelle knows what to expec= t, because he’s been there before. A veteran bullfighter, he’s wor= ked some of the biggest events in the world. And even though he’s known as the Wolverine for his aggressive bullfighting nature and his Michigan background, he loves calling = Oklahoma home.

“I started house-sitt= ing for a friend in Ardmore, and I ended up buying the place,” said Burelle, who was married a mon= th and a half ago to his longtime girlfriend, Robyn. “I really like the area, the people. That’s one of the reasons I stayed in Oklahoma. People are just friendlier.&= #8221;

A competitor by nature, he cherishes the fact that the PBF has developed a contested league for protec= tion bullfighting, where some of the greatest athletes to ever work in rodeo can showcase their aggressive nature.

“In the PBF, the competition’s extremely tough,” he said. “Dusty and I work really well together, but one of the biggest things I’ve found is that being consistent is the key. We won the world championship because we were consistent. We weren’t always the highest score, but we never had the lowest score.

“I think that’s= the way the world championship should be decided. The most consistent guys win the = NFR. The most consistent guys win the PBR World Finals. In bull riding, the guy = that never bucks off is going to get paid sooner or later.”

The Cord McCoy Invitational presented by Cooper Tires will be part of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, a= nd money won in Ada will count toward qualifi= cation to the PBR’s World Finals, which 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.

Tickets are on sale now and= can be purchased at Steppin’ Out Western Outfitters in Ada and Wynnewood; Stillwater Milling in Davis= ; and the Kountry Store in Tupelo. Advanced tickets for grandstand seating are $15; advanced tickets for CordZ= one seating are $30.

The Pontotoc County Agri-Pl= ex will seat about 3,500 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.

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