NAMPA, Idaho - The Professional Bull Riders on Thursday announced that the PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle on Saturday, May 12, will feature the return of top-ranked Valdiron de Oliveira, who missed last weekend's competition because of injury. Oliveira's absence allowed the riders behind him to gain points, and only 1,050 points separate the Top 5 heading into this weekend's event at the Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho, where as much as 1,200 points are on the line.

CBS will broadcast the special event in its entirety at 4 p.m. ET this Sunday, May 13 (please check local listings). The PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle will be held immediately following Round 1.

The PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle features the Top 15 riders in the world competing against the 15 highest-ranked bulls at the event for an additional purse of $21,000. The bulls were each randomly assigned a position from 1-15. The riders were then matched with their bulls based upon their own current rankings in the Built Ford Tough Series standings.

Built Ford Tough Series points are doubled in the PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle, with the winner receiving 200 points and second place receiving 180 points, continuing on a graduated scale to 20 points for 10th place. The rider also receives his ride score (1-100 points), which means that 300 points are possible for the winner. Points earned in the PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle will count toward the season standings, and money earned counts towards qualification for the Built Ford Tough World Finals. If a rider fails to make a qualified ride, he does not receive any points or money. Points earned in the special round do not count toward the results of the Idaho event, but they do count toward the overall season standings.

Oliveira sat out last weekend. Two weeks ago in Uncasville, Conn., while face-down in the dirt after a successful ride, he was stomped on in the back, mere inches from his unprotected neck and head, and pile-driven into the arena floor, suffering a fractured eye socket that will eventually require surgery.

He is also competing with a broken foot suffered three weeks ago at Indianapolis.

World leader Valdiron de Oliveira puts up 88.25 points on Main Event, before getting stepped on, in Round 3 at the 2012 Mohegan Sun Invitational in Uncasville, Conn.

Oliveira, who leads defending PBR World Champion Silvano Alves by 497.75 points, has drawn Cowboy Casanova. Cowboy Casanova bucked off Alves in 3.26 seconds in the PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle last weekend in Billings, Mont., but was later ridden for 87.75 points in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round to give Austin Meier the event win.

Oliveira won the first PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle in Sacramento, Calif., in January, with 94 points on Washington state's own Buckey. The 94 points stands as the highest-marked ride of the season, and a career best for the No. 1 rider in the world. Oliveira has been ranked first in the BFTS standings the past four weeks in a row, and eight of the first 16 weeks this season.

Valdiron de Oliveira rides Buckey for a career-high 94 points in the inaugural PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle in Sacramento, Calif.

Alves has been paired with Mega Ton, while third-ranked L.J. Jenkins has drawn Sue. Mega Ton is 3-0 in 2012, and bucked off 2009 PBR World Champion Kody Lostroh last weekend in Billings. Sue is 4-3 in 2012, and has been ridden twice this season by sixth-ranked Marco Eguche for 89.25 points and 90 points. Jenkins has finished in the Top 10 eight times at Built Ford Tough Series events, and in the Top 5 five times in the last 12 events.

2009 PBR World Champion Guilherme Marchi, who is ranked fourth in the world, is matched up with Carrillo Cartel, while fifth-ranked J.B. Mauney has Bad Blake. Marchi rode Carrillo Cartel for 87.75 points in the championship round at Billings en route to a second-place finish. PBR fan-favorite Mauney will be competing for the third week in a row riding with his right hand down, after breaking a bone in his customary left riding hand on March 31 at Kansas City, Mo. Mauney rode two of four bulls last weekend in Billings, including a second-place ride in the PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle last Friday, and is now 2-for-8 since making the switch.

Eguche has been paired with Buckey, and Meier, who is ranked seventh, has drawn Smackdown. Buckey bucked off Eguche in the BFTS event at Portland, Ore., and has twice bucked off 2010 PBR World Champion Renato Nunes in PBR 15/15 Bucking Battles at Billings and Albuquerque, N.M. Buckey was the high-marked bull at Portland, Ore., and Arlington, Texas. It is a rematch for Meier, who was bucked off by Smackdown in 4.13 seconds last week. Stormy Wing won the championship round at Billings with a career-best 91 points on Smackdown, who has been the high-marked bull at four BFTS events this year.

Smackdown puts up a bull score of 45.00 in bucking off Austin Meier in the 2012 PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle in Billings, Mont.

Eighth-ranked Fabiano Vieira is matched up with Cooper Tires Grey Ghost, and Nunes, who is ranked ninth, is paired with Bucking Machine. Ben Jones rode Cooper Tires Grey Ghost for 87.75 points in the championship round at Billings. Vieira rode Bucking Machine for 87.5 points at Kansas City earlier this season after bucking off him in 1.58 seconds at the 2011 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.

Caleb Sanderson, who is ranked 20th, will be paired up with Party All The Time, and Wing, who moved up to 12th after a fourth-place finish last weekend, will be on Train Wreck. Sanderson replaces 10th-ranked Justin Koon, who is unable to compete because of an injured hand. In addition to Koon, 11th-ranked Douglas Duncan, 14th-ranked Robson Palermo, 18th-ranked Lostroh, and 19th-ranked Chris Shivers are all unable to compete due to injury. Vieira rode Party All The Time for 88.25 points to finish third in the last week's PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle, while Luke Snyder scored 90 points on the bull to win the PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle in front of a sellout crowd at Albuquerque. Train Wreck has bucked off five riders in a row to improve to 7-1 in 2012 and 11-1 overall. The only rider to reach 8 seconds has been Mauney, who scored 89.5 points at Portland.

Thirteenth-ranked Ryan Dirteater, who returns after missing last week due to injury, is paired up with RMEF Gunpowder & Lead, and 17th-ranked Harve Stewart will get on Shepherd Hills Sod Buster, replacing Palermo. Mauney finished second in the PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle at Billings with 89.5 points on RMEF Gunpowder & Lead, who was ridden for 92 points by Palermo in the championship round at Des Moines, Iowa.

Riding with his right hand down, J.B. Mauney puts up 89 points on RMEF Gunpowder & Lead to take second in the 2012 PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle in Billings, Mont.

Shepherd Hills Sod Buster has bucked off six consecutive riders, including Nunes twice, to improve to 7-1 in BFTS events this season.

Luke Snyder, who is ranked 15th, has drawn Red Hot, while 16th-ranked Ty Pozzobon is matched up with Chocolate Thunder. Pozzobon, who missed last week due to injury, gained entry into the draw because 11th-ranked Duncan is out after undergoing surgery last week. Chocolate Thunder bucked off Eguche in 2.32 seconds in last week's PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle.

Admission for Saturday includes Round 1 with the Top 35 bull riders competing, and the PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle. Tickets begin at $10 and are available at the Idaho Center box office, www.ICTickets.com, and by telephone at (208) 442-3232. Bull riding will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are also on sale at Treasure Valley TCBY locations, Jack's Drive-In in Caldwell, and in Ontario, Ore., at Jn'J Corner Store (Ticketing and/or handling fees may apply).

The final PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle for the first half of the season will be held May 19 at Pueblo, Colo. Two more events in the second part of the season will be announced at a later date.

The BFTS is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network, NBC, NBC Sports Network, and YouTube. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR under a multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer.

PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle
Saturday, May 12 at Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho

No. 16    Ty Pozzobon vs. Chocolate Thunder
No. 15    Luke Snyder vs. Red Hot
No. 17 Harve Stewart vs. Shepherd Hills Sod Buster
No. 13    Ryan Dirteater vs. RMEF Gunpowder & Lead
No. 12    Stormy Wing vs. Train Wreck
No. 20    Caleb Sanderson vs. Party All The Time
No. 9    Renato Nunes vs. Bucking Machine
No. 8    Fabiano Vieira vs. Cooper Tires Grey Ghost
No. 7    Austin Meier vs. Smackdown
No. 6    Marco Eguche vs. Buckey
No. 5    J.B. Mauney vs. Bad Blake
No. 4    Guilherme Marchi vs. Carrillo Cartel
No. 3    L.J. Jenkins vs. Sue
No. 2    Silvano Alves vs. Mega Ton
No. 1    Valdiron de Oliveira vs. Cowboy Cassanova