Built Ford Tough Series
The Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) is the "major league" tour of Professional Bull Riders (PBR) competitions. It is a 30-city event series culminating in the PBR World Finals every year in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The top 35 riders of the PBR compete in the BFTS with the rankings determined by points won. Only the top 35 riders in the points standings can achieve seeded positions on the tour, while riders below that standard may need to ride on one of the PBR's minor league tours (the Touring Pro Division or the BlueDEF Tour) in order to earn their way back onto the BFTS tour.
There is a special rule called the World Champion's Exemption, where any former PBR World Champion can compete in any 5 events he chooses (and they don't have to be consecutive), except for the PBR Finals (he still has to earn his way there). He can then stay on tour if he accrues enough points; if not, he'll have to earn his way back on via the lower tours. Before 2007, this rule allowed former champs to compete in as many or few events they chose, with the only stipulation being that they still had to qualify for the PBR finals like everyone else. (The old rule was implemented in 2000.)
This tour was called the Bud Light Cup (BLC) tour until 2003, when the Ford Motor Company became the principal sponsor, using the long-time slogan for their trucks. It started off with 9 events in its inaugural season of 1994, increasing the number of cities visited over the years, with 28 starting in 1999, and increased to 30 in 2005. There are 27 BFTS events in the 2016 season, as well as the World Finals in Las Vegas.
PBR World Finals
At the conclusion of every regular season, the top 35 riders in the world (based on the number of points earned) as well as the top finishers from the PBR's international tours (Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico) are invited to compete at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas. From 1994 to 1998, the Finals took place at the MGM Grand Arena, then moved to the Thomas & Mack Center from 1999 to 2015. Since 2016, the Finals are held at the T-Mobile Arena.
