For More Information Contact:
Christy Conrad, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
(314) 512-2706, OR
Bonnie Wheatley, PBR
(719) 471-3008, ext. 3134
Professional Bull Riders’ Sponsor Spotlight
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (December 27, 2004) - Enterprise Rent-A-Car recently committed to a three year agreement with the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) which will extend the relationship through the 2007 season. Enterprise Rent-A-Car joined the PBR as a national sponsor in 2004 with an agreement that revolved primarily around media in PBR's cable and network television broadcasts. Under the terms of the recent renewal Enterprise Rent-A-Car will have a more significant presence at live PBR events. In addition to continuing the successful Enterprise Ride with the Best Sweepstakes program, Enterprise Rent-A-Car will be featured through primary chute signage at televised events and will have a prominent presence on the uniform worn by Flint Rasmussen, PBR's official barrel man and world-class entertainer. Also new for 2005 is the Enterprise Tour, a fourth competitive series which has been added to the PBR’s event structure.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is solidly committed to the sport of professional bull riding, and aside from their sponsorship involvement with the PBR on a national level, the company also sponsors individual athletes, among them Michael Gaffney. Gaffney was recently featured in an Enterprise Rent-A-Car television advertising campaign, along with his wife Robin.
New for the 2005 PBR season are the Enterprise Tour events which will supplement U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour action. The event format for the Enterprise Tour will be comparable to that of Challenger Tour venues. Featuring both current and upcoming PBR Stars, the Enterprise Tour events consist of 35 to 40 bull riders each night with a minimum of five permit holders (entry level contestants) each night, and a finals for the top eight qualifiers each night. Randy Bernard, CEO of the PBR, stated, “It is very gratifying to offer four such solid competitive levels within the PBR. Thanks to sponsors like Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the PBR is able to continually increase the number of PBR events that we sanction annually and improve the options available to event promoters, which ultimately gives our bull riders more and better opportunities to earn PBR dollars.”
Jay Daugherty, Vice President of the PBR’s Challenger Tour and Event Development Department said, “I anticipate the PBR sanctioning approximately 40 Enterprise Tour events during 2005. Enterprise Rent-A-Car has been a tremendous supporter of the PBR and I feel that they are a great fitfor this new tour.The William Morris Agency will be booking these events through many of their fair and festival contacts.”
All prize money won on the Enterprise Tour will count towards qualification for the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour Finals as well as for the PBR’s Built Ford Tough World Finals. Upcoming Enterprise Tour events are slated for Jan. 7-8 in Louisville, Ky. at the Kentucky Expo Center and Jan. 14-15 in Beaumont, Texas at the Ford Center.
The Enterprise Ride with the Best competition program was initiated during 2004 and involves a PBR rider and a randomly chosen fan from a pool of online and offline entries. The previous PBR event winner will ride in the following event for the Enterprise Ride with the Best bonus as the last ride before intermission. That rider will receive a $5,000 cash bonus if he covers his bull in Round 1. He will ride for an additional cash bonus in Round 2 for $5,000 if he covers his bull. If the rider covers the bull on Round 2, the randomly picked fan wins a trip for two to the 2005 PBR’s Built Ford Tough World Finals.
2004 Enterprise Ride with the Best Sweepstakes winners recently returned from Las Vegas where they enjoyed world class PBR action first hand, courtesy of Enterprise Rent-A-Car. When polled sweepstakes winners expressed their overwhelming enthusiasm for the trip. Laurie Leuck-Sharp summed it up exclaiming, “This was awesome!” A high approval rating was echoed by Stevensville, Mont., and sweepstakes winner Cathy Tracy wrote “Everyone was very professional, as well as fun and personable. They made us feel like royalty. All your hard work and effort to coordinate this experience for us is truly appreciated.”
Bull riding enthusiasts can now log onto http://pbrnow.com/competition/RWTB/ and sign up for their opportunity to win a trip to the 2005 PBR World Finals via the 2005 Enterprise Ride with the Best Sweepstakes.