It was a showdown between two warriors.

There was Guilherme Marchi, dropping down in the coffin-shaped bucking chute to face a foe named Bones, who would become the year’s top bucking bull in the PBR.

Marchi, a Brazilian who had clinched his first world title the previous day, was on a mission to become the first cowboy to stay on all eight bulls at the Professional Bull Riders World Finals.

He had drawn Bones in the final round, and his ride would bring the 2008 PBR World Finals to a close at the Thomas & Mack Center.

After Marchi took a deep seat and asked for Bones to explode into the arena, it quickly became apparent that Marchi wouldn’t rewrite history. Bones bolted to the right, made his customary toward-the-moon kicks, and then moved the opposite direction. It was all too much for Marchi, who was on the ground in four seconds.

Bittersweet?

Not really. Marchi was still whisked to the red carpet to receive the traditional $1 million bonus check for claiming the gold buckle. He would celebrate winning his first world title with a massive Brazilian press corps and family members.

Marchi has been the runner-up for the world title for the past three years, and no failed attempt on a final round bull was going to prevent him from savoring his accomplishment.

“This is the best day of my life,” Marchi told the crowd as he was introduced as the 2008 PBR Built Ford Tough Series World Champion. “You know how hard I’ve worked for this buckle.”

Throughout most of the regular season on the Built Ford Tough Series, Marchi has been the dominant competitor. He entered the World Finals an almost insurmountable lead.

After the dust settled on the PBR’s storied 15th season, Marchi had distanced himself by 3,826.75 points in the world title race over second place finisher J.B. Mauney. After the points were tallied from 33 tour stops,  Marchi edged Mauney, 16,841.50 to 13,014.75.

Marchi finished the season with earnings of $1,528,696, and he had World Finals earnings of $164,000

Valdiron de Oliveira finished third for the year with 11,850. He also finished eighth in the average after scoring in Round 7 and then bucking off in the final round.

Marchi  stayed on his first seven bulls, and was attempting to become the first cowboy to win the world title and the World Finals average since Mike Lee accomplished the feat in 2004.

But winning the average wasn’t enough. Marchi wanted to go eight-for-eight against the bulls after staying on his first seven.

But he was stopped short by Bones (owned by Teague Bucking Bulls). After bucking off Marchi, Bones earned enough points to finish as the top PBR Bull for 2008.

Marchi had been bucked off of Bones during a regular season tour stop in July at Tulsa, Okla.

“The bull is very hard,” Marchi said. “He’s smart, too. And he’s very strong. He bucked me off. Beat me two times in two rides.”

After Marchi went down, the average title went to Brazilian Robson Palermo, who ultimately would earn a score on seven head to claim the coveted $250,000 prize. Palermo moved ahead of Marchi after turning in a score of 87 on the renowned bull Camo.

“When I saw that I had Camo, I told everybody in the locker room that I was going to win,” said Palermo, a Brazilian whose World Finals earnings reached $321,000.

In the average race, Palermo edged Marchi by 2.75 points, 625.25 to 622.50. J.B. Mauney finished third with after turning in an aggregate score of 545.75 on six rides.

Palermo advanced to the final round in dramatic fashion after finishing second in Round 7 with a lofty 92.75 aboard the bull Ricky Bobby.

Mauney diminished his chances of winning the average when he was bucked off of the bull Bad Blood earlier in the day. Earlier in the World Finals, Mauney was on pace to win the average after winning three of the first four rounds.

He had a commanding lead after staying on his first five bulls. But he dropped back in the pack after bucking off in Rounds 6 and 7.

But Mauney rebounded in the final round by turning in an 89 aboard Fist Full of Dollars (owned by Ravenscroft and Owen) and winning that round. After finishing third in the average race, Mauney’s World Finals earnings came out to $215,000.

Mauney and Palermo were among three of 15 riders who made a qualified ride during the final round. Renato Nunes turned in an 84 on Pandora’s Box and he finished seventh in the average.   

Meanwhile, Chris Shivers became a serious average title contender when the two-time World Champion turned in a Round 7 score of 91.5 aboard the stalwart spinning bull, Walk the Line. The tie for fourth put Shivers in the final round in position to finish high in the average race after staying on six of his first seven bulls.

Shivers entered the final round in second place, one bull behind Marchi. But Shivers was denied the average title when he bucked off of Troubadour after staying in the rapid-fire spinner for five seconds.

Shivers finished fourth in the average after staying on six bulls, and earned $102,00 at the World Finals.


SAYING GOODBYE

Another attention grabber during the Sunday performance was fans’ opportunity watch two of the most successful bull riders in the PBR retire.

Adriano Moraes, a three-time World Champion, and two-time World Champion Justin McBride, announced earlier this season that they would retire after competing in the World Finals.

Both men came into the performance with a chance to qualify for the 15-man final round.

McBride entered the performance with a final round berth pretty well sewn up after winning Round 6 on Saturday night and staying on his fourth bull during the World Finals.  In Round 7, McBride wowed his fans by turning in a winning score of 93.5 aboard Pearl Snap (Boyd/Floyd Bull Co.).

“That was really good bull,” McBride said. “We were going at it. He was trying his hardest and I was giving it everything that I had.”

In the final, McBride was bucked off of Voodoo Child after clinging on for 4.5 seconds.

But he wasn’t all that upset about not staying on.

“I came up short on my last one, and it was a weird feeling to not be mad about that anymore,” McBride said.  “Usually, I’m getting mad and I’m going back and assessing what went wrong and fixing it. But, I don’t have to fix it now.

“I’m thrilled to be done,” McBride added. “I don’t want to do it again. I don’t want to try (Voodoo Child) over. There’s never been a time that I got bucked off that I didn’t want have a redo and run the bull back in. But I can honestly say, ‘Fine!’”

Throughout his 10-year career, McBride has set an extensive list of records, including 32 career event wins; the most money earned in a single season ($1,835,321); and eight single season event wins (in 2007).

Moraes also retired after being bucked off of his last bull at the World Finals. He had to make a qualified ride in Round 7 in order to advance to the final round. He entered the performance with qualified rides on three bulls and needed to stay on a fourth bull in order to have a chance of gaining the short go.

But Moraes was denied a final-round berth after getting bucked off of the bull Grey Dog after a 5.3-second effort.

“I tried to hang on as long as I could, because I knew that it could be my last bull,” Moraes said.
     
Moraes said it was an indication that he was no longer the competitor that he desires to be.

“That’s the reason that I’m retiring,” Moraes said. “I can’t ride all of them anymore.”

Moraes, 38, said he’s accepted the fact that he’ll no longer compete.

“I’ve already taken my boots off, my spurs and I’m just an ordinary guy,”  Moraes said.

Moraes announced that he would retire at the World Finals in January as he was competing in the celebrated New York City tour stop. The Brazilian’s announcement was highly publicized and his farewell tour has been a big hit with fans.

During other tour stops, fans formed long lines after performances to receive his autograph, and Adriano T-shirts were hot items. Regardless of whether Moraes stayed on his bull for two seconds or the required eight, Moraes always drew cheers.

As Moraes competed in the association’s 15th World Finals, he struck a chord with fans by staying on three bulls despite competing with a broken pinkie finger on his left (riding) hand.  Moraes fractured the finger in Columbus, Ohio, last month when he was bucked off and used his left hand to break the fall.

Moraes’ PBR earnings are close to $3.5 million and he has three world titles (1994, 2001 and 2006), more than any PBR competitor.
    
LOOKING BACK

Adriano Moreas clinched the PBR’s first world title in 1994 when the championships were conducted at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

When the title was at stake in the final round, Moraes posted an 88.5 to win the round and clinch the season title and $47,288 at what then was called the Professional Bull Riders Bud Light Cup Championships.

Moraes also finished second in the average on three bulls with a 248.5, a half-point behind winner Ted Nuce of Escalon, Calif.

Moraes edged out Clint Branger for the cup title, which was decided on a point system from eight regular-season events and the championships. Moraes outpointed Branger, 3,968.5 to 3,795.

Branger saw the title slip away when he was bucked off Bodacious, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association bull of the year owned by East Texan Sammy Andrews, during the final go-round. Branger stayed with the high-jumping beast for 7.7 of the required 8 seconds.

But Moraes, who entered the championships in second place, rode clean during the final on a spinning bull named Gist Buckle. His 88.5 was the highest marking of the three-go-round championships that featured 46 of the world's top bull riders competing for a $275,000 purse.
      
BRIEFLY

*Reese Cates won the PBR’s 2008 Daisy Rookie of the Year title after earning $161,590 in 2008. He finished fifth in the average and earned $93,000 at the World Finals.

*Though Brian Canter fell short of advancing to the final round after staying on three bulls during the Finals, his last ride commanded respect. Canter turned in a 91.5 aboard the bull Chester and tied for fourth in the seventh round.

*Two-time World Champion Ednei Caminhas was thrown off of his seventh-round bull, Wrangler’s Rock Star. He stayed on two bulls throughout the Finals.

*Kody Lostroh, who finished fifth in the world title race, fell short of qualifying for the final round after being thrown off in Round 7 from the bull Soulja Boy.

*Mike Lee, the 2004 World Champion, also was denied a final round berth after getting bucked off of North Star in the seventh round. Lee stayed on three of seven bulls during the World Finals.

*Pistol Robinson entered the World Finals as a contender for the Daisy Rookie of the Year title, but fell short of winning the race after staying on only two bulls. However, he turned in an impressive 90.25. In the 2008 rookie race, Robinson finished runner-up.

*Ryan Dirteater, another rider who entered the World Finals as a Rookie of the Year contender, had a disappointing first World Finals. He stayed on only one of seven bulls.  

*Wiley Petersen, the 2007 World Finals average winner, advanced to the final round after turning in a third place Round 7 score of 91.75. Petersen was 10th in the average after getting bucked off in the final round.

*Brian Herman, who has qualified for the World Finals 13 times, stayed on only one bull during the 2008 edition. He was bucked off of the bull Derringer in the seventh round.

*Luke Snyder, the 2001 Rookie of Year, stayed on one bull during the World Finals and was bucked off in the seventh round.

*Colby Yates reached the final round after scoring 90.5 in Round 7. But in the final, he was bucked off in 1.5 seconds.

*Zack Brown advanced to the final after turning in an 89 in Round 7. But he was bucked off in the final.

*Kasey Hayes turned in a seventh-round score of 91 and advanced to the final. He was bucked off of his last bull.

*Shane Proctor and Aaron Roy reached the final despite being bucked off in Round 7. They were was disqualified in the final.

*Matt Bohon was bucked off in the final. He made the cut after turning in an 89.25 in the seventh round.
            
-by Brett Hoffman             

      
PBR BUILT FORD TOUGH WORLD FINALS PRESENTED BY WRANGLER ROUND SEVEN: 1) Justin McBride (Elk City, Okla.) 93.5 points on Pearl Snap (Boyd/Floyd Bull Company), $25,000; 2) Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) 92.75 points on Ricky Bobby (HD Page/Bill & Betty Morrison), $18,000; 3) Wiley Petersen (Fort Hall, Idaho) 91.75 points on Red Bull (Teague Bucking Bulls, LLC), $12,000; 4/5) Brian Canter (Randleman, N.C.) 91.5 points on Chester (Mendell/Jaeger), $7,500; 4/5) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) 91.5 points on Walk the Line (Chad Berger/Clay Struve), $7,500; 6/7) Kasey Hayes (Liberal, Kan.) 91 points on Bad Action (Chad Berger/Clay Struve); 6/7) Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goiania, GO, Brazil) 91 points on Outsider Mayo/Hooker).
EIGHT ROUND (SHORT-GO): 1) J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) 89 points on Fist Full of Dollars (Ravenscroft/Gene Owen), $30,000; 2) Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) 87 points on Camo (Boyd/Floyd Bull Company), $23,000; 3) Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil) 84 points on Pandora’s Box (Chad Berger/Winston Loe), $17,000.
BUILT FORD TOUGH SERIES POINT STANDINGS:
1) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 16,841.5 points, $1,528,696; 2) J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) 13,014.75 points, $495,157; 3) Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goiania, GO, Brazil) 11,850 points, $251,949; 4) Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, BZ) 10,620 points, $287,878; 5) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 10,184.25 points, $298,852; 6) Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) 9,771 points, $528,765; 7) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.)