Ak-Chin Invitational PBR event thrills crowds

The 25th PBR: Unleash The Beast, Ak-Chin Invitational hosted a record sold-out crowd for this year’s competition from March 23-24 at Gila River Arena in Glendale. This event showcases top athletes from the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) association.

Native American Culture

by
Carolyn Sostrom
03/30/2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The 25th PBR: Unleash The Beast, Ak-Chin Invitational hosted a record sold-out crowd for this year’s competition from March 23-24 at Gila River Arena in Glendale. This event showcases top athletes from the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) association.
PBR athlete Eduardo Aparecido from Gouvelandia, Brazil won the overall competition, going 3-for-3 and executing a 90.75-point ride in the championship round. Aparecido earned 590 world points, moving him from number 8 to number 5 in the world standings.
The 2017 Rookie of the Year, Jose Vitor Leme from Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil, finished second with a 3-for-3 performance, including an 87-point ride in the final round.
The top bull riders will continue to compete, ultimately vying for a spot in the 25th PBR World Finals, held from November 7-11 in Las Vegas.
While PBR action was the main event during the hugely successful Ak-Chin Invitational, it wasn’t the only game in town. Other fun included a meet and greet with top PBR athletes held at the UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at Ak-Chin Circle, a memorial team roping event held in Wickenburg, and fan pre-parties held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the Westgate entertainment district.
Pre-parties featured live music, vendors, and a beer garden, along with the chance for visitors to take photos with a live bull. The “Rodeo Days” event for younger kids happened Friday morning at Tanger Outlets Westgate. Kids got the opportunity to ride a pony, pet a goat, and do a Wild West craft. The entire weekend offered fun for rodeo fans of all ages!
In addition to hosting record crowds and showcasing thrilling bull riding action, the Ak-Chin Invitational also benefited the community. PBR graciously donated $2,000 to the Ak-Chin Indian Community during the weekend’s final awards ceremony.
If you missed this year’s Ak-Chin Invitational, you can see some of the action on www.cowboylifestylenetwork.com. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming PBR events. We will bring you live coverage of the action![/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

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Last Updated on 01/25/2019 by Carolyn Sostrom

Related TopicsAk-Chin Indian Community Feature

About the Author:

Carolyn Sostrom

Biography:

Carolyn Sostrom is a long-time Arizona resident who loves desert sunsets, warm weather, Zumba, and the Western lifestyle.

She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale and then Arizona State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Similarly to the protagonist in *The Devil Wears Prada*, Carolyn moved to New York City right after college. She started working for the fashion magazine company Conde Nast but never transitioned to the dark side. After a few years, she left New York in the rearview mirror and returned to her home state, taking a reporter job at the *Apache Junction Independent*.

With over 30 years of freelance writing experience, Carolyn especially enjoys writing about community events and profiling individuals who are making a difference in their communities. She had the pleasure of interviewing a variety of cowboy personalities for an article she wrote for the *Scottsdale Independent* about the history of DC Ranch and its roots as a working ranch. Now, her Western adventures with CLN have her diving into the rugged automotive scene, exploring the trucks and rigs cowboys rely on for work, home, and play, a niche where grit meets horsepower.

She works at Raising Special Kids, a nonprofit resource center for families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Carolyn also volunteers with the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix.

Carolyn believes that everyone has a story, and she loves connecting with others to hear their stories. She’s dedicated to ethical journalism and accurate reporting, which shines through in her storytelling.