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

Newberry, Whitney coming home for Cord McCoy Invitational

ADA, Okla. – Elite bull rider Cord McCo= y of Tupelo wants to blow the socks off fans in Pontotoc County at the end of this month when he brings the best bull riders in the world to = town for the Cord McCoy Invitational presented by Cooper.

He didn’t have to loo= k too far either. In fact, McCoy has received confirmation that Ada native Jody Newberry and Asher̵= 7;s Cody Whitney will be part of the field of 80 great bull riders who will com= pete May 29-30 at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex starting at 7:30 p.m. each night= .

“This is a homecoming= for me, but it’s also homecoming for Jody and Cody, and I really wanted them = to be here,” said McCoy, one of the most popular cowboys in the Professi= onal Bull Riders organization.

Both Newberry and Whitney h= ave been among the elite in the PBR’s premier tour, the Built Ford Tough Serie= s, but both have been out of the PBR’s spotlight for some time. Still, b= oth continue to ride bulls at a top-flight level.

Newberry was the PBR’= s rookie of the year in 2003, the same season in which he won the average championsh= ip at the World Finals. He ended the year with more than $340,000 in earnings = and a top 10 finish in the world standings. He placed ninth in 2004 and third in 2005.

In the years since, he̵= 7;s battled through injuries and circumstances that have taken him out of the spotlight, but he’s still showing off that long-legged talent that pe= ople have talked about for years.

Whitney has put his focus t= oward the Championship Bull Riding and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and the two-time winner on the Built Ford Tough Series continues to make a significant mark on the bull-riding world. He’s ranked eighth in the = CBR standings and won the association’s event in <= st1:City w:st=3D"on">Biloxi, Miss., earlier this year. He’s also ranked ninth in the PRCA bull-riding standings, having earned nearly $42,000 already this year.

“It’s good to b= e able to ride so close to home,” said Whitney, 27.

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 mo= ney 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 athletes in the Professional Bullfighters Daisy Protection Bullfight Tour, a simultaneous competition that focuses on the excitement of aggressive protection bullfighting.

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 is $15; advanced tickets for CordZo= ne seating is $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.

-30-