CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Professional Bull Riders (PBR) today announced the 44-rider field for the 2026 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals, set for May 1-2 at Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The finals mark the fifth consecutive year Corpus Christi has hosted the expansion series' season-culminating event, which will crown a Velocity Tour Champion on Saturday night.
Five riders competing in Corpus Christi will earn berths to the PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast World Finals Round 1-4, May 7-10 in Fort Worth, Texas at Cowtown Coliseum. These riders will be the only competitors eligible to advance to the second weekend of action at Dickies Arena, May 14-17, where a World Champion will be crowned.
Championship Race Heating Up
With the top 19 competitors separated by fewer than 347 points, the Velocity Tour Championship remains wide open. The top eight riders are within just 199 points of each other, setting up an intense battle at the series finale. A total of 320 points are available in Corpus Christi, with additional points awarded based on ride scores.
No. 1 Grayson Cole of New Ringgold, Pennsylvania, has built a steady lead throughout the 27-event regular season with 655 points, sitting 117.5 points ahead of No. 2 Romario Leite of Brotas, Brazil. Cole won the Velocity Tour Championship in 2024 and could become the first two-time PBR Velocity Tour Champion if he maintains his advantage.
Cole has recorded two wins during the 2026 season – at Kubota PBR Charleston in January and PBR Greater Palm Springs in March. Leite captured his first win of the season at PBR Knoxville in the regular-season finale.
The field includes eight riders currently ranked in the top 20 of the 2025 PBR World Championship race, led by current Unleash The Beast No. 12 Julio Cesar Marques, No. 16 Cassio Dias, No. 19 Hudson Bolton, No. 23 Daniel Keeping, No. 28 Bruno Carvalho, No. 36 Afonso Quintino, No. 37 Manoelito de Souza Junior, and No. 39 Mauricio Gulla Moreira.
High Stakes Competition
Throughout the 2026 PBR Velocity Tour Finals, riders will compete for their share of a $100,000 event purse, with the Velocity Tour Champion receiving an additional $50,000 bonus. Points will be awarded as follows:
- 40 points to each round winner
- 200 points to the aggregate leader
- Bonus points for ride scores: 7 points for 70-79.99, 8 points for 80-89.99, and 9 points for 90-99.99
A rider achieving three 90-point rides would earn an additional 27 Velocity Global points, bringing the rider’s potential maximum to 347.
The competition begins at 7 p.m. CT on Friday, May 1, with all 44 riders attempting one bull in Round 1. Round 2 follows on Saturday, May 2, with the top 10 aggregate scorers advancing to a championship round for a chance to claim both the 2026 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Championship and Finals event title.
For more information about the PBR and the 2026 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour schedule, visit PBR.com
Ticket Information
Tickets are available at:
- Hilliard Center Box Office
- Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com
- PBRDirect at 800-732-1727 for PBRewards Members
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