“It’s really a blessing,” said Nance from the winner’s circle.  “I think a lot of it.  I’ve been a ton of bulls in my life and thank God I’ve been really healthy and that I’m healthy now and that I’ve got this win under my belt and the one before.”

In round one, Nance rode the bull, White Trash of Teague Bucking Bulls, LLC, for 85.5 points.  He followed that up with a third place finish in round two after taking on Danny Regan Bucking Bulls’ Big Rig for 88.25 points.  Nance entered the Built Ford Tough Championship Round in first place on two bulls with a total of 173.75 points, giving him the first pick in the PBR Bull Draft.  He chose to get on the bull, The Game, of Brandon Gasper Bucking Bulls, and tamed him for 91 points, finishing third place in the round, but taking the event win.

“He (The Game) is from my hometown and I’ve seen him a ton of times, but haven’t been able to get on him until now,” Nance continued.  “Brandon Gasper (the owner) told me that I’d have to wait until the big show to try him out and thank God I got the opportunity to pick him.”

Taking second place in Columbus was Dustin Elliott (North Platte, Neb.) who scored a total of 263 points.  This was Elliott’s highest finish of the 2009 season and he collected a check for $15,714.  2008 PBR World Champion and the no. 2 rider in the world Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) rode for a third place finish after totaling 261.25 points, adding $9,888 to his bank account.  Fourth place went to Oklahoma’s Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) who rode three bulls for 258.5 points and a check for $12,958 while “Mighty” Mike White (De Kalb, Texas) rounded out fifth place with 180.25 points and a check for $9,950.  This moved White to 44th in the Qualifier Standings, leaving him a little over $6,000 short of qualifying for the 2009 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.  He has one regular season event left to do so.

The race for PBR’s million dollar title will take the top 40 bull riders in the world to Uncasville, Conn., for the 31st and final regular season stop on the prestigious BFTS tour.  PBR will buck into Mohegan Sun Casino on October 16-18 for the Mohegan Sun Invitational presented by Cooper Tires where the best bull riders and the toughest bulls in the country will be showcased.  Be sure to check www.pbrnow.com for upcoming cities, ticket information, and complete broadcast times.

View full event results and information, including exclusive behind the scenes interviews

INJURY REPORT:
Luke Snyder (Raymore, Mo.) sprained his left shoulder.  He is competing, but will be getting an MRI this week for further evaluation.

Bryan Richardson (Dallas, Texas) sprained his shoulder and did not compete in Sunday’s performance.  He will be getting an MRI this week for further evaluation.

BEHIND THE CHUTES:
Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s “Ride with the Best” Bonus:
Due to his round two win at the GoDaddy.com Invitational, Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) was eligible to compete for the $5,000 Enterprise Rent-A-Car “Ride with the Best” bonus during round one of the Cooper Tires Invitational.  Meier made the eight second whistle on Mr. Teevy, owned by Crazy H Bucking Bulls; therefore, he took home the $5,000 bonus. 

Mike White (De Kalb, Texas) was eligible to compete for the $5,000 Enterprise Rent-A-Car “Ride with the Best” bonus during round one of the Columbus event.  White did not make the eight second whistle on the bull, Silver Wings; therefore, the stock contractor, D&H Cattle Company, collected the $5,000 bonus check.

As the winner of round two, Team Enterprise rider Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) will be eligible for the bonus during round one at the 31st BFTS stop in Uncasville, Conn.

Ford Truck Moment of Truth Bonus:
Cody Nance (Paris, Tenn.) was in the lead going into the Built Ford Tough Championship Round and ultimately won the Cooper Tires Invitational and collected the $5,000 bonus.  The bonus will be $5,000 at the Mohegan Sun Invitational.  The bonus grows by $5,000 each week if it is not claimed. Once claimed, it returns to $5,000.

Ford F-150 Challenge:
As the Cooper Tires Invitational event winner, Cody Nance (Paris, Tenn.) has qualified for a chance to participate as a Ford F-150 Challenge contestant at the 2009 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, against all other 2009 Built Ford Tough Series event winners who qualify for the Finals.  The Ford F-150 Challenge contestant who finishes the highest in the event aggregate during the 2009 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals will win $50,000 towards the purchase of a brand-new 2009 F-150 truck.

Salem NationaLease Bull of the Event:
The bull, Big Tex, owned by Dakota Rodeo/Clay Struve, earned Bull of the Event honors with a score of 47.25 points.  This honor is acknowledged by an award of $1,250 going to the top bull of each event as determined by the PBR judges’ bull score.

High-Marked Ride of the Event:
Mike White (De Kalb, Texas) recorded the high-marked ride of the Cooper Tires Invitational in Columbus, Ohio, during the Built Ford Tough Championship Round after riding top bull, Apollo, owned by Box K Cattle, for 91.5 points.

Daisy Rookie of the Year Standings:
The 2009 Daisy Rookie of the Year race is getting too close to call and as of stop no. 31 on the BFTS tour, Tennessee cowboy Cody Nance (Paris, Tenn.) has extended his lead on “The Royal Solution” Skeeter Kingsolver (McLouth, Kan.), Caleb Sanderson (Kissimmee, Fla.), young Aussie Pete Farley (Kempsey, AUS), and Elliott Jacoby (Fredericksburg, Texas).  A rider is considered a rookie in the year he debuts on the elite Built Ford Tough Series tour.  The Daisy Rookie is determined by the rider who has won the most money during the year at all PBR events including Challenger events, International events, BFTS events, and the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.

Cooper Tires Invitational RESULTS
ROUND ONE:  1) Mike White (De Kalb, Texas) 88.75 points on Carolina Cat (Walton & Wagoner Bucking Bulls), $2,730; 2) Ross Coleman (Molalla, Ore.) 87.75 points on Scaredy Cat (Dakota Rodeo/Denny Hawks), $1,950; 3) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) 87.25 points on Bravo (George Walschon/Gene Baker/Homestead Genetics), $1,170; 4) Elliott Jacoby (Fredericksburg, Texas) 87 points on Hell Yeah (Denny Reagan Bucking Bulls); 5) Dustin Elliott (North Platte, Neb.) 86.75 points on Last Call (BRH Ranch/Gene Baker).

ROUND TWO:  1) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 89.5 points on Marmaduke (D&H Cattle Company), $2,730; 2) Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) 89.25 points on Stretched Out (D&H Cattle Company), $1,950; 3) Cody Nance (Paris, Tenn.) 88.25 points on Big Rig (Danny Regan Bucking Bulls), $1,170; 4) Ryan McConnel (Colgate, Okla.) 88 points on Exotic Justin (Stace Smith Pro Rodeos); 5) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 87.25 points on Gold Bell Wine (Dakota Rodeo/Winston Loe).

BUILT FORD TOUGH CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND:  1) Mike White (De Kalb, Texas) 91.5 points on Apollo (Box K Cattle), $2,730; 2) Dustin Elliott (North Platte, Neb.) 91.25 points on Chicken on a Chain (Jeff Robinson/Mike Tedesco/Larry the Cable Guy/Bar None), $1,950; 3) Cody Nance (Paris, Tenn.) 91 points on The Game (Brandon Gasper Bucking Bulls), $1,170; 4) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 90.25 points on Chance (Teague Bucking Bulls, LLC); 5) Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) 89.5 points on Rio Grande (Silverado Rodeo Company).

OVERALL EVENT STANDINGS:  1) Cody Nance (Paris, Tenn.) 264.75 points, $32,980; 2) Dustin Elliott (North Platte, Neb.) 263 points, $15,714; 3) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 261.25 points, $9,888; 4) Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) 258.5 points, $12,958; 5) Mike White (De Kalb, Texas) 180.25 points, $9,950.

BUILT FORD TOUGH WORLD STANDINGS: (The PBR World Champion is based on total Built Ford Tough Series points earned through the season)

1) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 11,649.25 points, $355,637; 2) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 10,895 points, $245,466; 3) J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) 10,359.25 points, $390,677; 4) Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goiania, GO, Brazil) 7,707.25 points, $127,506; 5) Zack Brown (Santa Fe, Texas) 7,443.5 points, $187,920; 6) Ryan McConnel (Colgate, Okla.) 7,275.25 points, $119,533; 7) Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil) 7,133.5 points, $140,067; 8) Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) 6,708.25 points, $115,412; 9) Wiley Petersen (Fort Hall, Idaho) 6,665 points, $119,628; 10) Sean Willingham (Summerville, Ga.) 6,664.25 points, $90,399.

All roads are leading to Las Vegas and you don’t want to miss out on any of the action at the 2009 Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas, Nev.  The world-class event will take place on Oct. 30-Nov 1 and Nov. 5-8 at the Thomas & Mack Center---get your tickets NOW at 866.PBR.SHOW or unlvtickets.com!

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About the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR):
PBR attracts over 1.7 million live attendees each year with its multi-tiered event structure which includes the prestigious Built Ford Tough Series, the Copenhagen Bull Riding Challenger Tour, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, and the Discovery Tour, designed specifically for entry level contestants.  With over 450 hours of prime time programming annually and a viewership of 100 million, PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air and broadcasts on FOX, NBC, VERSUS, and on a host of foreign networks across the globe.  The PBR is headquartered in Pueblo, Colo., with additional offices in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico, and prides itself in its 1,000 plus stock contractor relationships and over 1,200 PBR bull riders competing in more than 300 PBR sanctioned competitions across the five countries. 

For more on the PBR, please visit www.pbrnow.com, www.teampbr.com, www.pbr.tv, www.myspace.com/teampbr, twitter.com/teampbr, www.facebook.com/TeamPBR, or www.pbrnow.com/worldfinals/.