Dunn will receive Sharon Shoulders Award

PUEBLO, Colo. - The Professional Bull Riders is pleased to announce that the 2012 recipient of the Sharon Shoulders Award is Jackie Dunn.

"Sharon Shoulders is an inspiration, and each of the recipients of the award named for her is a remarkable woman," PBR Chairman and CEO Jim Haworth said. "Jackie Dunn has helped not only the PBR, but the sport of bull riding, to grow and prosper in Australia. Our success with PBR Australia has been positively affected by her involvement, and she is a deserving recipient of this award."

Dunn will be honored along with Mike White and Ross Coleman, who are being inducted into the PBR Ring of Honor, as part of the PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration on Oct. 23 at South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas. The ceremony will also include the presentation of the Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award to Thomas L. Teague, and the Brand of Honor Award to Dillinger.

Created by former PBR CEO Randy Bernard in 2009 to honor women who have made a difference in the life of a bull rider and contributed to the sport, the Sharon Shoulders Award honors its namesake for her support and encouragement of her late husband, Jim Shoulders.

"It was an absolute shock to hear about being chosen to receive this award," Dunn said. "Being a part of the development of the sport here in Australia has always been a passion of Troy and I, and to be acknowledged with the Sharon Shoulders Award is something I would never have dreamt about.

"Having the privilege of meeting Mrs. Shoulders, and the two other recipients, I am very honored to be a part of this award, especially being recognized for my contribution to the sport here in Australia."

Jackie Dunn is the vice president of competition and administration for PBR Australia. She and her husband, 1998 PBR World Champion Troy Dunn, oversee and conduct the daily business operations of PBR Australia. The duo is also very active in campdrafting, a unique Australian sport involving a horse and rider working cattle.

In addition to her work with PBR Australia, Jackie Dunn also markets and sells Gold Buckle Bull Riding Equipment and conducts Rural Industry Training on a host property basis for indigenous Australians.

"She treats the PBR like her own business, and she goes well above and beyond her call of duty - not only for the PBR, but in all areas of her life," Troy Dunn said. "She is definitely a worthy recipient, and the award is richly deserved."

Jackie also works the family's two cattle properties, Tripleview Station and Horse Creek Station, which total 2,500 acres, and assists Troy with his bull riding clinics. The Dunns have a 15-year-old son, Lathan, and a 13-year-old daughter, Tyrah.

"She goes well above and beyond her call of duty - not only for the PBR, but in all areas of her life."

South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa is the Official Host Hotel of the PBR Legends Reunion. The special event on Oct. 23-24 will again officially begin the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals. Fans will have an opportunity to meet their favorite riders, as every rider who has competed since the PBR began has been invited to Las Vegas.

PBR Founders and Ring of Honor members who are confirmed to attend include Clint Branger, Cody Custer, Jerome Davis, David Fournier, Cody Lambert, Scott Mendes, Ty Murray, Aaron Semas and Jim Sharp.

PBR World Champions scheduled to attend and who will participate in a special interactive session with fans are Dunn (1998), Cody Hart (1999), Chris Shivers (2000 and 2003), Ednei Caminhas (2002), Mike Lee (2004), Guilherme Marchi (2008), Kody Lostroh (2009), Renato Nunes (2010) and Silvano Alves (2011). For more information on the PBR Legends Reunion, including an up-to-date list of confirmed attendees, please visit Reunion.PBR.com.

The PBR Ring of Honor was created in 1996 to recognize those who have had the most profound impact on bull riding, both in and out of the arena. The 36 members share a common bond of courage, strength and victory. They have shown their dedication and support, while playing a significant role in helping professional bull riding become what it is today. Honorees include the great Jim Shoulders, PBR founding fathers Murray and Cody Lambert, three-time PBR World Champion Adriano Moraes, two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride, and PBR World Champions Dunn and Michael Gaffney. The Ring of Honor, the PBR's equivalent of a Hall of Fame, is more than a fellowship: Each inductee is presented with a ring handcrafted of diamonds and gold bearing the PBR logo, the recipient's name and the year he was honored.

The PBR will host a golf tournament to benefit Special Olympics Nevada on Oct. 23 from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. The PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration Reception will be held from 6-7 p.m. at South Point Las Vegas, and will be immediately followed by the PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration from 7-8:30 p.m. The ceremony will include the induction of the 2012 Ring of Honor members, and the presentation of the Brand of Honor, the Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Sharon Shoulders Award. The South Point Arena and Equestrian Center will play host to the ABBI Back Seat Buckers Finals with performances at 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Following the Back Seat Buckers performances, South Point Las Vegas will play host to the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party.

Past riders will join the competitors in the 2012 World Finals for the Ultimate PBR Bull Rider Meet & Greet on Oct. 24 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at South Point Las Vegas. Prior to the Meet & Greet from 10-11 a.m., fans will have the opportunity to hear PBR World Champions talk about what it is like to earn the belt buckle that every bull rider dreams of obtaining.

The Brand of Honor and the Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award were each presented for the first time in 2011. The Brand of Honor is awarded to a bull for exemplary performance, while the Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a non-bull rider who has made a significant contribution to the sport.

Created by the PBR Board of Directors in 2009 to honor women who have made a difference in the life of a bull rider and contributed to the sport, the Sharon Shoulders Award honors its namesake for her support and encouragement of her late husband, Jim Shoulders, the celebrated cowboy and bull rider who was inducted as a member of the first class in the PBR Ring of Honor in 1996. 

PBR Legends Reunion ticket packages are now available for $175, a savings of $150. The package includes tickets to the PBR Heroes & Legends Reception, the PBR Heroes & Legends Induction Ceremony, the ABBI Back Seat Buckers Finals, the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party, the PBR World Champions Forum and the PBR Ultimate Meet & Greet. The package also includes VIP access to the PBR World Finals Pre-Party at the Cox Pavilion, and tickets for Rounds 1 and 2 of the PBR World Finals on Oct. 24 and 25.

Fans that have already purchased tickets for the PBR World Finals can purchase a PBR Legends Reunion add-on package for $100, a savings of $155. The package includes tickets to the PBR Heroes & Legends Reception, the PBR Heroes & Legends Induction Ceremony, the ABBI Back Seat Buckers Finals, the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party, the PBR World Champions Forum, the PBR Ultimate Meet & Greet and VIP access to the PBR World Finals Pre-Party at the Cox Pavilion.

Legends Reunion ticket packages can be purchased now at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, www.UNLVTickets.com, and by telephone at (866) PBR-SHOW.

The World Finals are where the PBR World Champion will be crowned and awarded the coveted championship buckle and a $1 million bonus. The richest bull riding event in the world, the World Finals has a total purse of more than $2 million.

The World Finals are Oct. 24-28 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Bull riding begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available now at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, www.UNLVTickets.com, and by telephone at (866) PBR-SHOW.

South Point Las Vegas is offering special room rates of $65 and $105 until Aug. 31. To redeem the special rate, please telephone (866) 791-7626 and use the code FAN1021, or Click Here.

PBR Legends Reunion Tentative Schedule
Tuesday, Oct. 23
7 a.m.-2 p.m.               PBR Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting Nevada Special Olympics (separate cost)
4-5:30 p.m.                  ABBI Back Seat Buckers Finals - Section 1
6-7 p.m.                       PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration Reception (Refreshments/Hors d' Oeuvres)
7-8:30 p.m.                  PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration
9-10:30 p.m.                ABBI Back Seat Buckers Finals - Section 2

Wednesday, Oct. 24
10-11 a.m.                   PBR World Champions Forum at South Point Las Vegas
11 a.m.-1 p.m.             Ultimate PBR Bull Rider Meet & Greet
4-6 p.m.                       PBR World Finals Pre-Party at the Cox Pavilion
6 p.m.                          Round 1 of PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals

Thursday, Oct. 25
4-6 p.m.                       PBR World Finals Pre-Party at the Cox Pavilion
6 p.m.                          Round 2 of PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals

About the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR)
The PBR is the world's premier bull riding organization. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the PBR. In just two decades, the dream of 20 bull riders has become a global sports phenomenon that is televised worldwide. More than 100 million viewers annually watch primetime PBR programming on networks around the world including CBS, CBS Sports Network, NBC, and NBC Sports Network. The PBR has awarded over $100 million in prize money and 25 riders have earned over $1 million, including Justin McBride with $5.5 million - the most of any Western-sports athlete in history. Nearly 2 million fans attend Built Ford Tough Series and Touring Pro Division events each year. For more information on the PBR, go to www.pbr.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at http://twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at http://www.YouTube.com/PBR.

Follow Jack Carnefix on Twitter @JackCarnefix.