PBR President Ty Murray to Attend Upcoming Challenger Tour Events

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 30, 2004) - Ty Murray (Stephenville, Texas), who was recently elected to the top office in the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) as the newly appointed President of the PBR's Board of Directors, has announced that one of the board's top priorities in 2004 will be focusing on U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour (USSTC) competition.

Murray, who has been heavily involved with the PBR since its inception, will travel to upcoming USSTC Challenger Tour events in Frederick, M.D. on July 31st and Paso Robles, Calif. on August 7th to represent the PBR and review each production. The Frederick, M.D. event will take place at the J Bar W Ranch and features 45 of the PBR's finest gunning for a share of over $35,000 in prize money. The California Mid-States Fair in Paso Robles hosts the Challenger Tour for the first time since the PBR debuted there in 1995. Murray will coordinate with the entire PBR Board of Directors as well as PBR staff and management to establish an increased focus on the Challenger Tour level in order to improve competitive opportunities within the PBR's secondary league.

As Murray explained, "The U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour operates as an effective feeder league to the Built Ford Tough Series, and when you look toward the future of the sport of professional bull riding, it is essential that the best of the best earn their way to the top tier. The Challenger Tour is such a critical link between the two that it deserves the utmost attention."

Murray, 34, has seven PRCA World Champion All-Around titles to his credit and is commonly known as the "King of Cowboys." He was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2000 and awarded the PBR's Ring of Honor in 2002. Murray was initially elected to a position on the PBR Board of Directors in 2002.