LAS VEGAS - For Rubens Barbosa, winning the PBRRookie of the Year title came by making prize-winning rides whenbig money was at stake.
The Brazilian entered the PBR World Finals ranked second in therookie race after competing in the last nine events of the regularseason on the Built Ford Tough Series.
But after the last bull had bucked Sunday at the Thomas &Mack Center, Barbosa had earned $112,500 at the Las Vegaschampionships and finished as the Rookie of the Year.
Barbosa is the PBR's top freshman after finishing 2011 with$281,703. During the World Finals, he surpassed EltonCide, who finished No. 2 in the race with $209,169 afterbucking off all of his bulls.
Barbosa, who resides in Decatur, Texas, when he competes inNorth America, said clinching the rookie title was a milestoneafter competing in only nine of the 27 regular-season shows andthen the World Finals.
"It's a very big deal to win Rookie of the Year," Barbosa said."It's a big deal because I got here halfway through the year. Butyou just have to ride well, stay on lots of bulls and win lots ofmoney."
'It's a very big deal to win Rookie of the Year.It's a big deal because I got here halfway through the year.'
Barbosa won or shared the title in two rounds at the WorldFinals. He scored 90.75 points aboard CowboyCasanova (Mesa Bucking Bulls) on Thursday, splitting theRound 2 win with Valdiron de Oliveira. Barbosa wonRound 5 on Sunday with of 92.5 after staying on afast-and-hard-spinning bull named Priceless(D&H Cattle Co./L&E Bulls).
The wins helped him finish fourth in the average at the WorldFinals. Barbosa entered Sunday's performance ranked second in theaverage race with a three-ride score of 264.75, behind No. 1-rankedCaleb Sanderson, who had a four-ride score of348.25.
Rubens Barbosa joins the likes of J.W. Hart, Luke Snyder,Kody Lostroh and J.B. Mauney as a Rookie of the Yearwinner.
For a while Sunday, it looked like Barbosa might clinch both theaverage title and the Rookie of the Year award. After staying onfour out of the first five bulls he faced, Barbosa entered theBuilt Ford Championship Round ranked No. 1 in the average race,with a 357.5, 4.25 ahead of No. 2 ranked RobsonPalermo, who had a 353, and five points ahead of thirdranked Guilherme Marchi, who had 341.
Barbosa also was nine points ahead of No. 4 Sanderson, who had a348.25 after marring a perfect record by bucking off of his Round-5bull.
'I've been riding bulls since I was little. I'mfrom a ranch, and riding was part of what we did.'
But when the coveted $250,000 average title was at stake in the15-man Built Ford Tough Championship Round, Barbosa was denied,after getting thrown off of the 2011 American Bucking Bull ClassicChampion Back Bender.
After the dust settled, Barbosa finished fourth in the averagebehind Palmero, Sanderson and Oliveira.
Since he was a boy growing up on a Brazilian ranch, Barbosa hasaspired to be a bull rider. He said he began taking on bulls whenhe was about 8 or 9.
"I've been riding bulls since I was little," he said. "I'm froma ranch, and riding was part of what we did."
Barbosa, 28, said he decided he would compete professionallywhen he was 18. This season, he earned a spot on the Built FordTough Series after winning Brazil's version of the Iron Cowboy.
'Adriano [Moraes] has pushed me a lot. I'm afan of Adriano. He's given me a lot of push and advice, and I workto follow his steps.'
He competed in nine Built Ford Tough Series regular-seasonevents, beginning in Billings, Mont. During the regular season, hisbiggest check on the BFTS was $9,466 after finishing fifth inMilwaukee.
On the 2011 Ford Series, he has stayed on 11 bulls in 31attempts, but four of the qualified rides were at the World Finalswhere the big money was at stake.
It's bull riding's biggest stage and the ideal place topeak.
Barbosa said winning the Rookie of the Year title resulted aftertraining hard physically and practicing his religious faith.
"I work hard to prepare myself, I train a lot," he said. "I havea workout regimen that was prepared for me in Brazil that I followvery religiously. I also pray a lot and I have a relationship withGod, who calms me. I also have a lot of focus andconcentration."
Barbosa also said he's been influenced by three-time PBR WorldChampion Adriano Moraes, who moved to the UnitedStates in the early 1990s and immediately became a world-classcompetitor.
"Adriano has pushed me a lot," Barbosa said. "I'm a fan ofAdriano. He's given me a lot of push and advice, and I work tofollow his steps."