For the first time ever in front of hundreds of fans, new and old, the Professional Bull Riders brought bulls to Broadway for the Built Ford Tough Road to Las Vegas presented by Cooper Tires, and it was Travis Briscoe who came out on top. In front of a packed Times Square, Briscoe stayed on Sky Hawk Cut a Rug (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls) for 87 points, giving him a total of 287 Built Ford Tough Series points toward his world standing.
Current No. 2 in the world J.B. Mauney, who showed his support for New York City by riding in a New York Rangers jersey, followed Briscoe with 85.5 points on Flying J Saddles (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls), giving Mauney an additional 265.5 BFTS points. After a busy two days in the city, including a Wednesday night visit to the New York Knicks preseason game, veteran rider Mike Lee tied with Brazilian superstar Valdiron de Oliveira for third in the round. Lee received 84.5 points after making the buzzer on Chicken Lickin (Jeff Robinson/Scruggs/Rocking RA3) for a total of 234.5 bonus points, while de Oliveira received a total of 234.5 bonus points for his 84.5-point ride on Bird Creek (Jeff Robinson/Leon Frakes) followed by a visit to NASDAQ to ring the closing bell.
With only four qualified rides being made ahead of him, current world leader Austin Meier got on Mac-Nett’s El Presidente (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls), but the attempt at increasing his world lead was futile. Meier was disqualified for a slap at 7.4 seconds.
The PBR heads to Las Vegas next week for the 2010 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 20. The Finals continue through Sunday, Oct. 24, with bull riding beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Tickets start at $21, and can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, online at www.unlvtickets.com, and by telephone at 866-PBR-SHOW. For more information about the World Finals, please visit PBR World Finals.
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About the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR)
The PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 100 million viewers annually watch over 400 hours of primetime PBR programming on VERSUS, NBC, CBS and networks around the world. The PBR has awarded over $100 million in prize money, and 20 riders have earned over $1 million, including Justin McBride with $5.5 million – the most of any western-sports athlete in history. The PBR was nominated as 2010 Sports League of the Year at the Sports Business Journal Sports Business Awards, alongside the National Football League, National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Nearly 2 million fans attend Built Ford Tough Series and Touring Pro Division events each year. For more information on the PBR, go to www.pbr.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamPBR and http://twitter.com/TEAMPBR.
Stats: Built Ford Tough Road to Las Vegas presented by Cooper Tires (Oct. 15, 2010)
Injury Report
No injuries to report.
Built Ford Tough Road to Las Vegas
Travis Briscoe, Edgewood, N.M. 87 points on Sky Hawk Cut a Rug (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls). 287 BFTS points.
J.B. Mauney, Mooresville, N.C. 85.5 points on Flying J Saddles (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls). 265.5 BFTS points.
(tie) Mike Lee, Decatur, Texas. 84.5 points on Chicken Lickin (Jeff Robinson/Scruggs/Rocking RA3). 234.5 BFTS points.(tie) Valdiron de Oliveira, Aparecida de Goiania, GO, Brazil. 84.5 points on Bird Creek (Jeff Robinson/Leon Frakes). 234.5 BFTS points.