On the last ride of the night with the crowd on its feet, Jordan Hupp rode After Party (Circle T Ranch & Rodeo) for 89.75 points to win the Professional Bull Riders WinStar World Casino Invitational. It is the second career win and the second in Oklahoma for Hupp, who won in Oklahoma City in 2010.
The native of Cheyenne, Wyo., who was the only rider to ride four bulls, takes home $42,175 after also winning the Built Ford Tough Championship Round on Saturday and the Built Ford Tough Short Round on Friday. Hupp needed his last ride after Ryan Dirteater scored 87.5 points on Stubby (Jeff Robinson/Capello) to move into the lead with 259.5 points. Dirteater, who returned to the BFTS for the first time since March, finished second.
Silvano Alves moved into first place in the BFTS season standings after finishing third with 259 points. The 2010 PBR Rookie of the Year is 298 points ahead of Valdiron de Oliveira, who was ranked first for 16 consecutive weeks and 17 of 19 weeks overall. Alves was the last No. 1-ranked rider before Oliveira, who bucked off both of his bulls this weekend, holding the spot for one week in January after winning in Anaheim, Calif.
Alves tied for first in Round 3 with 2009 World Champion Kody Lostroh, Robson Palermo, and Aaron Roy. Palermo is ranked third in the world with 6,662 points, while 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi, who finished fourth with 258 points, moved up to fourth in the overall standings with 6,010.75 points.
The event in Thackerville, Okla., was unique in that it was held outdoors in a custom-built arena adjacent to the WinStar World Casino. It was the first outdoor BFTS event since a 2005 event at the Laughlin Fairgrounds in Laughlin, Nev. This weekend was the 20th event of the season, and the first of 10 events in the second part of the BFTS schedule. The BFTS returned to action after a two-month break following the Pueblo (Colo.) Invitational on May 20-21.
The first 20 events have produced 13 different winners, and the top six riders are separated by only 2,300 points. There are 1,100 possible points at each two-day BFTS event, and 1,400 possible points at each three-day BFTS event.
The action from Oklahoma will be televised in HD on VERSUS at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday. Play-by-play broadcaster Craig Hummer will be joined by nine-time World Champion and PBR co-founder Ty Murray, who will provide color commentary. The broadcast will also have Leah Garcia and PBR Ring of Honor member J.W. Hart doing interviews on the chutes. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR by David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer and creative lead.
The BFTS returns to Rimrock Auto Arena in Billings, Mont., next weekend for the Stanley Tools and Security Invitational presented by Cooper Tires. It marks the 16th consecutive year that the BFTS has visited Billings – more consecutive and total visits than any other market since 1996. Bull riding begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, at 5:50 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The first 2,500 fans on Friday and Sunday will receive a free flashlight keychain courtesy of Stanley Tools & Security. Tickets are available at http://www.metrapark.com/ticket-info/ and by telephone at (800) 366-8538.
The WinStar World Casino Invitational was the 20th of 29 stops on the 2011 BFTS schedule, which began at world-famous Madison Square Garden in January. The season concludes Oct. 26-30 in Las Vegas with the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, and the crowning of the 2011 PBR World Champion. The World Finals are the richest bull riding event on the planet, with the winner receiving the World Championship PBR Buckle and a $1 million bonus.
Final Results from WinStar World Casino Invitational in Thackerville, Okla.
Event Leaders (Round 1-Built Ford Tough Short Round-Round 3- Built Ford Tough Championship Round-Event Total Points, Money Earned)
2011 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series Season Standings
(Events, Wins, Top 5 finishes, Points, Earnings)
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.