TH Breakout Series Midwest Swing - Woodstock, Illinois
WOODSTOCK, IL - July 25, 2019 – Top-ranked riders are expected in Woodstock next week as the Tuff Hedeman Breakout Out Bull Riding series returns to the McHenry County Fair on Thursday, August 1 at 7 pm. Four-time time World Champion bull rider and Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer, Tuff Hedeman announced details today of the first stop on the five-city tour which kicks off at the McHenry County Fair and Rodeo Bull Bash located at 12015 Country Club Rd.
"Last year's event was a complete sell-out, and we were so excited to host the event again this year - we are pleased to announce we have added 2,600 seats and hopefully we will not have to turn away anyone that wants to see the bull riding,” said Cyndie Erckritz, Director, McHenry County Fair board.
The Breakout Series event pits the industry’s veteran and newcomer riders against a collection of great bulls in a two-round format. Traditional western entertainment includes barrel man Josh Foster, the cowboy lifesaver bullfighters Josh Jacobs and Caleb Osternryk along with the voice of the Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour, Chris Rankin, who will provide play by play and color commentary from the announcer’s stand.
At the debut of this series in 2019, the sold-out grandstands cheered on 32 cowboys from 11 states and two international bull riders who provided two hours of high energy adrenaline rush entertainment. Ticket Link.
“It was a great experience to see such dedicated fans pack the house on a night in the middle of the week, the Breakout Series is a great way to give the dedicated bull riding fans of the Midwest a chance to see a great production and a good group of talented young bull riders,” said Tuff Hedeman who made his first trip to Woodstock in 2018 to assist the production.
Tuff Hedeman is one of the most recognizable cowboys in the history of rodeo. For 23 years he has made a name for himself in the production of great family-friendly bull riding events, and for the second consecutive year, he is bringing his legacy of bull riding back to Woodstock.
The annual Woodstock event is part of the Midwest Swing Series worth over $60,000 in total prize monies and is open to all levels of professional level bull riding athletes. The Breakout series was created to award new riders the opportunity to break into the ranks of professional bull riding and advance to national level tours.
This year’s event festivities will begin at 6:00 pm when the doors open and the bull riding action gets underway at 7:00 pm and expected to conclude at 9 pm. Bull riders will face a field of approximately 40 selected competitors for the lion’s share of the 7,500 added prize money.
There are no guarantees in bull riding; the only way for cowboys to earn a paycheck is to ride better than the rest of the 40 man field. The field of competition begins with all attempting to ride one bull in the "long round." The top 8 ride scores will advance to the championship round where they will battle for the prize money and trophy buckle and invitation from Hedeman to compete on the premier televised Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour event.
In addition to lucrative prize money, bull riders accumulate points which qualify them for the Midwest Swing Finals held on September 15. At the end of the Midwest Swing, the bull rider who has the most points will be crowned the Series Champion and receive a check, Custom trophy saddle, and buckle and an invitation to compete in Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour event.
Tickets are available at the fair box office and online at https://www.showclix.com/event/tuff-hedeman-break-out-tour-bull-riding.
Event location: 12015 Country Club Rd, Woodstock, IL 60098. Media inquiries and interview requests available by calling or email – Leigh Ann Schroeder, tuffhedemanpr@gmail.com – 940.902.1112. Bull Rider entries and inquires matt@nextlevelbullriding.com.
