In just a few weeks, one of the most exciting events on the Professional Bull Riding circuit is set to take place on United States soil for the first time – the PBR Global Cup.

The Global Cup pits the five best bull riding nations in the world against each other in a team competition that offers fans some of the best and most high-octane action that the sport has to offer.

If you’re unfamiliar with the PBR circuit or with the Global Cup itself, there’s no need to fret. We’ve got you covered with a quick-and-easy breakdown of this exciting annual event.

When and where is this year’s Global Cup?

This year’s two-day competition is set to take place on February 9 and 10 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX–home of the Dallas Cowboys.

How Does the Global Cup Work?

Unlike most professional bull riding, which is usually an individual competition, the Global Cup is a team event that features the best bull riders from five different countries.

These five countries battle for bragging rights and prize money over the course of a two-day event. On each day, every team has all seven of its individual riders compete. After everyone has competed once, the coach from each team selects two of their riders to go compete in another scored “bonus round.”

In Arlington, the PBR Global Cup will debut a new competitive element for the international competition. The home team, which in the past has received an advantage by fielding more riders whose qualified ride scores contributed to the overall team aggregate, will now be split into two teams of seven bull riders.

For the U.S. stop, the host country will add a team comprised exclusively of Native American riders, called the Wolves, competing against the other American team, the Eagles, and all visiting teams.

How are individual rides scored?
Each rider attempts to stay on a bucking bull for as long as possible and at the end of the ride, the rider is given a score based on the findings of four judges. Two judges mark the rider on his ability during the run (up to 25 points per judge) and two judges grade the bull on its bucking performance (up to 25 points per judge). The score is then marked out of 100.

How is the event score settled?
Each team’s 12 best qualified rides, across the two days of competition, are tallied towards their aggregate score. The nation with the highest score wins that year’s event.

What is the Global Cup’s format?

PBR’s format for this event is unique. Each year, the host nation’s portion of the Global Cup is up for grabs. The Global Cup will continue on until one of the five nations holds all portions of the Global Cup at once.

Two nations currently hold a piece of the Global Cup – The United States and Brazil. The Americans were able to win Canada’s portion of the cup back in 2017 and Brazil won Australia’s section last year.

What nations are represented?

Five nations battle each year in an effort to secure the prestigious Global Cup Trophy – Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States.

One thing worth mentioning is that the United States will be fielding two separate seven-man squads for the 2019 event, the “Eagles” and the “Wolves”. The Wolves team is made up exclusively of Native American bull riders for the first time in the history of the sport.

How many riders are chosen to represent each team? How are these riders picked to compete?

Each of the four visiting teams selects seven riders to represent their country. In the past, the home nation has had a type of “home field advantage” where they are allowed to have 14 riders on their roster, but the United States has opted to field two seven-man teams this year instead.

Two of the seven spots on each individual roster are reserved for riders which qualify via National qualifiers. The other five riders are picked by each nation’s coach. Each team is also allowed one alternate in the event of injury or any other unforeseen circumstances.

Where to get Global Cup tickets?

Tickets to the 2019 Global Cup, starting at just $10, are currently available through SeatGeek. Browse all listings here.