FORT WORTH, Texas (July 24, 2023) – The Ariat Texas Rattlers, Fort Worth’s first-ever professional bull riding team competing in the groundbreaking PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Teams League, today announced a three-year deal with Community Coffee, the nation’s #1 family-owned premium coffee company, making the brand the team’s Official Coffee through 2025.
As part of the partnership, Community Coffee becomes the presenting sponsor of the Rattler Days Alley Rally fan festival in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, will have its logo on the team jersey worn by each rider in the five-on-five bull riding games, and will receive additional branding, programming, and benefits throughout the year and during the team’s Rattler Days, presented by Ariat, home events at Dickies Arena.
“Community Coffee is a well-loved brand and favorite cup of coffee among our team and across the western lifestyle,” said Chad Blankenship, General Manager of the Ariat Texas Rattlers. “We look forward to putting our brand, fan and media platform to work for a truly outstanding new partner.”
“Our partnership with the Texas Rattlers organization further strengthens our commitment to the Western-lifestyle community who collectively share our values of helping our communities, honoring our heroes and living with integrity,” said Leah Herrington, Chief Brand Officer of Community Coffee. “It’s these joint values that brought us to the Texas Rattlers and will help us to bring joy, one cup of Community Coffee at a time, to the North Texas area and to PBR fans nationwide,”
Founded in 1919, Community Coffee is the largest family-owned retail coffee brand in America, and it recently became the third largest brand of coffee in Texas. The company is an importer, roaster and distributor of premium coffee products available online and in retail stores and businesses nationwide, offering whole-bean, ground, single-serve, freshly brewed and ready-to-drink options.
Being privately held and family-owned is incredibly important to Community Coffee, with the fifth generation of the Saurage family now involved in the company.
“The Saurage family is active in regular quality tastings of our coffee, ensuring everything we do is as good as our coffee,” said Herrington. “Not too many family-owned businesses out there can say they have continuously fine-tuned their craft for more than 104 years. We do it every day.”
More importantly, Community Coffee has for decades consistently donated to philanthropic programs to help military veterans, gold star families, schools and coffee growers. The company is also very active in disaster outreach following natural disasters.
“We simply operate differently, and it is why our brand is named Community Coffee,” added Herrington. “Partnering with the Texas Rattlers is just one more way we can live up to our name for the city of Fort Worth.”
Entering the league’s second season and ahead of their Rattler Days homestand on Oct. 6-8 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, the Rattlers have also renewed deals with three additional partners including: Ariat as both the team’s and their homestand’s presenting partner, in addition to being their Official Apparel, Footwear and Accessories partner; RTIC as the Official Drinkware and Cooler provider of the Rattlers and Rattler Days; and Cavender’s as the Official Western Apparel Retailer of the Rattlers and Rattler Days.
Ariat, RTIC and Cavender’s return after first joining forces with the Rattlers in 2022.
Alongside Community Coffee, each of these three brands will also receive logo inclusion on the Rattlers’ team jersey as well as in team branding and social and digital content throughout the 2023 season.
Ariat was founded as “The New Breed of Boot,” first to integrate athletic footwear technology into boots for equestrian athletes. Today, Ariat’s world-class product team builds innovative and award-winning performance products for all types of outdoor and work environments. Ariat is committed to building a different breed of company, one that reflects their core values as a team and those of their consumers. Ariat’s values have shaped their success since 1993 – a commitment to innovation, quality, integrity, teamwork and respect.
RTIC Outdoors is an outdoor lifestyle brand that helps make the good times last, from exciting expeditions to daily outdoor activities, and everything in between. With a range of Drinkware, Coolers, and Outdoor Gear, RTIC’s durability matches the strength and adventurous spirit of its customer base. RTIC is based in Katy, Texas, just outside of Houston and offers products online at rticoutdoors.com and at select retailer partner stores.
Cavender’s Boot City has become synonymous with the well-dressed cowboy and cowgirl. The company is a family-owned retailer out of Tyler, Texas, with nearly 100 stores located across 15 states. Cavender’s is truly a family operation, founded by James R. Cavender and his wife in 1965. At their stores and online, customers can look forward to finding leading brands, as well as a wide range of trending items and timeless western staples.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with the Texas Rattlers,” said Joe Cavender, President of Cavender’s. “Texas is home for us, and this is a natural fit. We are proudly rooted in the western lifestyle and look forward to expanding into the PBR family,”
The Texas Rattlers will host Rattler Days on Oct. 6-8 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The action begins at 7:45 p.m. CT on Friday, October 6, 6:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 7 and 1:45 p.m. CT on Sunday, October 8. In addition, the team will host the Rattler Days Alley Rally presented by Community Coffee in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards from Thursday, October 5 to Saturday, October 8th.
Tickets for the crucial, final 2023 PBR Camping World Team Series regular season event start at $22; taxes and fees not included. They can be purchased online at TicketMaster.com and PBR.com, at the Dickies Arena Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.
Three-day ticket packages are available, offering fans a 15% discount on select price levels.
The 2023 PBR Teams season gets underway July 24-25 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Rattlers will take on the Carolina Cowboys (July 24) and reigning PBR Teams Champion Nashville Stampede (July 25) in their opening two games. Both games will be televised LIVE on CBS Sports Network, with broadcast coverage beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET.
For more information about Ariat Texas Rattlers, visit https://pbr.com/teams/rattlers/, Texas Rattlers on Facebook, or @TexasRattlers_ on Instagram and Twitter.
About the Ariat Texas Rattlers:
Under the leadership of General Manager, Chad Blankenship, the Ariat Texas Rattlers are coached by PBR co-founder Cody Lambert, and owned by the Fisher Family, founders of Gap Inc. and one of the founding team owners of PBR Teams. The Ariat Texas Rattlers team, based in Fort Worth, will host its Rattler Days presented by Ariat homestand event October 6-8, 2023 at Dickies Arena, the last of the league’s 10-event 2023 regular season. Fisher Family investments include footwear and apparel, real estate, timberland and forest products, and education and sports, including ownership of the Oakland Athletics (MLB) and San Jose Earthquakes (MLS). Through its Ariat brand, the Official Boot of PBR, the Fisher family have been longtime supporters of PBR. The family is actively involved with a number of philanthropic causes, including SFMOMA, The KIPP Foundation, and UCSF.
PROVIDED COURTESY OF PBR TO TENN TEXAS MEDIA
