03.30.16 - Behind The Chutes
Behind the Chutes: Sioux Falls Draw notes
A few riders will take some extra rest this weekend, but the top bullriders will still be on hand when the PBR arrives in Sioux Falls.
By PBR
PUEBLO, Colo. – 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi hinted at the Ty Murray Invitational that his right knee was beginning to give him some issues, and Marchi has since decided to take an extra week off following a 1-for-4 performance in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Souix Falls Draw notes (3-30-16)
Marchi informed the PBR competition department this week he would not be competing at the First Premier Bank / Premier Bankcard Invitational in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, because of an aggravated right knee injury. The 33-year-old has been competing this season with torn ligaments in both of his knees after rejecting offseason knee surgery.
“I feel healthy and strong,” Marchi said in Albuquerque. “I just think about my knee a little bit. It is starting to bother me. I am feeling pain again in my right knee.”
Marchi added that he expects to be ready for the Bad Boy Mowdown in Little Rock, Arkansas, on April 9-10.
RELATED: Click HERE to see the Round 1 draw.
The No. 23 ranked bull rider in the world standings is one of five riders inside the Top 35 of the world standings not competing this weekend.
No. 7 Tanner Byrne decided on Wednesday morning he would not compete in Sioux Falls as he continues to recover from injuries he sustained during his 3.63-second buckoff against Catfish John.
“That last day long round in Albuquerque, when that bull welled me and hung me up for a bit, I pulled my groin and tweaked my shoulder somehow,” Byrne said. “Got on my short round bull, but shouldn’t have. It got progressively worse as the week went on.”
Byrne has been replaced by No. 37 Jorge Valdiviezo in the draw. Valdiviezo will face Lieutenant Dan (7-3, BFTS) in Round 1.
The addition of Valdiviezo, who is from Baja California, Mexico, means that for the first time in PBR history six different countries will be represented at a Built Ford Tough Series event – United States, Brazil, Australia, Canada (Aaron Roy), New Zealand (Fraser Babbington) and Mexico.
No. 25 Cody Heffernan (visa issues), No. 29 Cody Nance (torn right MCL) and No. 30 J.W. Harris (elbow surgery) are out.
Meanwhile, Matt Triplett is in the draw this weekend after X-rays last week revealed Triplett only sustained a sprained right ankle when he was bucked off by Criminal Mind in 3.81 seconds at the Ty Murray Invitational.
Triplett has drawn Slick Rick (8-4, BFTS) for Round 1 on Friday night and said that the swelling in his ankle is finally going down.
The 24-year-old is one of the four alternates replacing Marchi, Heffernan, Nance and Harris in Sioux Falls.
Triplett is using the second of eight guaranteed BFTS events, while Alexander Cardozo is using the second of five guaranteed events. Robson Aragao is in the draw with the last of his remaining injury exemptions and Reese Cates, 36th in the world standings, is the top alternate.
Cardozo faces Rebound (0-1, BFTS) in Round 1 and Aragao has a matchup with Rod Iron Road (1-3, BFTS).
Aragao is 51st in the world standings, but only trails No. 35 Kurt Shephard by 95 points for the final draw spot.
Cates, who has drawn What’s Under Your Hood (2-0, BFTS), is even closer with only five points separating him from Shephard.
Shephard is back on the BFTS after having to miss the Ty Murray Invitational because of riders using injury exemptions. He returns Friday with a Round 1 meeting against High Chaparral.
Jess Lockwood used two victories in two weeks – one at the Wheeling, West Virginia, BlueDEF Tour event and another at the Perkins, Oklahoma, Touring Pro Division event – and a second-place finish at the Stephenville, Texas, TPD event to jump from 47th in the world standings to 28th. The 18-year-old from Volborg, Montana, will make his BFTS debut in Sioux Falls against Dakota Storm (0-0, BFTS).
World leader and defending World Champion J.B. Mauney will see Speed Dial (1-0, BFTS) in Round 1.
Following Round 2 on Saturday night, Mauney will then look to win his third consecutive 15/15 Bucking Battle when he takes on Pearl Harbor (11-1, BFTS).
The 15/15 Bucking Battle can be seen on CBS national television Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Here is a look at the 15/15 Bucking Battle Matchups
Ben Jones vs. Cooper Tires Semper Fi (22-10, BFTS)
Kaique Pacheco vs. Magic Train (23-3, BFTS)
Derek Kolbaba vs. Slinger Jr. (19-1, BFTS)
Lachlan Richardson vs. Cochise (7-3, BFTS)
Cooper Davis vs. Wicked (23-6, BFTS)
Mason Lowe vs. Little Red Jacket (14-11, BFTS)
Robson Palermo vs. Big Tex Walk Off (48-6, BFTS)
Eduardo Aparecido vs. Stanley FaxMax (68-4, BFTS)
Mike Lee vs. Jared Allen's Air Time (20-1, BFTS)
Wallace de Oliveira vs. Crossfire (21-1, BFTS)
Fabiano Vieira vs. Seven Dust (8-0, BFTS)
Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. Beaver Creek Beau (37-4, BFTS)
Shane Proctor vs. Boot Jack (26-2, BFTS)
Paulo Lima vs. I'm a Gangster Too (46-13, BFTS)
J.B. Mauney vs. Pearl Harbor (11-1, BFTS)
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Davis becomes the first to ride Crossfire (3-20-16)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Here are three things we learned from the Ty Murray Invitational at WisePies Arena, aka The Pit, this weekend.
Cooper Davis had wanted to select Crossfire at the past two Built Ford Tough Series events in Phoenix and Duluth, Georgia, only to be talked out of the selection by Chad Berger and PBR Director of Livestock Cody Lambert.
On Sunday afternoon, Davis stuck with his gut instinct and became the first rider to conquer Crossfire in 22 BFTS outs.
Davis rode Crossfire for a career-best 91.5 points to win the Built Ford Tough Championship Round and finish the Ty Murray Invitational tied for fourth overall.
“He hadn’t been rode yet and I wanted to be the first guy to ride him,” Davis said. “It just so happened I got it done. It is pretty cool, especially when guys like J.B. (Mauney) had got on him, and he has thrown them off. It just shows today was my day to come out on top.”
It was sweet revenge for Davis after previously being bucked off by Crossfire in two other meetings. Davis had been bucked off by Crossfire in 6.41 seconds in last season’s regular-season finale in Tucson, Arizona, as well as in 4.07 seconds at the 2015 Iron Cowboy.
“That was my third time getting on him and that sucker bucked,” Davis said. “I wanted to pick him a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t. I kind of regretted it. To get one rode like that gives a man a confidence booster.”
The second-year pro not only rode Crossfire, he dominated Berger’s bull. The faster Crossfire spun, the quicker Davis countered.
Berger immediately met Davis at the rider walk-off gate and high-fived the 2015 World Finals event winner.
The reigning Stock Contractor of the Year believed Davis should have been scored even higher.
“He was going to pick him the last time and I kind of talked him into thinking he could do better on another bull,” Berger said. “Today he told me, ‘I told you I could ride that bull.’ I was happy for him.
“Cooper kneed up on that sucker and stayed up on his rope and got into a good spot where that bull never got behind. You get one step behind that bull and he is going to yank you down. He just rode him perfect. The only problem is he should have been 93-94.”
Davis added, “Man, that bull really put me on his head. There were times I needed to sit up and there were times I needed to go to the front. I just didn’t quit. It was wild. I just had to be at my best right there.”
Davis earned a total of 265 world points in Albuquerque and moves from 15th to 11th in the world standings.
He trails Mauney, the current world leader, by 1,095 points.
“Cooper Davis is a World Champion contender,” Berger concluded. “I don’t care what anyone says. He is one of the Top-10 guys here by far.”
Lowe wins first career event
Mason Lowe really didn’t expect to win the Ty Murray Invitational on Sunday afternoon, even after his 90-point ride on Brutus in the championship round pushed him into the No. 1 spot.
Lowe just figured Mauney would conquer SweetPro’s Long John for the third time in his career or that Stetson Lawrence would cap his strong weekend with a ride aboard SweetPro’s Bruiser.
However, Mauney (7.56 seconds) and Lawrence (2.9 seconds) both got bucked off minutes after Joao Ricardo Vieira (3.1 seconds on Cochise) and Mike Lee (3.02 seconds on Modified Clyde) also went down short of the 8-second mark, and just like that Lowe was being rushed to the shark cage as a BFTS winner for the first time in his career.
“I was sitting there by the fence with one guy left to ride, and it was Stetson on Bruiser and I figured he would ride him,” Lowe said. “I didn’t want to put my chips in the basket yet. When he got bucked off it was a sigh of relief I guess.”
Long John was marked an event-high 46.75-points for dislodging Mauney over the front end just before the 8-second whistle.
Lowe selected Brutus with the fifth pick of the championship-round draft after bucking off Mister Mean in 3.74 seconds in the third round.
The Exeter, Missouri, bull rider had entered Sunday a perfect 2-for-2 following rides on Chiefin (79.25 points) and Movin On Up (86.75 points) in the opening two rounds.
Lowe’s ride on Brutus was the second 90-point ride of his career. He had ridden Bruiser for 91 points in Oklahoma City earlier this year for a second-place finish.
Lowe’s ride on Bruiser is still his favorite, but he will never forget his Sunday showing on Brutus.
“Brutus is up and down and I kind of got a longer arm so I can take it away from him in a way,” Lowe said. “Therefore, at the end I got to spur him at the end. I got to feeling too good.”
Lowe earned a total of 600 points toward the world standings. He picked up 500 for winning the event average, 60 for his second-place finish in the championship round and 40 for his fourth-place finish in Round 2.
Rounding out the Top 5 was Lawrence (3-for-4, 315 world points), Eduardo Aparecido (3-for-3, 280 world points), Mauney (2-for-4, 265 world points) and Davis (2-for-4, 265 world points).
Lowe moved up nine spots in the world standings from 19th to 10th overall.
More importantly, Lowe finally got his long-desired first victory.
“Finally,” Lowe said with a smile. “I finally got the win.”
Cates continuing his fight back to the BFTS
Reese Cates earned a trip to the Ty Murray Invitational because of a BlueDEF Tour event victory in Bangor, Maine. On Sunday, Cates tried to help his chances at earning a spot for the upcoming First Premier Bank/Premier Bankcard Invitational BFTS event on April 1.
Cates won Round 3 by riding Hammer It Again for a season-high 88.75 points. The victory earned him 100 of his 115 points in Albuquerque.
“It has been close for me all weekend on some really good bulls,” Cates said. “I was thinking this morning that I was a second in a half to two seconds on each bull prior to today from leading this event. I had to regroup. This morning, whenever I woke up, I saw what I had drawn and I saw that bull bucked off my buddy Douglas (Duncan) last weekend. I was excited about the bull. I knew I had to be a lot of points and I knew I had a bull to do it on.”
Cates began the weekend 55th in the world standings and leaves Albuquerque 37th. The 27-year-old now trails No. 34 and No. 35 Fraser Babbington and Juliano da Silva by only 10 points.
Barring injuries and how next weekend’s Touring Pro Division events play out during the BFTS off week, there is a chance Cates could be competing in Sioux Falls.
“I knew this was the perfect opportunity,” Cates said. “I had a couple of weeks to try and get things right mentally and physically. Coming in here to Albuquerque for a three-day event was a blessing. It worked out for me.”
There were only four additional rides in Round 3.
Joao Ricardo Vieira placed second in the round for 60 world points with an 87-point ride away from his hand on Swamp Wreck. It was Vieira’s second qualified ride of the weekend since breaking his nose against Wipeout in Round 1.
Vieira finished eighth overall with 95 points toward the world standings.
Eduardo Aparecido used an 86.5-point ride on Grandpa Joe to qualify for the championship round and a third-place finish in Round 3. Aparecido also rode Little Red Jacket for 88.5 points in the championship round.
Silvano Alves ended his streak of eight consecutive buckoffs with an 86-point ride on Rebel Yell. He earned 40 of his 47.5 world points by finishing the round in fourth place. The 47.5 points pushed Alves from 36th in the world standings on Sunday morning to 31st.
Lawrence had the other ride of the third round, an 83.25-point effort on Red Dirt Traditions for fifth place and 30 world points.
Injury Updates
There were only 14 riders in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round after Ben Jones was ruled out for the final round because of a sore right riding hand by Dr. Tandy Freeman.
Fabiano Vieira then elected to not compete in the championship round.
According to Freeman, Stormy Wing is probable for Sioux Falls after straining his left riding arm attempting to ride Lester Gillis in the third round.
Aaron Roy is also probable for Sioux Falls after sustaining a concussion when he was bucked off by Jump Street in 2.64 seconds in Round 3.
Matt Triplett (right ankle) and Robson Palermo (sore left riding hand) did not compete on Sunday.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Vieira battles back from broken nose (3-19-16)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Here are three things we learned from Round 2 of the Ty Murray Invitational on Saturday night at WisePies Arena, aka The Pit.
Joao Ricardo Vieira slept roughly three hours on Friday night after breaking his nose and sustaining facial lacerations in Round 1 attempting to ride Wipeout.
Vieira arrived on Saturday afternoon with a swollen face and bloody nose, but the 31-year-old didn’t want to sit out Round 2 of the Ty Murray Invitational.
In his mind, he wanted to be a cowboy and not let the injuries get in the way of his pursuit of his first gold buckle.
Vieira was just that on Saturday night, cowboying his way to an 85-point ride on The Marlin and a sixth-place finish in Round 2.
The ride was his BFTS-leading 22nd qualified ride.
“I am just a cowboy like all of the cowboys in the PBR,” Vieira said. “I want to be a cowboy. I can’t see clearly. It is no good. It hurts. I can’t breathe.”
Vieira earned 15 points towards the world standings. He trails new world leader J.B. Mauney by 215 points.
Despite admitting to not feeling his best, the Brazilian did have one last thing to say through his swollen face.
“I feel beautiful,” Vieira concluded.
Mauney regains world No. 1 ranking with Round 2 win
The reigning World Champion is back on top.
J.B. Mauney won his second consecutive round at the Ty Murray Invitational by riding Shelly’s Gangster for 88.25 points to earn 100 world points and regain the world No. 1 ranking.
“Two nights in a row I have had two bulls that have never been out, but they wouldn’t let them bring them here if they weren’t good bulls, so I figured they were going to buck,” Mauney said during the PBR LIVE post-show. “Both of them turned out to buck.”
Mauney entered the night third in the world standings, but leapfrogs previous No. 2 Shane Proctor (1.35 seconds on Cooper Tires Semper Fi) and No. 1 Paulo Lima (left knee contusion/sprain) with the victory.
The 29-year-old is also leading the event average (175.75 points) and takes a 50-point lead on Lima, who is out for the weekend because of his knee injury, into Round 3.
Lima said he won’t need to get an X-ray or an MRI. The 28-year-old wants to take the next two weeks until Sioux Falls to let his knee heal after Mister Mean stepped on his lower back and knee in Round 1 Friday.
The force of the impact broke Lima’s knee brace.
“It is going to take two weeks and some practice,” Lima said before Round 2 while icing his knee. “I will be OK for Sioux Falls. I have hurt this knee before, maybe four years ago.”
Cooper Davis finished Round 2 in second place with an 87.25-point ride on High Tinsle for 60 world points.
“He had me beat there a few times and I made the right adjustments to get back around there, and I just had that never say die attitude about it and got a good score,” Davis said.
Davis has been dealing with some kind of cold, or a possible sinus infection, the last two weeks.
“I have felt bad for the last two weekends,” he added. “Today, I didn’t get out of bed except for the one time to eat and take a shower.”
2004 World Champion Mike Lee finished in third place in Round 2 after an 87-point ride on Come On Baby. The No. 15 bull rider in the world standings earned 50 world points and is second to Mauney in the event average.
Mauney was announced as the new world No. 1 bull rider when he stepped onto the shark cage following his round victory. He aggressively pumped his right arm and waved his cowboy hat into the air.
He then dialed backed his reaction to being back on top of the world standings for the first time since Feb. 26.
“It makes you feel good, but I don’t really think about it,” Mauney reiterated on PBR LIVE. “The only time it matters is, like I always say, when the last bull is bucked in Vegas.”
Mauney has drawn Told Ya So (1-1, BFTS) for the third round. He previously won the Ty Murray Invitational in 2012.
He would become the fourth rider (Mike White, Justin McBride and L.J. Jenkins) to win the event multiple times.
“They usually give out a sweet gun,” Mauney said. “I like buckles, but once you get a few of those, nothing will take the place of a gold buckle, but guns and things like that are pretty cool.”
Lowe & Lawrence in contention for first career win
Mason Lowe has three second-place finishes on his BFTS career resume, and he is hoping to change that on Sunday afternoon.
Lowe heads into Round 3 a perfect 2-for-2 after riding Movin On Up for 86.75 points in Round 2.
The 22-year-old is sitting fourth in the event average and is in position to win his first career BFTS event.
“I was pretty excited to get him there because he bucked me off at the Iron Cowboy too,” Lowe said. “He kind of kicked up in there around the horn when he came out. At about 5 seconds in, my rope kind of slipped to the inside. I just beared down and stayed on.”
Lowe finished fourth in the round for 40 world points and is now 17th in the world standings after beginning the Ty Murray Invitational 19th.
Stetson Lawrence also has three second-place finishes – all from last season – on his resume and is looking to win his first career event on Sunday. Lawrence rode Lil Brute for 85.25 points for his second ride of the weekend and a fifth-place finish in the round.
The North Dakota native is third in the event average.
Lowe, Lawrence, Mauney and Lee are the only riders to have ridden both their bulls.
Things had gotten tough for Lowe this season following his second-place finish in Oklahoma City. Since then, Lowe has been trying to ride through a riding hand injury which was finally diagnosed as torn cartilage in his wrist.
In fact, Lowe had gone 3-for-17 since Oklahoma City, where he went 4-for-4 with a stellar 91-point ride on SweetPro’s Bruiser before missing the Duluth Invitational last weekend because of the injury.
“It is a little sore,” Lowe said. “My rope kind of slipped to the inside and made me really strain on it.”
Lowe got to The Pit two hours before the event to ice his wrist and get it taped by sports medicine. He will likely get surgery following the 2016 Built Ford Tough World Finals in November.
“I ice it every day and when I come here I will ice it before and after the bull riding,” Lowe said. “That is about all you can do for it.”
The good thing for Lowe is that he doesn’t feel much pain during his 8 seconds riding. It is usually immediately after he lets go of his bull rope, which is why it has become commonplace for Lowe to grit his teeth and grab his wrist as he walks off the dirt.
“Right after for 10 minutes and then it is done,” Lowe explained.
Lowe wasn’t ready to use his wrist as an excuse for his previous struggles.
“It ain’t been too bad,” Lowe said. “When I get bucked off, I put more pressure on myself then I should. All you can do is shrug it off and go on to the next one.”
Lowe takes on Mister Mean (4-0, BFTS) in Round 3 Sunday.
“Besides the Majors, this is one of the biggest ones they have, they say. It would be awesome to win my first one because I have come in second so many times,” Lowe concluded.
Injury Updates
The Pit is starting to become a house of horrors for Matt Triplett.
A year after tearing his MCL during Round 2 of the 2015 Ty Murray Invitational, Triplett sustained a right ankle injury while he was bucked off by Criminal Mind in 3.81 seconds on Saturday night.
Triplett was unable to put any pressure on the ankle and had to be helped up the 85 steps of The Pit to the sports medicine room.
According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, Triplett probably has a severe ankle sprain, but will likely need to undergo X-rays on Monday for verification.
“Well, it looks like a bad sprain, but he is pretty swollen and tender,” Freeman said. “We can’t be positive about it. We will see how he is feeling tomorrow, but I doubt he will be able to get on. If he does it is probably just a sprain. If not, we will get some X-rays on Monday.”
In other injury news, Alexandre Cardozo sustained a concussion after being slammed to the ground in 1.99 seconds by Midnight Train.
Guilherme Marchi competed in Round 2 with a bruised his left shoulder that he sustained in Round 1 during his get-off after his 86-point ride on Glory Days. Marchi was ruled to have touched his second-round bull American Hustle at the 1.52-second mark.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Jones in position to defend title in front of idol (3-18-16)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Here are three things we learned from Round 1 of the Ty Murray Invitational at WisePies Arena, aka The Pit, on Friday night.
Ben Jones needed only one name to explain his motivation this weekend.
“Ty Murray,” Jones said with a grin. “It is his event and Ty has done so much for me throughout my career. The least I could do is ride good for him.”
Jones began the three-day Ty Murray Invitational with an 83.25-point ride on his re-ride bull American Sniper to finish seventh in Round 1, earning five world points.
The 13th-ranked bull rider in the world standings immediately sprinted back onto the dirt during his PBR LIVE interview when a judge’s review confirmed he had kept his hand in his bull rope for the full 8 seconds.
“I couldn’t remember him before I got on, but I am glad it worked out,” Jones said.
The 37-year-old went 4-for-4 to win the 2015 Ty Murray Invitational, and Murray himself said earlier this year that Jones’ victory was one of the greatest in the 20-year history of his event.
“It really was,” Murray said. “It was really exciting for me. I remember thinking, ‘Can Ben win this thing?’ It was really exciting because I am a fan of Ben Jones and because I know how bad Ben wanted to win it.”
Jones, the oldest rider on the Built Ford Tough Series, has been a mad man in the last two weeks ensuring he wouldn’t be cut from the BFTS and miss the chance to defend his title in Albuquerque.
He began the Phoenix event 36th in the world standings and has earned 640 world points in the last three weeks, including his five-point showing Friday. He now sits at 13th in the world heading into Saturday night’s Round 2.
Jones has finished in third place in the last two events and is riding a 5-for-8 streak.
What would happen if the New South Wales, Australia, bull rider made it two years in a row with a Ty Murray Invitational title?
“Words couldn’t even explain it,” Jones concluded. “I don’t even know.”
Mauney moves to within 50 points of world lead; wins BFTS-leading seventh round of the year
J.B. Mauney hasn’t won a Built Ford Tough Series event all season, but he is churning out BFTS round wins like a factory to keep him in good position to potentially win a third PBR world title.
The No. 3 bull rider in the world standings rode Oklahoma Bandit for 87.5 points for his BFTS-leading seventh round win of 2016.
The two-time World Champion made a smooth adjustment on the back of Oklahoma Bandit early in the ride before cruising to the 8-second mark.
“That was a new bull that had never been out and everyone said he was really good and could go either way,” Mauney said during the PBR LIVE post-show. “He backed up a little and stepped forward. The name of the game is keep trying.”
Mauney’s last regular-season victory came during the 2015 finale in Tucson, Arizona.
“Every weekend when I show up, the plan is to win the event,” Mauney said. “Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out just yet this year, but I wouldn’t count all of your chickens before they have hatched just yet.”
The round win earned Mauney 100 points toward the world standings and moved him to within 50 points of world No. 1 Paulo Lima.
“I am not worried about that,” Mauney concluded. “End of the year I will worry about that.”
Lima lasted 1.97-seconds on Mister Mean Friday night.
2004 World Champion Mike Lee placed second in Round 1 after riding Cowtown Slinger for 87.25 points. His finish earned him 60 points in the world standings.
“That bull is welly in and out and kind of spins flat,” Lee said. “He is just a balance game and right there at the end, I was like, ‘Man, I couldn’t get off him.’ Thank goodness we are at this level and we have the best bullfighters in the world because I have been at some bull ridings where I would have gotten my butt hooked pretty bad over that deal.”
The ride was the 493rd of his BFTS career. He is seven rides away from joining Guilherme Marchi in the prestigious 500 club.
Dickies Bullfighters Frank Newsom, Jesse Byrne and Shorty Gorham were hard at work for most of the evening due to smaller dimensions of The Pit. The arena size leaves less room for the bullfighters to work and makes it easier for the 1,500-pound bulls to put the riders or fighters in tough binds.
Tanner Byrne rode Red Cloud for 86.5 points and a third-place finish (50 world points), while Marchi (86 points on Glory Days) placed fourth for 40 world points.
Nevada Newman finished fifth, earning 30 world points, with an 85.5-point effort on Lain Man.
Stetson Lawrence used an 85-point ride on Strictly Business for sixth place and 15 world points.
Byrne continues to build off event victories
Duluth Invitational winner Tanner Byrne has developed quite the knack this season for building momentum of his two BFTS event victories.
Byrne’s third-place finish Friday night comes a week after going 3-for-3 in Duluth.
“I had seen him at the World Finals last year with J.W. Harris and he was kind of doing the same thing, but a little bit longer,” Byrne said of his 86.5-point ride on Red Cloud. “When he came around he pulled J.W. down on his head, so I knew he had some suck back to him. I just ran my knees up a little more. You can’t really change your game plan on any bulls, but I knew he was small and I like to run my knees up on them small bulls anyway.”
Byrne, the No. 7 ranked bull rider in the world standings, picked up 50 world points to move within 522.5 points of Lima.
A week after winning the Anaheim Invitational earlier this season, Byrne went 2-for-3 to finish sixth at the Sacramento Invitational.
“I expect myself to stay on every time, no matter if I won the weekend before or got bucked off everything,” said the 23-year-old. “I just go at every bull like there is nothing else going. I didn’t think about last weekend or this weekend. It was just one jump at a time.”
The only hiccup for Byrne was his get-off, he got stuck underneath Red Cloud and was nearly stepped on before the Dickies Bullfighters, including his brother, Jesse, stepped in to save him.
“At these events like this, you have to take advantage of them and make them pay,” Byrne said. “I did my job tonight. Obviously, I had a pretty bad get-off there, but luckily we have the best bullfighters in the world and even when you are in the worst positions they can somehow get you out of it.
“I’ll try and not make a habit out of that and get us all in a wreck, but when it does happen you are pretty thankful those guys are here.”
Injury Updates
According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, there were seven riders competing with an injury in Round 1: Paulo Lima (rib sprain), Justin Paton (sprained right riding hand and sprained left sternoclavicular joint), Kasey Hayes (right shoulder/free arm separation), Robson Palermo (sore lower back/sprained left ankle), Stormy Wing (aggravation of an old sternal fracture), Derek Kolbaba (sprained riding hand) and Mason Lowe (torn cartilage in his left wrist/riding hand).
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Ty Murray Invitational Draw (3-16-16)
PUEBLO, Colo. – He may have missed the Duluth Invitational because of a right riding wrist injury, but 22-year-old Mason Lowe has no plans of skipping the 20th anniversary of the Ty Murray Invitational.
“Oh, I have always heard it is the loudest places to go to and The Ty Murray Invitational is one of the bigger events there is,” Lowe said in an upcoming episode of the Clint Adkins Show, which airs Thursday on PBR LIVE at 8 p.m. ET. “I took a weekend off last week because of my wrist and I was feeling a little sore, but I am pretty excited and ready to go this week.”
Lowe has never competed at WisePies Arena, aka The Pit, before.
Lowe said he sustained the injury during THE SEMIFINALS for RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN when he went 2-for-2. However, the 19th ranked bull rider in the world standings is 1-for-6 on the BFTS since the semifinals.
“It feels good right now,” Lowe said. “It is just when I get off it hurts. I went and got some X-rays done last week and have to take them to (Dr.) Tandy (Freeman) and see what he says and go from there.”
Lowe has drawn Chiefin for Round 1.
RELATED: Click HERE for the complete Round 1 draw.
He is not the only rider returning from injury in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this weekend. Also returning is Robson Aragao, Brady Sims and Alexandre Cardozo.
Aragao (broken jaw) has two injury exemptions remaining, including this weekend, and is 50th in the world standings. The 36-year-old went 3-for-3 at the Bangor, Maine, BlueDEF Tour event last weekend a week after going 0-for-1 in Hampton, Virginia, BlueDEF event.
He has two events to try and make up the 75 points he trails No. 34 Lindomar Lino by.
Aragao will face Find Jesus (1-0, BFTS) in Round 1. Finding Jesus bucked off Kasey Hayes in 6.87 seconds in Kansas City, Missouri, last weekend.
No. 35 Kurt Shephard did not qualify for the Ty Murray Invitational because of the three riders, as well as Matt Triplett, competing because of exemptions.
Sims heads into Albuquerque 88th in the world standings with 32.5 points. He hasn’t competed since Jan. 31 in Anaheim, California, because of a groin injury and is using his final BFTS exemption.
“Feels like I am fixin’ to win,” Sims said Wednesday.
The Holt, Missouri, bull rider is slated to take on Lil’ Z (3-4, BFTS).
Meanwhile, Cardozo is making his BFTS debut with the first of five BFTS exemptions courtesy of his 34th-place finish in the 2015 world standings. Cardozo sustained a broken neck (C6-7) and back (T5) during Round 3 of the Built Ford Tough World Finals.
Cardozo returned to competition on Feb. 13 at the Laurel, Mississippi, Touring Pro Division event. The 26-year-old has gone 0-for-6 in four non-BFTS events in 2016.
“I feel good,” Cardozo said. “I don’t feel any pain anymore.”
Cardozo faces Born In The USA (4-1, BFTS) in Round 1.
Aragao, Sims and Cardozo have replaced No. 23 Cody Heffernan (visa issues), No. 28 Cody Nance (torn right MCL) and No. 29 J.W. Harris (elbow surgery) in the draw.
Triplett is coming off a fresh seventh-place finish in Duluth and earned 80 world points to rocket up to 55th in the world standings. He has drawn Page Break (7-0, BFTS).
He is tied with Reese Cates, who responded with a vengeance after being cut from the BFTS by going 3-for-3 to win the BlueDEF Tour event in Bangor, Maine. The win gives Cates an automatic spot in the draw for Albuquerque. Cates will take on Boomer Town (2-0, BFTS).
Triplett and Cates trail Shephard by 90 points.
Spud Jones has been invited to the Ty Murray Invitational as a Native American invite. This will be his fourth appearance at the BFTS event in Albuquerque and his first since 2011. Jones finished 10th in 2009.
Jones faces Dirty Bourbon (0-0, BFTS) in Round 1.
World leader Paulo Lima will take on Mister Mean in Round 1, while defending World Champion J.B. Mauney has a matchup with Oklahoma Bandit (0-0, BFTS).
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Lima regains world No. 1 ranking (3-13-16)
DULUTH, Ga. – Here are three things we learned from the Duluth Invitational this weekend at Infinite Energy Center.
There is a new sheriff back atop the PBR world standings.
Paulo Lima used his Built Ford Tough Championship-Round winning 87.75-point ride on Rebel Yell II, and a second-place finish overall, to overtake Shane Proctor for the No. 1 ranking in the world standings.
“I am very happy to pick a good a bull,” Lima said with the help of Silvano Alves translating. “I have been riding really, really good here and I am happy to be No. 1 again.”
Lima earned a total of 410 world points in Georgia, 170 of which came from two round victories. On Saturday night, Lima (86.5 points on U R Next) split the Round 1 win with Ben Jones and Stormy Wing for 70 points. He finished second in the event average for 240 points despite being bucked off by American Hustle in Round 2 in 3.64 seconds.
Proctor finished 0-for-2 and trails Lima by 33.34 points heading into next weekend’s Ty Murray Invitational.
No. 3 J.B. Mauney finished the weekend 1-for-3 and picked up 45 world points. Mauney rode Air Marshall for 83 points and a fourth-place finish in Round 2, but was bucked off by Slinger Jr. in 2.17 seconds in the championship round.
Lima had been the world leader for five consecutive weeks after winning the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden in January. He had only won one BFTS round this year before winning two in Duluth.
“I am not going to change nothing,” Lima said. “It is good for me. There is no pressure. I like being No. 1. I went three events and came back No. 1. This is really good because I am going to start to continue to be No. 1, but it depends on the season. There is a lot of competition left.”
Davis uses new spurs for round victory; Bruiser named high-marked bull
It was an up-and-down weekend for second-year pro Cooper Davis, but the 21-year-old may need to give a portion of his Round 2 paycheck to Nathan Schaper.
Davis, who was battling the flu this weekend, won Round 2 with an 88-point ride aboard Sketchy Bob, while wearing a pair of Schaper’s spurs.
“He really kind of bucked around the right and wasn’t easy to get by, but it worked out,” Davis said. “Today I switched spurs because all year my feet have been bicycling you could call it. I went to a longer shank and I could actually feel the bull down there instead of just trying to ride them off of balance basically. I think that makes a big difference.”
The round win is Davis’ third of the season and earned him 100 points toward the world standings.
However, Davis wasn’t able to carry his Round 2 momentum or spurs against SweetPro’s Bruiser in the championship round.
Davis was out of position from the moment Bruiser leaped out of the bucking chutes and lasted only 4 seconds before being tossed into the Georgia dirt.
“He was good, maybe a touch off when he started,” Dillon Page said. “He was just getting it together.”
Bruiser was named the high-marked bull of the event for a PBR-high fourth time this season with a 45.75-point bull score.
“In my mind, he would be the (World Champion) winner only because I don’t think Air Time can buck two times in one week,” Page said. “I think if he could, he could be clear the winner. There is no question he is a great bull. No doubt. One thing I know about mine is he will be better the second time (in Las Vegas). He always is.”
CBS Sports Network color commentator J.W. Hart said, “I thought it was just a day for him. That is kind of weird to say. A bull is 45.75 and he is just average.”
Davis finished in fifth-place overall with a total of 145 points toward the world standings to jump from 21st at the start of the weekend to 15th. The Jasper, Texas, native has five Top-10 finishes this year.
2015 World Champion Bull SweetPro’s Long John returned to action for the first time in three weeks and responded with a 45.25-point outing.
Long John bucked off 2004 World Champion Mike Lee in 6.44 seconds.
“He has been hurt since we left California and he is still a little bit too heavy and he was a little to full tonight, but he bucked hard. I think he bucked real hard. I am happy. It will come together.”
Byrne becomes third rider to win two BFTS events in 2016
It wasn’t pretty, but Tanner Byrne will take every cent of his $35,000 payday.
Byrne conquered Crackerjack for a wild 87.5 points during the championship round to become the third rider this season to win two BFTS regular-season events.
The 23-year-old was put on the clock inside the bucking chute before eventually nodding his head for the gate with 1-second remaining. Byrne then whipped his lanky left free arm to try and regain his positioning as Cracker Jack aggressively drifted toward the middle of the arena.
Somehow Byrne survived for the 8 seconds.
“I was making some crazy moves,” Byrne said. “That is definitely up there as a really solid ride. Bull was really good. There were many times I was bucked off and I just kind of let it all hang out and kicked both of my feet loose. Luckily I got back to the middle. That definitely ranks up there. It wasn’t my highest score, but it was one of those cooler moments getting the win with 1 second on the clock and all my buddies cheering.”
Fabiano Vieira, who withdrew from the championship round because of a sore left riding wrist, and Proctor are the other two riders with multiple wins.
Byrne earned 400 points for winning the event average and the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, bull rider was the only rider to go 3-for-3. He earned 60 points for finishing second to Lima in the championship round.
He began the weekend with an 83.75-point ride on Fast Talker in Round 1. Byrne then tied for fifth-place for 22.5 world points in Round 2 with Aaron Roy (82.75 points on King Buck) courtesy of an 82.75-point ride on Throwin Salt.
Rounding out the Top 5 in the event were Lima (410 world points), Ben Jones (300), Derek Kolbaba (155) and Davis (145).
Byrne moves from 11th to seventh in the world standings and trails Lima by only 572.5 points.
INJURY UPDATES
According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, Robson Palermo injured his left ankle when he was thrown against the shark cage by Screamer in Round 2. He is questionable for Albuquerque.
Justin Paton sprained his right knee when it was twisted in the chute at the beginning of his second-round ride attempt on Gangster. Paton competed with the injury during his 5.4-second buckoff against Machinery Auctioneer's Colonel in the championship round.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Australian Invasion (3-12-16)
DULUTH, Ga. – Here are three things we learned from Round 1 of the Duluth Invitational at Infinite Energy Center on Saturday night.
Ben Jones danced and the rest of his mates from Australia followed suit.
All four Australian-born bull riders – Justin Paton, Kurt Shephard, Lachlan Richardson and Jones, as well as New Zealand’s Fraser Babbington – all came through with qualified rides in the first round.
Jones led the way with an 86.5-point ride on Fire Rock, which was the first qualified ride of the evening and good enough to earn him a share of the Round 1 victory. The 36-year-old split the victory with Stormy Wing (86.5 points on For Sale) and Paulo Lima (86.5 points on U R Next).
“It was good coming off that high last week to keep things rolling,” Jones said.
Jones, Wing and Lima all earned 70 points toward the world standings. Jones moves from 19th to 15th in the world standings.
Rather than celebrating his round victory, Jones, who has won two consecutive BFTS rounds, was more like a proud papa bear after watching his fellow Australians take care of business.
“I’ve been a part of a lot of cool things in my life, but this is pretty cool,” Jones said. “There are five of us here and five of us got scores. Look out world.”
Paton rode Whistlin Dixie for 84.75 points to finish fifth in the round, while Shephard rode Freaky Eyes for 84.5 points for the first ride of his career and earning him a sixth-place finish.
“Oh, it was a pretty cool bull to get on and it was good to get one underneath my belt,” Shephard said.
Shephard is 21 years old and grew up on a farm in North Queensland. The 2014 Australian Pro Rodeo Association bull riding champion is the first bull rider in his family, but his cousins have competed in Australia and in Canada as bareback riders.
Shephard earned 15 points toward the world standings to move up to 35th in the world standings. Meanwhile, Paton earned 30 points for his fifth-place finish.
Babbington, the 2015 PBR Australia champion, rode his re-ride bull Tahonta’s Magic for 83.5 points to finish tied for 11th.
“We came to win this weekend,” Babbington said during the PBR LIVE broadcast.
Richardson placed 14th out of the 14 qualified rides when he decided to turn down his re-ride option and keep his 77.5-point ride on Cooter.
“The talent has always been there, but it is just such a big move to come over here and believe in yourself,” Jones said. “You come here and the bulls are so different. When you get slammed and things aren’t working out, it is hard to get that belief, but you couldn’t ask for a better group of young fellows.
“These fellows here are the real deal.”
Kolbaba (riding hand injury) breaks out of mini-slump; Triplett (offseason elbow surgery) bucks off in return
Derek Kolbaba broke out of the first slump of his BFTS career by riding Mustard Seed for 83.75 points and an eighth-place finish.
“It feels good, but it is just part of it,” Kolbaba said. “I am not going to make any excuses about it, but it is kind of hard to ride one if you can’t keep your hand in your rope. It is all a mental thing. I just needed to tuck it into the back of my head and not think about it. I am just happy to get one rode.”
The 19-year-old had previously bucked off five consecutive bulls on the BFTS and had been trying to deal with a riding hand injury he sustained at a rodeo last month that also prevented him from competing at the Choctaw Casino Iron Cowboy, powered by Kawasaki.
“It wasn’t making me very happy,” Kolbaba said. “Every time I come here I want to ride my bulls and succeed. I am happy to come here and start things off.”
Matt Triplett, who was making his season debut following offseason elbow surgery on his right riding arm, bucked off his re-ride bull Mouth Hug in 3.23 seconds after previously riding Flex On Em for 67.5 points.
Mauney enters first buckoff streak
Defending World Champion and current No. 3 bull rider J.B Mauney returned to action on Saturday after missing last weekend’s event in Phoenix because of a personal matter and to let a few bumps and bruises heal up.
Mauney was welcomed back to the BFTS with a slam to the dirt at the 6.86-second mark by Tux. He has now bucked off two consecutive bulls on the BFTS for the first time all season.
“It’s been a real good week,” Mauney said before the event on the PBR LIVE pre-show. “I got to stay home for pretty much two weeks straight. Being so close, we didn’t leave until this morning to drive down here.”
Last year, Mauney missed a month and a half because of a torn left ACL and still won his second gold buckle.
The Mooresville, North Carolina, bull rider knows missing an event – or five like he did last year in 2015 – won’t kill his world title hopes, but he still doesn’t like sitting out.
“Yeah you can. I really don’t like too,” Mauney said. “I would rather be able to just go all year and run away with it and not have to worry about it when I get to Finals. But, you know, it makes it a little more interesting when you wait until the last minute to start making your move and it makes it kind of exciting I guess. I wish I would run away with it, but last weekend I needed a weekend off to revamp everything and decided to take it and I did, and I feel a heck of a lot better coming into this weekend.”
Mauney still trails world leader Shane Proctor by 161.66 points after Proctor was bucked off by Psycho Kid in 3.75 seconds.
World No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira heads into Round 2 sitting in 13th place following his 82.75-point ride on Gold Rush. No. 4 Fabiano Vieira is tied for 11th with Babbington courtesy of his 83.5-point ride on Blues Man.
Injury Updates
According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, there were seven riders competing with an injury in Round 1: Paulo Lima (rib sprain), Justin Paton (sprained right riding hand and sprained left sternoclavicular joint), Kasey Hayes (right shoulder/free arm separation), Joao Ricardo Vieira (bruised right hamstring), Robson Palermo (sore lower back), Stormy Wing (aggravation of an old sternal fracture) and Derek Kolbaba (sprained riding hand).
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Nance out for four to eight weeks; Duluth draw notes (3-10-16)
PUEBLO, Colo. – Cody Nance was one of the last riders to leave Talking Stick Resort Arena last week. Now it will be a couple of weeks before he steps foot back inside an arena for a Built Ford Tough Series event.
Nance sustained a torn right MCL when he was stepped on by Mr. Bull following his 85.75-point ride. He competed in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round, but was bucked off by Spotted Demon in 4.42 seconds.
The 28-year-old is expected to miss between four to eight weeks. Nance has to keep his knee locked in place with a brace for the next 12 days before beginning physical therapy on March 22.
“I believe I’ll heal really fast, my body is used to recovery because I’m trying to so hard,” Nance said. “I have strong muscles and I’ve never enjoyed the knee before so I’m looking forward for an overall fast recovery.”
Nance is currently 26th in the world standings and is 9-for-26 (34.62 percent) with 280 world points.
He has been replaced by Nathan Schaper in this weekend’s Duluth Invitational draw.
Schaper, 39th in the world standings, begins the weekend as the final alternate in Duluth and trails No. 35 Chris Lowe by 10 points.
The Grassy Butte, North Dakota, bull rider has drawn Spear My Gear (0-2, BFTS) in Round 1 Saturday night. Spear My Gear has been ridden by Nance (85.25 points) and Douglas Duncan (85.25 points) in his only two BFTS outs.
No. 30 Justin Paton and Schaper are separated by only 62.5 points.
Lowe, a Uralla, Australia, bull rider, is not competing on the BFTS, which offers a great opportunity to riders below the BFTS cutline looking to get back on tour this weekend.
Other alternates competing include No. 36 Kurt Shephard, No. 36 Duncan and No. 38 Tyler Harr.
Shephard is in the draw as a replacement for No. 16 Mason Lowe, who is out with an undisclosed injury.
Duncan and Harr have replaced No. 22 Cody Heffernan (visa issues) and No. 28 J.W. Harris (elbow surgery).
Matt Triplett is returning from offseason elbow surgery and is currently unranked. He has eight guaranteed BFTS events because of his fifth-place finish in the 2015 world standings.
Shephard is from Atherton, Australia, and is making his BFTS debut after choosing to compete in the United States this year for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old has been competing on American soil since January and recently went 2-for-2 at the Hampton, Virginia, BlueDEF Tour event. Shephard has gone 6-for-16 in the PBR’s BlueDEF Tour and Touring Pro Division.
He will face Freaky Eyes (2-4, BFTS) in Round 1.
Duncan takes on Hammer It Again (0-0, BFTS) and Harr has drawn Evil Ways (1-0, BFTS). Evil Ways bucked off Stormy Wing in 3.93 seconds in Kansas City, Missouri. Duncan has bucked off six consecutive bulls, while Harr has been bounced in 11 straight attempts.
Juliano Da Silva used a victory at the Hampton, Virginia, BlueDEF Tour event last weekend to rocket back to 31st in the world standings and return to the BFTS. Silva takes on Schizophrenic (0-1, BFTS). Aaron Roy rode Schizophrenic in New York for 85.25 points.
Defending World Champion J.B. Mauney is expected to return to competition after missing last weekend’s event in Phoenix because of a personal matter. Mauney has drawn Tux (0-1, BFTS). Robson Palermo rode Tux for 86.25 points in New York.
World leader Shane Proctor looks to bounce back from his 0-for-2 performance in Phoenix when he takes on Psycho Kid (0-0, BFTS).
The Top 4 riders in the world standings – Proctor, Joao Ricardo Vieira, Mauney and Fabiano Vieira – are separated by less than 185 points.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Air Time makes statement in World Champion Bull race (3-6-16)
PHOENIX – Here are three things we learned from this weekend’s Ak-Chin Invitational at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
The dust on Jared Allen’s Air Time’s back slowly rose into the air as stock contractor Matt Scharping continued to scratch his bovine athlete’s back on Sunday afternoon.
Air Time had been fired up from the moment he stepped foot inside Talking Stick Resort Arena and once he was loaded into the bucking chutes he only got more ferocious.
Maybe it was because he knew his owner, Jared Allen, was in attendance this weekend. Maybe it was because Air Time knew 2012 World Champion Bull Asteroid had been the talk of the PBR of late, or maybe there is still a lingering disappointment from coming up short of the 2015 World Championship.
Regardless, one thing was for sure. Air Time wanted no business with Joao Ricardo Vieira’s confident smirk as Scharping told the No. 2 bull rider in the world minutes early, “We have a three minute break and then you are up.”
Vieira sighed and put in his mouth piece, a good decision considering what came next.
Air Time, who jacked Vieira back and forth in the bucking chute when he first sat down, launched Vieira off his side, flipped him completely over in the air and onto the ground in 2.24 seconds during the Built Ford Tough Championship Round.
The breathtaking out earned Air Time a season-high 47 points, and the High-Marked bull award.
Julio Moreno’s Roy, who placed second behind Air Time with a 46.5-point performance, injured his front legs during his championship round out. He was immediately transported from the arena for further evaluation.
Asteroid's performance said a lot of things about his chances at the World Champion Bull title.
“He definitely made a statement today to not forget about him,” Scharping said. “When we got here, I watched how he was handling himself in the back and I could tell his motor was running all day. He was just ready to go.”
It has been a rough go of late for Vieira against World Champion Bull contenders. Last month, Vieira was bucked off by Asteroid in 2.9 seconds in St. Louis as Asteroid was marked 45.5 points.
There is no question the favorite for this year’s championship is between Asteroid and Air Time, says Vieira.
“Air Time,” Vieira said before laughing at the question. “He was really good. He was good in the chute. Good at the start. He is the best.”
Asteroid was marked 43 points for a 7.25-second buckoff of Robson Palermo in the championship round. Asteroid was bucking out of a right-hand delivery for the first time in his career.
“Air Time is the best bull going right now and it got all decided right here,” nine-time World Champion and CBS Sports Network commentator Ty Murray said.
Vieira had selected Air Time with the seventh pick of the Built Ford Tough Championship Round draft.
The gutsy pick impressed Scharping.
“That was awesome,” Scharping said. “I was so thrilled. You have no idea how thrilled I was when Joao picked him. He didn’t get left for the last guy. I am not saying Aaron (Roy) would be a bad guy, but just having a guy say, ‘I want him.’ Perfect. You want to get out on him. You want to ride this thing because you feel you can. That is what it is about. That is what I need for that animal.”
Air Time was bucking for only the third time in his career on consecutive BFTS weekends. He had been marked 45.5 points last weekend at Iron Cowboy for a 1.93-second buckoff of 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi.
Scharping had seen something very subtle in Arlington, Texas, last week that has him believing Air Time is developing a World Champion-like swagger.
“When they ran him into the chutes he was licking his lips,” Scharping said. “That doesn’t sound like a big deal to people, but for all of us that handle animals, that is a huge deal. That is a sign of confidence. A sign of calm. Today you can see him mature. This is on a week’s rest. He was 45.5 points last week and to come back with a 47, that is what we want to see. We want him to do that. We know he can do that.”
Jones fights his way back on tour
Ben Jones has spent the past three weeks trying to do all he can to remain on the BFTS after a slow start to the season had him dangling off the cutline and in jeopardy of missing the upcoming 20th annual Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico in two weeks.
The 36-year-old can finally breathe much easier following his 90.75-point ride on Cowboy’s Dance Hall’s Panda Trax.
Jones rode J.D. Nix’s bull for a championship round win and the ride propelled him to a third-place finish this weekend. Most of all, he earned 100 points toward the world standings with the round win and leaves Phoenix ranked 19th in the world after earning 335 total points.
“I can’t thank J.D. Nix enough,” Jones said. “He called me down to his house a couple of weeks ago to go get on some practice bulls because he knew what I wasn’t doing right. He came up to me before the championship round and said 316 is your time tonight. I went along with him and I can’t thank him enough.”
The 335 points was more than the 142.5 points the previously No. 36 ranked bull rider began the weekend with.
Jones earned 180 points for finishing third in the event average, and he also earned 55 points for finishing tied for second-place in Round 1 with his 86.75-point ride on Thunder Bolt.
“It just means everything,” Jones concluded. “I slid up and said it was time to make things hang again and not worry about anything and that is what we did. It worked out good.”
There were only two other qualified rides in the championship round. Event winner Ryan Dirteater rode Cooper Tires Brown Sugar for 87.25 points, while Fabiano Vieira turned down his re-ride option following a 64.25-point ride on Diamond Dave’s Tornado.
Vieira finished second in the event and earned 345 world points with a 3-for-3 performance. The No. 4 bull rider in the world standings trails world leader Shane Proctor, who finished 0-for-2, by 184.67 points heading into next week’s Duluth Invitational.
Dirteater earns first win since 2011
Ryan Dirteater didn’t have much time to enjoy his first victory in four-plus years.
The 26-year-old rode Cooper Tires Brown Sugar for 87.25 points to cap off a perfect 3-for-3 weekend, but instead of celebrating, Dirteater was hustling to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to catch his flight home to Hulbert, Oklahoma, which was set to depart at 6 p.m.
The adrenaline rush of getting to the airport and earning the victory had Dirteater overwhelmed.
“It’s been a long time,” Dirteater said. “It is unbelievable. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I know it is a great feeling. Anything is possible. I have had my ups and downs in my career, but if you work at it and give it 100 percent, and you really want it bad enough, you are going to get it.”
Dirteater last won an event in September 2011 when he went 4-for-4 in Wichita, Kansas.
He jumps 17 spots in the world standings from 29th to 12th thanks to the 517.5 points he earned.
Dirteater won 400 for winning the event average, 60 points in the championship round, and 55 points for tying for second-place in Round 2 with an 86-point ride on Cowboy Up and 2.5 points for tying for seventh-place in Round 1 with an 85.25-point ride on Kooter’s Krazy.
Rubens Barbosa finished fourth in the event with 205 world points and Wallace de Oliveira was fifth.
Barbosa won Round 2 with an 87-point ride on Like a Boss and Oliveira had won Round 1 with an 87.25-point ride on Hy Test.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Byrne fights through food poisoning (3-5-16)
PHOENIX – Here are three things we learned from Round 1 of the Ak-Chin Invitational on Saturday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
A ghostly looking Tanner Byrne took a bite of his white piece of toast and made his way to the bucking chutes.
Byrne had spent most of the evening sleeping in sports medicine trying to fight off a bad case of food poisoning after eating a likely undercooked cheeseburger on Friday night.
Outside of his gray face, you would have not guessed Byrne was in any pain as the 23-year-old fought his way to an 84.5-point ride on Hard Times.
“That was a tough one,” Byrne said. “I slept until about the bullfights (intermission) and I got out there and let it all hang out.”
The food poisoning started to set in late Friday night when Byrne woke up to an upset stomach.
“I tried to sleep it off and at about eight this morning there was no stopping it,” Byrne said. “It was full blown food poisoning. I didn’t think I was going to make it today, but I started feeling better in the afternoon. I got here later than I normally do, about 45 minutes before it started.”
The ride wasn’t strong enough to place Byrne in the round, but the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, bull rider is sitting in position to win his second event of 2016. Byrne finished Round 1 in 10th place.
There were a total of 13 qualified rides.
Byrne heads into Sunday ranked No. 11 in the world standings. He has drawn Lightning Construction’s Hungry Eyes (11-3, BFTS).
“I was able to keep a little bit down,” Byrne said. “I was able to eat a piece of toast and had a bit of ginger ale and that seemed to help me a little bit. I was able to keep something down for an hour so I figured I was good to go.
“I am always here to win, so why not go after it?”
Strong night for Top 10 riders; world leader Proctor bucks off
Round 1 began slowly with only seven qualified rides through the first five sections, but the Top-10 riders in the world standings salvaged the round with a strong performance.
Riders ranked No. 3 through No. 8 in the world standings (Joao Ricardo Vieira, Paulo Lima, Fabiano Vieira, Wallace de Oliveira, Robson Palermo and Eduardo Aparecido) all recorded qualified rides.
Oliveira, currently ranked sixth in the world standings, won his fourth round of the season with an 87.25-point ride on Hy Test.
Oliveira had bucked off four consecutive bulls heading into the event, but made easy work of Hy Test away from his hand to move to within 496.66 points of world leader Shane Proctor.
“I saw this bull on video a couple of times,” Oliveira said with the help of Robson Palermo translating. “Douglas Duncan and Cooper Davis got on him. I know the bull goes left, but he kind of fits me good. I like bulls that go away from my hand. I knew if I ride the bull, I would get a good score.”
Shane Proctor was bucked off by Chin Check Charlie in 1.39 seconds at the conclusion of Round 1.
No. 3 Joao Ricardo Vieira gained 40 points on Proctor with a fourth-place finish in the round. He rode Soldier’s Pride easily into his nearly always dominant left hand for 86.25 points.
No. 4 Paulo Lima picked up only 2.5 points on Proctor by splitting seventh-place with Ryan Dirteater (85.25 points on Kooter’s Krazy) with an 85.25-point effort aboard his re-ride bull Americana.
No. 5 Fabiano Vieira made 8 seconds on Springer Mountain for an 86.75-point ride. Vieira picked up 55 world points for his tie of second-place with Ben Jones (86.75 points on Thunder Bolt).
No. 7 Robson Palermo rode Redneck for 85.75 points.
“My ride was a good bull,” Palermo said. “I knew he was going to go right and he fit me pretty good. He turned back and went to the right and around 7 seconds I lost my rope. I was up on my fingers and I finished the ride. I feel great.”
No. 8 Eduardo Aparecido turned down a re-ride option and finished 13th with 80.75 points on Reagonator.
It was an impressive showing for the top riders in the PBR.
Oliveira said seeing so many qualified rides from his fellow Top-10 riders only motivated him to push harder for the 8 seconds. The 36-year-old rookie also believes Saturday night was a good example of how tough the 2016 world title race is going to be.
“I think this year is going to be harder,” Oliveira said. “Those guys are riding really good. Robson and I are the old ones, and all of us start riding really good. Being in the Top 10 helps a lot. You go for it. If he rides, I want to ride. It is not competition, it just helps your focus. This year, the Finals is going to be really good. It is going to be a really strong Finals. Everyone is riding good.”
Alternates Jones and Schaper pick up important rides
When Ben Jones received word on Tuesday that he was the first alternate for the Ak-Chin Invitational, he knew he couldn’t let the opportunity go for waste.
The No. 36 bull rider in the world standings heading into Phoenix helped himself big time Saturday night with a second-place finish in Round 1.
Jones’ 86.75-point ride on Thunderbolt helped him earn 55 world points to jump up four positions in the world standings. He will head into Sunday’s final day of action 32nd in the world.
“I just had been accepting stuff and that ain’t me,” Jones said. “I get heated and angry and I just had been accepting it. This week, I went home and got on practice bulls. I was mad. I can’t accept it.”
Jones attempted six practice bulls on Wednesday in preparation for this weekend’s BFTS event.
“It was good,” Jones added. “Hell, I can’t thank Christy, my wife, enough. I went home last week and threw a little bit of a tantrum and she told me to toughen up.”
Fellow alternate Nathan Schaper wasn’t as successful, but the Grassy Butte, North Dakota, bull rider has kept himself in position to gain points in Phoenix with an 84.75-point ride on Chief to finish ninth in the round.
Schaper is currently 39th in the world standings and 15 points behind the Top 35.
“I guess I am going back to staying and reaching for the front end,” Schaper said. “It helps me break at the hips better. This week, all I have been really thinking about is when I was younger, all I cared about was being consistent. That is all I focused on. It makes all the pressure go away when you bring bull riding down to the simplest fact of doing your job and staying on bulls and being consistent.”
Jones and Schaper understand they need to keep things going on Sunday if they wants earn a spot in the draw for next weekend’s event in Duluth, Georgia.
Jones has drawn Grandpa Joe (7-5, BFTS) and Schaper is set to face Uncle Tink (7-4, BFTS) in Round 2.
“This is not the way I want to go,” Jones said. “Everyone knows I don’t have much left. This is not the way I will go out, that is for sure.”
Injury Updates
According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, there were eight riders competing with an injury in Round 1: Paulo Lima (rib sprain), Cody Nance (sprained left riding hand and wrist), Justin Paton (sprained right riding hand and sprained left sternoclavicular joint), Kasey Hayes (right shoulder/free arm separation), Joao Ricardo Vieira (bruised right hamstring), Robson Palermo (sore lower back), Stormy Wing (aggravation of an old sternal fracture) and Derek Kolbaba (sprained riding hand).
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Rematches are abound in Round 1 in Phoenix (3-1-16)
PUEBLO, Colo. – There will be six rematches in Round 1 of the AK-Chin Invitational on Saturday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
2004 World Champion Mike Lee highlights the set of rematches as he will attempt to post his third consecutive ride aboard Jack Daniel’s After Party (46-23, BFTS) during Round 1.
Lee previously has ridden the bull for 86.75 points at the 2014 Built Ford Tough Series event in Oklahoma City. Lee also placed second in Round 2 of the 2012 Bass Pro Shops Chute Out in San Antonio with an 89-point ride.
The Decatur, Texas, cowboy begins the weekend nine qualified rides away from reaching the 500-career milestone.
RELATED: click HERE for the complete Round 1 draw in Phoenix
Three-time World Champion Silvano Alves also has a beneficial rematch in Round 1 as he faces Woody. Alves rode Woody (11-12, BFTS) for 87.75 points at the 2013 Sacramento Invitational.
2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi, Rubens Barbosa and Valdiron de Oliveira have rematches against bulls that previously bucked them off. Marchi lasted 2.5 seconds on Jared Allen’s Hot Iron (27-6, BFTS) in St. Louis last year, Barbosa was bucked off by Necessary Roughness (3-0, BFTS) in 6.35 seconds at the season opener in Chicago and Oliveira was downed by American Sniper (9-4, BFTS) in 2.18 seconds at the Sacramento Invitational last month.
Barbosa has quietly begun to heat up and has ridden three of his past six bulls, two of which were marked 88 points or higher. The 32-year-old has risen from 85th in the world standings to 22nd in two weeks.
In injury related news, No. 12 Derek Kolbaba is returning to action after missing the Choctaw Casino Iron Cowboy, powered by Kawasaki, with a riding hand injury.
“It’s a lot better than it was for sure,” Kolbaba said. “Definitely be good enough for the weekend.”
Kolbaba has drawn Catfish John (2-1, BFTS). Catfish John bucked off J.B. Mauney in 4.13 seconds in Kansas City, Missouri, during his last out.
No. 7 Robson Palermo confirmed with PBR.com that he expects to ride in Phoenix. He will have to first pass a concussion test on Saturday afternoon. Palermo has drawn Redneck (4-8, BFTS).
Matt Triplett has been cleared to return to competition, but is not yet ready to make his BFTS season-debut. Triplett, who finished fifth last year in the world standings, is eyeing a possible return next week in Duluth, Georgia, after attempting a practice bull Monday.
VIDEO: Triplett attempts practice bull
There are three alternates in this weekend’s draw, including two that were officially cut from the BFTS after Iron Cowboy.
Ben Jones, currently No. 36 in the world standings, and No. 37 Nathan Schaper will get another shot at staying on the BFTS after receiving alternate positions because of No. 19 Cody Heffernan (visa issues) and No. 24 J.W. Harris (elbow surgery) being unable to compete.
Jones faces Thunder Bolt (4-1, BFTS) and Schaper has Chief (1-0) in Round 1. Chief bucked off Wallace de Oliveira in 2.03 seconds at Iron Cowboy.
No. 38 Josh Faircloth is also in the draw seeing as No. 33 Chris Lowe is currently not in the United States. Faircloth has drawn Foo Fighter (0-1, BFTS).
The three alternates are right on the cusp of cracking the Top 35.
Jones is only three points behind No. 35 Tyler Harr, while Schaper (7.5 points behind) and Faircloth (12.5 points behind) are within striking distance.
Even No. 29 riders Fraser Babbington and Ryan Dirteater only lead Faircloth by 65 points. Babbington is back on the BFTS following his 2-for-2 BlueDEF Tour victory in Portland, Oregon.
Babbington has drawn Big Timer (1-0, BFTS).
World leader Shane Proctor begins his first week at No. 1 against Chin Check Charlie (0-0, BFTS), while defending World Champion J.B. Mauney takes on Boomer (0-0, BFTS).
Brady Sims (groin), Bonner Bolton (neck), Chase Outlaw (shoulder surgery), Robson Aragao (jaw) and Alexandre Cardozo (neck) remain out because of their respective injuries.
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