Matt Triplett puts himself into title-race contention with a win in Huntington Beach, Calif., while Mick E Mouse and I'm A Gangster Too warm up for the World Champion Bull race.
By PBR
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – Here are three things we learned from the Monster Energy Bulls on the Beach 15/15 Bucking Battle on Saturday afternoon.
1. Triplett solidifies himself as wild card contender for world title
Matt Triplett rode Oklahoma Bell for 87 points to win the 15/15 Bucking Battle, but it was the 200 additional bonus points that helped push him to within 2,026.67 points of world leader Joao Ricardo Vieira.
Oklahoma Bell exited the bucking chute to the left and settled into an easy spin for Triplett to handle, which eventually gave the Montana native the victory. Triplet is the second rider in eight BFTS attempts to ride the bovine athlete.
“This is a bull I have been watching for a long time,” Triplett said. “He is really strong and powerful and I just made the right moves to ride him correctly.”
Vieira was bucked off by Fire Rock in 2.64 seconds, allowing Triplett’s ride to bump the 21-year-old and sixth-ranked bull rider in the world standings closer to that ever-important deficit of 2,000 points.
Many experts believe that for a rider to have a shot at the World Championship, he needs to be within 2,000 points of the world leader before the start of the Built Ford Tough World Finals.
Triplett has now ridden five bulls in a row and is as confident as can be heading to Las Vegas in a few days.
“I feel great,” Triplett said. “Last week helped me a bunch riding all three bulls. Coming to a 15/15 Bucking Battle where they have the best bulls in the world competing and being able to stand on one and ride with confidence and land on my feet is a big boost.”
This year’s World Finals will be much different for Triplett compared to 2013. Triplett barely qualified for last year’s World Finals as the 35th bull rider in the world. This year, he will be in the hunt for his first career world title.
“I am jacked to go to the World Finals,” he said. “Last year, the Finals treated me really well and, hopefully, this year I can have the same outlook.”
Triplett finished ninth in the event average at the 2013 World Finals by going 3-for-6.
In terms of the other world title contenders, No. 3 Silvano Alves and No. 5 Mike Lee both turned down re-ride options to kept their respective scores.
Alves made 8 seconds on Alright, Alright, Alright for 80.25 points to head to Finals 516.19 points behind Vieira after receiving an additional 140 bonus points for his fourth-place finish.
Lee rode Ridin’ Dirty No Restraint for 81.25 points in the bull’s BFTS debut. The 2004 World Champion earned 160 additional bonus points for a third-place performance. He trails Vieira by 1,433.44 points.
No. 2 Fabiano Vieira lasted 5.36 seconds on Walk Off and No. 4 Guilherme Marchi was dispatched by Mick E Mouse in 7.19 seconds.
2. World Champion Bull contenders take care of business despite low marks
Mick E Mouse and I’m a Gangster Too bucked off their challengers on Saturday afternoon, but their bull scores were not reflective of being World Champion Bull contenders.
Marchi nearly became the first rider to conquer Mick E Mouse before Marlene Henry’s bull was able to get rid of the 2008 World Champion in the final second. The bull’s buckoff streak improves to 26 in a row and he was marked 42.25 points – a career-low on the Built Ford Tough Series.
It appeared as if Marchi was going to make a successful ride as he remained in control despite Mick E Mouse’s two aggressive jumps out of the gate. The bull then settled into an average spin before turning back at the last moment.
“I’m not worried,” Henry said. “He did good. I really thought Guilherme had him though.”
Jeff Robinson shared similar thoughts about I’m a Gangster Too, who was also ridden past the 7-second mark. However, just like Mick E Mouse, I’m a Gangster Too was not to be defeated and he threw off Chase Outlaw at the 7.33-mark.
I’m a Gangster Too was given a 43.25-point bull score.
“That bull usually bucks better a couple weeks in a row and he had three weeks off,” Robinson said. “We were trying to get him freshened up. He will be fine.”
Outlaw added, “Man, I should have rode him. That son of a gun got lucky. Next time, he will be cruising for a bruising.”
Mick E Mouse and I’m a Gangster Too will take their first stabs at earning the 2014 World Champion Bull title on Thursday night during the second round of the World Finals. They will likely need to score over 45 points to have a shot at earning the title against a range of challengers including Bushwacker, Asteroid and Jared Allen’s Air Time, among others.
3. Buck Dynasty returns in style
Buck Dynasty’s first BFTS out in five months was a solid success as Bobby Martin’s bull took care of Kasey Hayes in 0.97 seconds.
He was marked 44 points and tied Walk Off for the second-highest bull score of the day.
Buck Dynasty had been rehabbing the past couple of months at the bull pool, regaining his strength after being diagnosed with infections in his bull horns in May. Both of his horns had to be removed.
Hayes said that he had to give credit where credit was due despite feeling that it was a lack of effort on his end that led to the quick buckoff.
“He really wasn’t that bad, but I just slapped him right out of there, sat up and pretty much quit. Gosh, damn, I hate putting out that kind of effort. I didn’t ride very good and he did buck me off.”
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – Gage Gay paddled out into the Pacific Ocean with all the confidence in the world on Friday afternoon.
Then the sea gave him its best Bushwacker impression, sending the 20-year-old off his surfboard and flailing into the water.
Gay was left panting and searching for some air when he finally made it back to shore.
“Man that is tiring,” Gay said about his first time ever surfing. “It wasn’t that hard, but it was a lot more tiring than I expected. Paddling out there against them waves, I felt like I paddled for two miles and then I stood up and I was only knee deep.”
The effort by Gay, Guilherme Marchi, Chase Outlaw and Kasey Hayes left pro surfer Adam Knox impressed.
“The conditions were kind of tough. It jacked up really fast,” Knox said. “A couple of them got up and over the waves, so that was rad. They handled it like champs because it is not that it is scary, but it can really pummel you.
“Everything correlates over from what they do bull riding. You can definitely see they are not afraid.”
Outlaw added, “This ocean, there ain’t no off switch like when you get off a bull. This thing ain’t going to stop.”
The bull riders were also joined by professional surfer Mary Osborne and professional beach volleyball players Tri Bourne and Trevor Crabbe.
The group participated in a brief beach volleyball game before hitting the waves, while also taking some time out of their Friday mornings to hop on a mechanical bull.
“It is a lot harder than I expected,” Crabbe said. “It looks not too bad, but holding onto the rope was pretty tough. It slips right through your hands.”
Bourne added, “That was awesome. It was tough and I was slipping everywhere. I didn’t expect it to be easy. If I got on a real one I would be looking for my exit strategy.”
Outlaw said Friday was a nice chance for the bull riders to relax, have some fun and meet some other professional athletes before competing in the Monster Energy Bulls on the Beach 15/15 Bucking Battle.
“Oh it was awesome,” he said. “It was pretty cool getting to see other professional athletes in their field of expertise. It was pretty awesome getting to see everyone in their field of expertise.”
Bourne agreed with Outlaw.
“It is always cool being able to meet other professional athletes,” he concluded. “We are all kind of doing the similar thing, but in different ways. I mean (bull riding) is much more dangerous than volleyball.”
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A disappointed Tanner Byrne had to withdraw from Round 2 of the Cooper Tires Take The Money and Ride Built Ford Tough Series event on Saturday due to his lingering right hand injury.
It did, however, provide him an opportunity to get an up-close look at Pretty Reckless, a bull he co-owns with his father, Ryan, and father-in-law Rusty Clunie.
Pretty Reckless, who is hauled by Matt Scharping and Jared Allen’s Pro Bull Team, dispatched Brady Sims in 2.33 seconds and was marked 42 points.
“He was good tonight,” Byrne said Saturday. “That was the first I had seen him live. Matt Scharping has been taking him to a bunch of events down here and it was his debut here on the Built Ford Tough and I thought he was pretty good.”
Flying Four Bucking Bulls does a good amount of buying and selling in the U.S., and brings many of the bulls back to Canada for more work. Bad Mama Jammer, another one of their bulls, will be bucking at the Built Ford Tough World Finals next week“He is probably our best one going right now,” Tanner said. “We are always kind of doing the contractor thing, my dad and Rusty are big into it. I just kind of do my own thing and they take care of everything else. I have to thank them for sure.”In terms of his injured hand, Byrne said he felt it was best to give it some additional healing time before heading to Las Vegas.
“My hand is pretty sored up, but that is just part of the game,” he said. “I am going to give it the extra day and heal it up this week and get ready for the World Finals. There is so much money there that there is no point in hurting it more when I can go there feeling better than if I got on.”
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Brady Sims was greeted with a series of smiles when he walked into the children’s hospital at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest last Friday before the Cooper Tires Take The Money and Ride Built Ford Tough Series Event.
It was the first time the 21-year-old had ever been to a children’s hospital and Sims called it an eye-opening experience.
“They say it makes them feel good whenever we show up, but it makes us feel good when we can see some kids that are traumatized like that smile. I have a real soft heart whenever it comes to that stuff pretty hard. I tried to hold it together.”
Sims signed autographs, posed for pictures and hung out with a group of kids to help brighten their days amidst their treatments for a variety of illnesses. The Holt, Missouri, bull rider said that he never really expected being a professional bull rider could have such an impact on so many others beyond the arena.
“There was one kid that was real sick and his dad said he hadn’t been able to smile in three weeks. He would be hurting all the time, but he had the biggest freaking smile you have ever seen when I went in there. That was pretty neat. (Another) kid just kept smiling and saying cowboy. He loved it. That was awesome. I didn’t even have to do anything and they loved it.”
3 THINGS WE LEARNED IN ALLENTOWN (10-11-2014)
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Here are three things we learned following this weekend’s Cooper Tires Take The Money and Ride Built Ford Tough Series event at the PPL Center.
1. Tracking qualifiers for World Finals
At the beginning of Round 2, it appeared as if the bubble riders were poised to make a push for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round in Allentown. However, only Jordan Hupp and Nathan Schaper were able to cover their bulls in the second round and qualify for the championship round.
Hupp made the most important jump of any rider in the world standings this weekend by finishing in second place in the event average after riding Who Dey for 89.25 points in the championship round to cap off a 3-for-3 performance that pushed him inside the Top 35 of the world standings in the final BFTS regular-season event with all 35 riders competing.
“I was right in that zone where I knew I wasn’t going to get enough points unless I covered that championship round pick,” Hupp said. “It worked out. This weekend was really awesome for me. It was kind of coming to the point where I had to figure out what was keeping me down and I was struggling with it. I am just very thankful.”
The 29-year-old earned 100 bonus points for winning the championship round and an additional 270 points for his event placement. He also rode Rock & Roll for 82 points in the second round and had ridden Big Kahuna for 82.5 points on Friday night.
“Who Dey is just a really hard bucker right into my hand and I really like that about him,” Hupp said. “I thought he would fit me and I was happy that I was right.”
All and all, Hupp, who began the weekend 305.38 points out of the Top 35, earned 623.75 points toward the world standings to jump from 37th to 33rd in the world.
Hupp last rode three bulls at a BFTS event when he went 2-of-3 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, while also covering a bonus bull, during the 2013 season.
Schaper (2-for-3) moved from 32nd in the world standings up to 28th by placing ninth overall. He bucked off Mental Revenge in 2.43 seconds in the championship round, but rode Hou Hou for 84.75-points in Round 2 and Gatling Gun for 82.75 points in Round 1.
Kody Lostroh, who is questionable for the World Finals because of a broken left ankle, is 34th in the standings. Robson Palermo (1-for-2) is 35th, Billy Robinson (0-for-2) is 36th and Jason Malone (1-for-2) is 37th in the standings.
With Markus Mariluch out for the World Finals and the possibility of Lostroh being unable to compete at Finals, Malone may end up in Las Vegas. Not only that, but Malone only trails Robinson by 54.37 points in the standings and is double-entered in next weekend’s 2014 Touring Pro Division season finale in Little Rock, Arkansas.
An official list of World Finals qualifiers will be released following next weekend's events.
2. World title race tightens up once again
All it took was one slip up by world leader Joao Ricardo Vieira to open the door for No. 2 Fabiano Vieira and No. 3 Silvano Alves this weekend.
All three riders entered the championship round 2-for-2, but Joao Ricardo Vieira bucked off New Holland Powerstar in 5.17 seconds and Silvano Alves and Fabiano Vieira covered their bulls to get within less than 750 points of the top spot with only next week’s Monster Energy Bulls on the Beach 15/15 Bucking Battle remaining until World Finals.
The big winner — no pun intended — was Fabiano Vieira. The 32-year-old went 3-for-3 to win his third event of 2014 and he now trails Joao Ricardo Vieira by 511.63 points. He accepted a re-ride in Round 2 and surrendered his 74.25 points on Peanuts with the goal of earning himself a better spot in the championship round draft. To do so he had to ride Alternator instead, which he did for 87 points to earn the top selection.
Fabiano Vieira then picked Who Dat and rode the bull for an event-winning 85.5 points.
“I accepted the re-ride because I thought (Alternator) was a good bull and I rode him before one time and I (knew) I could go into the short go in second or third if I rode him,” Vieira said. “I need to ride good bulls to win the event.”
Alves went 3-for-3 for the second consecutive weekend and finished in fifth-place. He rode You’re Next (88.25 points), Skid Row Joe (84.25) and Alcatraz (60.75). The two-time World Champion sits 736.69 points behind the world lead.
“This competition is very fun, because all of those riders (Joao Ricardo Vieira, Fabiano Vieira, Guilherme Marchi and Mike Lee) all ride so good,” Alves said.
No. 4 Marchi made the 8-second mark on Chute Buster for 87 points in the championship round, giving him two qualified rides for the first time since August. He finished in seventh place and trails Joao Ricardo Vieira by 1,019.19 points.
No. 5 Lee’s struggles continued as he went a third consecutive event without a qualified ride.
3. Triplett gets monkey off his back
It was becoming a burden larger than anything for Matt Triplett. Fifteen times he had qualified for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round only to falter short of the 8-second mark. Finally, that 0-for-15 streak is over.
Triplett rode Freaky Eyes for an easy-to-be-had 87.5 points for his first career ride in the championship round at a BFTS event.
“Oh my gosh, this whole year it has just been there,” Triplett said. “I haven’t been finishing bulls in the short round. Finally to get a bull covered in the short round takes a load off my shoulders and puts me in a good position going into Vegas.”
Triplett used the eighth pick in the bull draft to select the bull after Gage Gay told him that he had been on him at an open bull riding.
“They said that bull usually goes left, but he jumped out there and went into my hand and moving ahead a little bit and I kind of cleared my head and just rode bulls and had fun,” Triplett said.
The ride pushed him into the event lead before Hupp’s successful ride and Triplett finished the event in third place. It is his highest finish since he bucked off in the championship round in Laughlin, Nevada, three weeks ago at the 7.99-second mark for a second-place finish.
Triplett rode American Gangster for 82 points in the second round earlier Saturday night and Outlaw for 76.25 points in the first round on Friday.
He is sixth in the world standings and trails Joao Ricardo Vieira by 2,313.67 points.
Injury updates
Marchi and Cody Nance each qualified for the championship round seeing as Ty Pozzobon and Emilio Resende did not compete in the final round because of injuries.
Pozzobon was unable to compete due to aggravating his ankle injury from Biloxi, Mississippi, in Round 2 against Marty, while Resende did not compete due to a strained right hip flexor that was a result of his 7.34-second buckoff against Big Enough on Friday night.
Sean Willingham strained his right calf muscle while being bucked off by Lil Lanch during the championship round.
J.W. Harris sprained his right hip, and may have suffered a labral tear, while dismounting Neon Nightmare in the second round following his 81.25-point ride.
Harve Stewart sustained a concussion when his head struck the ground during the second round while being bucked off by Smitty in 7.2-seconds.
Tanner Byrne did not compete on Saturday night after re-aggravating his sprained right hand (riding hand) in Round 1 against Fire Bender. He is probable for World Finals.
Ryan Dirteater missed his second consecutive event with an injured riding hand, but is expected to return in time for World Finals, and Douglas Duncan was out with a torn ligament in the thumb of his riding hand.
Eleven riders competed in Allentown with reported injuries: Marchi (sprained right knee), Fabiano Vieira (unstable right shoulder), Triplett (left hip flexor strain), Kasey Hayes (fractured jaw), Renato Nunes (unstable right shoulder), Valdiron de Oliveira (back injury), Emilio Resende (knee sprain), Claudio Crisostomo (broken left clavicle), Pozzobon (right knee sprain and sprained left wrist), Harris (lower back strain) and Robinson (sports hernia).
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Here are three things we learned through Round 1 of the Cooper Tires Take the Money and Ride event at the PPL Center.
1. A little help from his friends
Chase Outlaw’s gear bag never made it onto his flight out of Monroe, Louisiana, on Friday, and it left him in need of equipment to ride with. Thanks to the help of Stormy Wing (bull rope), Gage Gay (boots and spurs), Josh Faircloth (vest and chaps) and Ty Pozzobon (helmet), Outlaw was able to piece together a hodgepodge set of gear to use in winning Round 1.
Outlaw looked just as comfortable as he has been throughout the second half of the BFTS despite lacking his own equipment, riding Stay Thirsty for a round-winning score of 89.25 points.
“If I wouldn’t have spurred, that bull would have bucked me off – and spurring him got me extra points and it worked out for the best,” Outlaw said. “Mental mistakes have bucked me off before like that – start spurring and quit spurring – but I just kept going. Once you start, you can’t quit.”
Outlaw has won six rounds this season, which ties him with J.B. Mauney for the second most on the BFTS, right behind Joao Ricardo Vieira and Guilherme Marchi, who have each won seven rounds.
The Hamburg, Arkansas, bull rider’s gear bag is expected to arrive tonight in Allentown, but that doesn’t mean he will use it, Outlaw noted with a laugh.
“Hell, I think I may use Gage’s spurs and that rope of Stormy’s again tomorrow,” Outlaw said.
2. Top 3 riders all record rides; Vieira moves to No. 2
The top three bull riders in the world – Joao Ricardo Vieira, Silvano Alves and Fabiano Vieira – all made the 8-second mark on Friday night.
However, Fabiano Vieira was the only rider of the three to record any bonus points for a Top-10 finish to go along with his ride score. Vieira conquered Cash Ya Out for 87.50 points to end the night second in the event average heading into Saturday night’s Round 2. Vieira earned an additional 90 points in the world standings for placing second and moves ahead of Alves for the No. 2 position in the world.
Fabiano trails Joao by 1,006.13 points.
“He is a good bull to ride for my shoulder,” Vieira said. “I have been doing physical therapy with Felipe (Garcia) for two weeks and I feel very nice.”
Vieira hit the ground hard on his dismount, but added that his unstable right shoulder felt OK.
Alves had an opportunity to earn more than the 60.75 points he received for making the 8-second mark on Alcatraz, but he turned down an option for a re-ride. Alves has turned down his past five re-ride opportunities since the second half of the BFTS resumed.
However, last weekend, it worked out fine for him, as he finished the Battle at the Beau in third place after going 3-for-3. He will need to record another 8-second ride on Saturday night to have any chance of qualifying for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round, as there were a total of 19 qualified rides in Round 1.
Joao Ricardo Vieira posted an 8-second ride for the fourth consecutive event by riding Spotted Juice for 81.5 points. It is the first time Spotted Juice has been ridden in 10 combined BFTS and Touring Pro Division outs.
Marchi, who is ranked fourth in the world, was bucked off by High Times in 2.69 seconds, and said he felt some soreness in his shoulder after hitting the ground.
No. 5 Mike Lee looked poised to receive a qualified ride, but jumped the gun when it came to disembarking from his bull. It was ruled that he touched his bull rope at 7.89 seconds.
3. Lostroh breaks left ankle; questionable for World Finals
Kody Lostroh’s hunt for qualifying for the Built Ford Tough World Finals took a major blow on Friday night after the 2009 World Champion rode Pain & Suffering for 86 points. Lostroh broke his left ankle while twisting it during his dismount.
Once he hit the ground, Lostroh immediately called for the PBR’s sports medicine team.
“I don’t have any X-rays, but based on his exam and the position of his ankle in the arena, he has an unstable fracture pattern,” Dr. Tandy Freeman said. “There is no way to protect him and keep the bones lined up. Without the X-rays, all I can say is there is a 90-plus chance that this is one that has to be fixed.”
According to Freeman, Lostroh will get X-rays in the coming days to determine the severity of the injury, but he will likely require surgery, and is questionable for the World Finals if he qualifies.
Lostroh is currently 33rd in the world standings, but may slip out of the Top 35, depending on how things finish in Allentown. The four riders that began the night below Lostroh in the world standings – Robson Palermo (83.5 points on Texas Red), Jason Malone (82 points on Spitball), Jordan Hupp (82.5 points on Big Kahuna) and Harve Stewart (72.75 points on Squirrel Grove) – all recorded qualified rides.
“The question is can he fix it and ride?” Freeman continued. “Riding with an ankle fracture a week to 10 days post-op is not going to be very easy, at best – just the swelling and discomfort on the basis of just having surgery. On top of which then you have to worry about the hardware failing while you are riding.
“Basically, you have to build a splint that he can take on and off and get fit in a boot that doesn’t let his ankle move, also which means he won’t be able to run. There are a number of factors to consider.”
Freeman compared Lostroh’s injury to the one that Justin McBride suffered in 2004 three weeks before the World Finals. A major difference is the fact that Lostroh would have only a little over a week of recovery time before this year’s World Finals.
“(McBride’s was) probably a pretty similar fracture pattern to what Kody has,” Freeman said. “He had surgery, but he had three weeks. So that gave the swelling some time to go down, stitches were out and he was feeling a bit better. He did have a custom-made splint that fit over the ankle and you could Velcro on. He was on crutches.
“Every time he got on, it was a little bit of cross your fingers and hope nothing bad happens.”
Additional injury updates
Claudio Crisostomo, who bucked of Banty Rooster in 6.75 seconds, competed with a broken left clavicle after sustaining the injury Thursday attempting to ride a practice bull in Decatur, Texas.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The 26th and final Built Ford Tough Series regular-season event featuring the Top 35 bull riders in the world is set for this weekend at the PPL Center.
The Cooper Tires Take The Money and Ride will be one last opportunity for riders in the bottom quarter of the world standings to solidify their position to qualify as one of the Top 35 riders for the Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Oct. 22-26.
There are currently 692.09 points separating No. 30 J.W. Harris from No. 39 Harve Stewart, the last alternate added to the draw this weekend. The margin in the world standings is only tighter (481.09 points) between No. 33 Billy Robinson and Stewart.
The final list of World Finals participants will not be released until the conclusion of the 15/15 Bucking Battle in Huntington Beach, California, next weekend, as well as the Touring Pro Division event in Little Rock, Arkansas, where No. 34 Kody Lostroh and No. 36 Jason Malone have already double-entered in hopes of gaining additional points to crack the Top 35.
Other alternates for this weekend include No. 31 Josh Faircloth, No. 32 Nathan Schaper, No. 35 Robson Palermo and No. 37 Jordan Hupp.
Ryan Dirteater is out for the second consecutive week with a possible fracture of his left ring finger, while Zane Lambert and Douglas Duncan are also not competing due to injury. Lambert injured his left shoulder (free arm) when he was dismounting Raven Flyer last weekend in Biloxi, Mississippi, during the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. Duncan aggravated his surgically-repaired, left thumb attempting to ride Stolen Cash last week in Round 2.
Markus Mariluch is done for the season following season-ending biceps surgery, meaning that barring any other injuries this weekend, the No. 36 rider in the world will be the last rider to qualify for Finals.
Neil Holmes is also in the draw this weekend with the last of his three BFTS event exemptions, and Bonner Bolton is competing following his TPD win in Locust Grove, Oklahoma.
In terms of the world title race, world leader Joao Ricardo Vieira enters Allentown with the largest advantage in the world standings that any No. 1 rider has had all season. He has ridden 7-of-10 in the last three events to open a 1,033.94-point lead on No. 2 Fabiano Vieira and a 1,448.69-point lead on No. 5 Mike Lee.
Joao Ricardo Vieira has used two event wins (St. Louis & Dr Pepper Iron Cowboy V) this year, seven round wins – which is tied for the most in the BFTS with Guilherme Marchi – and a 15/15 Bucking Battle victory in Anaheim, California, to make up for his 44.58 riding percentage, which is the lowest among the Top 4 riders in the world standings. He also leads the BFTS with four 90-point rides and 10 Top-5 finishes.
Vieira is slated to face Spotted Juice in Round 1 on Friday night and Frost Bite in Round 2 on Saturday.
BILOXI, Miss. – Here are three things we learned from this weekend’s Built Ford Tough Series Battle at the Beau at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Joao Ricardo Vieira has largest world standings lead of 2014; Alves jumps to second
Joao Ricardo Vieira is continuing to maintain his spot in the driver's seat atop the world standings after posting two (or more) qualified rides for the third consecutive week. The 2013 Rookie of the Year now leads No. 2 Silvano Alves by 1,033.94 points.
It is the largest lead any world leader has had this season.
Vieira capped off his 2-for-3 weekend by riding Pecos Bill for 85.75 points, eventually placing fifth in the event average. He is the first rider to cover Pecos Bill in nine attempts.
The 30-year-old posted a clutch 86-point ride on Short Side in Round 2 to qualify for the championship round after bucking off Wacey in 3.39 seconds on Friday night. It was the third-highest-scored ride of the round, which was won by Gage Gay.
Gay rode Brass Rain, a bull that is on the bubble of going to World Finals, for 88 points. Brass Rain was marked a second-round high 43.25 points.
Vieira’s performance puts a slight damper on Alves’ own 3-for-3 effort and third-place finish. Alves, who bruised his back after riding Wreck It Ralph for 86.75 points in the championship round, was only able to make up 70 points on Vieira in the standings, despite moving up from fifth in the standings to second.
“It’s no competition (between us),” Alves said. “I just need to relax and I need to just score on my bulls and ride good. I felt really good this week.”
Alves says he has not thought much about potentially winning his third world title, but he did get on practice bulls twice this week before arriving in Biloxi. He nodded his head Tuesday at Robson Palermo’s house and again on Thursday at his own ranch.
The 26-year-old rode Juco for 82.75 points in Round 2 on Saturday night, and he turned down a re-ride option on Friday after covering Living the Dream for 72.25 points. It was the fourth consecutive re-ride he has turned down in the past three weeks.
“When the option is OK, then I take the re-ride," Alves said, "but right now, they aren’t good for me."
Guilherme Marchi was bucked off by King Buck (5.76 seconds) and Jeremiah (5.15 seconds) on Saturday night and he dropped to fourth in the world standings. Marchi is 1,210.44 points behind Vieira.
It was a miserable weekend for Fabiano Vieira and Mike Lee, as both riders continued to lose ground on Joao Ricardo Vieira. Both riders went 0-for-2, and Lee has now gone back-to-back events without a qualified ride.
Fabiano Vieira is third in the world, behind Joao Ricardo Vieira by 1,070.63 points, while Lee sits in fifth, 1,448.69 points off the pace.
Next weekend is the final regular-season BFTS event before an additional 15/15 Bucking Battle takes place in Huntington Beach, California, prior to the Built Ford Tough World Finals.
Oliveira breaks slump for second win of 2014
Valdiron de Oliveira entered the Battle at the Beau having just ridden four of his past 36 bulls, before going a perfect 3-for-3 inside the Mississippi Coast Coliseum to earn his second BFTS victory of the year on Saturday.
Oliveira picked up the win by riding Jack Daniel’s After Party for 89.75 points in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. Prior to the championship round bull draft, Oliveira said he hoped to be able to select the bull. It was a wise choice and he became the sixth rider in seven attempts to ride After Party this year.
“This is a very important win to me because for the past couple of months, I couldn’t ride a bull like I did tonight,” Oliveira said.
The 35-year-old entered the championship round second in the event average, after riding Blackberry for 85.75 points in Round 2. He earned 84 points on Bottoms Up on Friday night in Round 1.
It is the first BFTS event in which he has ridden two or more bulls since going 3-for-3 at the Phoenix event in March.
He also won the BFTS event in Anaheim, California, in February after covering a season-high four bulls.
“Oh man, today I am very happy,” Oliveira said. “It’s been a long time since I rode two bulls, and I rode three!”
World Champion Bull contenders clash in Biloxi
In a potential preview of things to come in two weeks at the World Finals, Asteroid and Mick E Mouse posted the two highest bull scores of the weekend in convincing fashion.
Asteroid took care of Chase Outlaw in 3.19 seconds for a season-high bull score of 47 points. He joins Jared Allen’s Air Time as the only two bulls to post bull scores of 47 points or higher this season.
The last time Asteroid was marked 47 points was last year in Des Moines, Iowa, when he bucked off Douglas Duncan in 4.44 seconds. Asteroid has now bucked off 29 straight opponents on the BFTS,
Saturday was also the third time he has dispatched Outlaw.
Stock contractor Gene Melton said Saturday night’s out may have been Asteroid’s best of the year.
“The bull is always capable of doing it, you just never know when he is going to do it,” Melton said. “I have seen that bull stand on his head so many times that to me it was just another good trip.”
Mick E Mouse was just as dominant after exploding out of the bucking chute and quickly erasing Lachlan Richardson from his back in 2.11 seconds.
The 21-year-old Australian, who voted Mick E Mouse as one of his World Champion Bull contenders, was already on his way to the ground by the time the gate had fully even opened.
“Yeah he was rank like always,” Richardson said. “He is one of the rankest in the world. He is tough and always going to be up there. I knew he would explode, but I guess not that much. He sure did.”
Injury Updates
Richardson ended up qualifying for the championship round after Kody Lostroh (sore riding hand), Ty Pozzobon (left ankle injury) and Matt Triplett (left hip flexor strain) all opted out of the final round.
Lostroh and Triplett are listed as probable for next week’s event in Allentown, while Pozzobon is questionable after he was stomped on by Mac-Nett’s Southern Wine following his 2.85-second buckoff in the second round.
Neil Holmes sustained a facial laceration during the championship round when he collided with Tahonta’s Magic at the 2.39-second mark. It was sutured in the training room and he is probable for Allentown.
Billy Robinson is also probable for Allentown due to a sprained left hand and lacerated left leg. He sustained the injuries inside the chute before attempting to ride Big Tex Bucks. He turned down his re-ride option because of the injuries.
Sean Willingham sustained a deep thigh bruise (quadriceps contusion) when he was pinned against the chute by Bullet Proof in the championship round. He was unable to take his re-ride bull and is questionable for next week.
Douglas Duncan is questionable for Allentown after injuring his surgically repaired left thumb (riding hand) during his 2nd round ride attempt on Stolen Cash, which lasted 2.97 seconds.
BILOXI, Miss. – Here are three things we learned from Round 1 of the Built Ford Tough Series Battle at the Beau on Friday night.
1. Riders fighting to qualify for World Finals come through
On a night that featured 20 total rides, it was the riders on the bottom half of the Top 40 that came up clutch.
L.J. Jenkins, Silvano Alves and Round 1 winner Guilherme Marchi were the only Top-10 riders that registered qualified rides, while 10 riders ranked 25th or lower in the world standings made the 8-second mark.
Claudio Crisostomo, ranked 30th in the world, led the way with 86.5 points on Missouri Boat Ride, which was good enough to tie Chase Outlaw for second in the event average.
2009 World Champion Kody Lostroh began the weekend ranked 36th in the world standings and continued his late-season push to qualify for the Built Ford Tough World Finals by riding Air Up There for 85.75 points, despite dealing with a chronic left-hand injury.
“My hand hurts every time, sometimes more than others, but it is what it is,” Lostroh said. “This Brazilian rope does feel better on my hand, so that has been a plus. I know I ride plenty good enough to do my job and I just have to show up and do it.”
Lostroh has been icing his hand as much as he can when he is home in Colorado during the week.
Jordan Hupp entered the Battle at the Beau as the lowest-ranked rider (38th) competing, and came through with an important 82-point ride on HD.
He is looking to qualify for his fifth consecutive World Finals.
“I have been thinking about it coming into the weekend," Hupp said. "It’s on my mind and I know I have to do good – but tonight, that was the last thing on my mind. I was just worried about that bull and that is exactly what I need to do: worry about the long-round bull tomorrow, then the short round and then Pennsylvania.”
Josh Faircloth, who entered Biloxi ranked 34th in the world, is trying to earn his first-career bid to World Finals. He said he was nervous all week about being able to compete after suffering a concussion last weekend in Oakland, California.
Faircloth passed the PBR sports medicine staff’s concussion test prior to Round 1 on Friday
“Everything worked out and I passed it good,” he said. “I felt good all week.”
Faircloth had to hang on extra tightly in the final two seconds of his 79.5-point ride on Apollo’s Smoke.
“When he came back around the left, I sat down on my butt and was thinking of spurring,” Faircloth said. “You can’t sit down and think about it like that. About the time I done it, I knew I was in bad (shape) and I said, ‘Well, I rode him this long, I better finish it.’
“It is just don’t quit until your head hits the ground.”
2. Marchi’s confidence returns in round-winning style
Guilherme Marchi knew he had to get things going this weekend and he did just that by riding Butchers Nightmare for 87 points to win Round 1 and put to rest some of his bull riding woes of the past couple weeks.
“This is what I needed,” Marchi said with sweat still dripping off his face and onto his bull rope. “I drew a good bull today and the last couple of weeks, I had struggled so bad. I couldn’t fix my head and thought I couldn’t do it anymore, but God showed me today how good he is and how you need to be strong and confident.”
He entered the night having ridden just four of his past 16 bulls, and had admitted that he was losing confidence, but on Friday he showed a glimpse of the bull rider that had dominated the BFTS throughout the first half of the season.
The 2008 World Champion pumped his chest and roared to the crowd as he left the arena and awaited his score.
If Marchi can ride again on Saturday night, he may be able to take a significant chunk out of his point deficit behind world leader Joao Ricardo Vieira. He shaved 187 points off Vieira’s lead on Friday night alone, after the 2013 Rookie of the Year bucked off Wacey in 3.39 seconds. The fact that 20 riders made the whistle in Round 1 means Vieira will need to record a significant score in Round 2 to advance to the championship round on Saturday.
Vieira wasn’t alone in his struggles. No. 2 Fabiano Vieira bucked off Mountain Wolf in 2.22 seconds and No. 4 Mike Lee fell just short against Mexican (7.53 seconds). No. 5 Silvano Alves sits in 19th place after deciding to keep his 72.25 points aboard Living the Dream, despite being offered a re-ride.
Therefore, Marchi, who trails Joao Ricardo Vieira by 748.69 points, is in the driver’s seat heading into the final night of the Battle at the Beau.
“We are getting close to the Finals, and I messed up a little bit," Marchi said. "I hope I am back in the race again. I just need to ride the bull 8 seconds each time. I feel great today.”
3. Palermo happy to return despite buckoff
Robson Palermo’s return to action didn’t go as planned as he was bucked off by Mr. Clark in 2.52 seconds. However, the 30-year-old said the buckoff didn’t ruin his happiness to be back on the BFTS, following six months of rehab after undergoing shoulder surgery in April.
“This is awesome, coming back and seeing all of my friends here,” Palermo said. “I feel really great. Mr. Clark is a really good bull. One jump and he went to the right. I knew he was going to go to the right and I tried to follow him, but he did it too quick and bucked me off.”
Although timing can be an issue when a bull rider returns to competition after such a long layoff, Palermo said it was more his timing in the chute itself that needed some work rather than readjusting to the BFTS bulls.
“My timing inside the bucking chute is too slow,” Palermo added. “It is not that good yet, but outside it is good. I feel like when I got on my rope, I didn’t feel right. It will take time. This is my first bull. Tomorrow, I have another one.”
PUEBLO, Colo. – While everyone will have their eyes on the comeback of Robson Palermo this weekend, the Battle at the Beau also will feature the returns of Kasey Hayes, Sean Willingham and J.W. Harris to the Built Ford Tough Series.
Hayes’ career-year took a step back when he fractured his jaw when he bumped heads with Margy Time in Thackerville, Oklahoma, last month. He has missed the past four BFTS events and is scheduled to face Wagon Wheel in Round 1 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Sean Willingham is making his long-awaited return to the BFTS after suffering a dislocated hip at the Newark, New Jersey, BlueDEF Velocity Tour event in June. The 33-year-old has missed close to four months and is ranked 21st in the world. He has a Round 1 meeting against Jack Wagon.
Harris, who has drawn Machine Gun in Round 1, missed last weekend’s event in Oakland, California, after getting pretty banged up in Springfield, Missouri, and Laughlin, Nevada. The four-time PRCA champion opted out of the Kawasaki Strong Battle at the Bay because of a costochondral sprain and lower back injury. It was also announced this week that Harris has qualified for the 2014 National Finals Rodeo in December after concluding the PRCA season sixth in the world standings.
World leader Joao Ricardo Vieira will look to build off his 3-for-3 performance last weekend in Oakland and try to add to his lead atop the world standings. He has used a BFTS-best nine Top-5 finishes to position himself atop the world standings despite a 43.75 riding percentage. Vieira has the lowest riding percentage among the Top 5 riders in the world standings, but leads No. 2 Fabiano Vieira by 578.88 points. He will look to bump his average up with a Round 1 meeting against Wacey.
Defending event champion Mike Lee is back in Biloxi in need of a strong weekend following his 0-for-2 showing last week. The last time Lee went rideless this season, he bounced back to win in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Lee is slated to face Mexican on Friday night.
Markus Mariluch, who underwent surgery on his torn right bicep on Tuesday, and Ryan Dirteater, who injured his left riding hand last weekend, are out for the Battle at the Beau.
Nathan Schaper, Billy Robinson, Palermo, Josh Faircloth, Jason Malone, Kody Lostroh and Jordan Hupp are the six alternates, while Neil Holmes will be competing with the second of his three BFTS invite exemptions.
It is an important weekend for the six alternates with only two regular season events remaining for the men jockeying to qualify for the Built Ford Tough World Finals later this month. Only 493.88 points separates No. 31 Schaper from No. 38 Hupp.
