After watching one of his favorite bull riders win his third Built Ford Tough Series event of the season, Ty Murray said, “I think Robson Palermo looks fantastic.”

Palermo rode three out of four bulls in Tampa, Fla., and would have been perfect had he not been called for a slap in Round 3. It was his sixth Top 10 finish in the 11 events he’s ridden in this year.

The oft-injured Palermo missed the opening event of the season because of a family emergency, rode with a broken foot to start the season and then missed two events with broken ribs.

“This is a guy that I’ve always really believed in, and I’ve said many times that I think he has a world title in his future,” said Ty Murray in his weekly podcast. “He’s a guy who’s really been beat up with nagging injuries, and it seems like every time we turn around, he has a nagging injury somewhere that is prohibiting him, and he’s had a little bit of that this year.

“Right now he seems pretty healthy and riding pretty well.”

He’s riding 60 percent of his bulls this season, which up over 10 points from his career average of 49.49 percent, and four of his 18 qualified rides have been for 90 points or more.

In the past six events, he’s won twice, and qualified for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round four times.

He’s won five rounds – two short rounds and three championship rounds – illustrating his ability to come through in key moments.

“That’s a very telling stat, because that’s the hardest time to come through,” said Murray. “It’s pretty impressive. Through my eyes he was the only guy this week who was impressive, as a whole, and I know he isn’t where he wants to be, because he only rode 3-for-4.

“I thought he was by far the standout in Tampa, without a doubt.”

With nine other riders bucking off in the final round, Palermo won the event before he even nodded his head for the final time at the St. Pete Times Forum. He then rode Over the Edge for 90.75 points.

Attention is now focused on next week’s Last Cowboy Standing.

No. 1 ranked Valdiron de Oliveira is a favorite to win the progressive format in which riders advance from one round to the next with a qualified ride. If more than one rider is still competing after the fifth round, the winner will be determined by total points.

During his conversation previewing the pay-per-view special, Murray talked about Oliveira, Austin Meier, J. B. Mauney, Chris Shivers and others.

In the end he predicted Palermo will win for the second week in a row, and to become the first rider to win four BFTS events in 2011.

“He’s coming off Tampa without a doubt the most confidence that anybody drew off Tampa,” Murray said, “and I think he definitely has the talent. I think he has a good head on his shoulders and he’s healthy right now.

“You know, Valdiron would be a great pick too, and actually it’s hard not to pick Valdiron. He’s the guy that no matter what bull he draws, you are the least likely to bet against. Valdiron’s probably the No. 1 pick, and if I was just picking with my head, that’s probably who I would pick and go with, but I just think that Robson could be right there also.”

Murray’s entire interview can be heard here.

— by Keith Ryan Cartwright