OKLAHOMA CITY – After 11 riders were tossed in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round it came down to sophomore rider 20-year-old Derek Kolbaba, and he delivered. Capping a career performance and winning the PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) Express Employment Professionals Invitational Sunday afternoon in Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Kolbaba went 3-for-3 in Oklahoma City and sealed his performance with a monster 92-point ride on the 2016 reigning PBR World Champion Bull, SweetPro’s Bruiser (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.). The ride was the highest score of Kolbaba’s Built Ford Tough Series career and ended Bruiser’s 14 consecutive BFTS buckoff streak that dated back to January of last year in Oklahoma City.
Kolbaba earned 565 total world points over the weekend and moves up to third place in the world standings. He also earned $45,078.97 over the weekend. Kolbaba now trails current world leader, and best friend, Jess Lockwood by 275 points.
Sunday afternoon’s pen of bulls was among the rankest the riders have faced so far this season with three turning in bull scores of 45 points or higher. Pearl Harbor (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/H&C Bucking Bulls) took home top bull honors after a 46.25-point performance during his 3.65 second buckoff of Rubens Barbosa.
2015 World Champion Bull SweetPro’s Long John (D&H Cattle. Co) earned a 45.75-point bull score for his 1.84 second tossing of Mason Lowe in the championship round, while Bruiser combined with Kolbaba to the tune of a 45.5-point bull score.
2016 PBR Brazil Champion Dener Barbosa finished in second place in Oklahoma City. Barbosa went 2-for-3 over the weekend and rode VJV Nailed (Vold Rodeo/Prescott/J.A.R.S. Bucking Bulls/Gene Owen) for 85.5 points to finish second in Round 2. He went on to be bucked off by Gangster’s Wildside (Riley/Teague/Beckett/Lackey/Lester) in 5.33 seconds in the championship round. Barbosa earned 300 points toward the world standings and $16,198.97 for his career-best finish at a BFTS event so far. .
Lowe came in third place Sunday afternoon. He covered Get Smoked (Jared Allen’s Pro Bull Team) for 87.5 points in Saturday night’s Round 1 but was bucked off Sunday by Coon Eyes (Flying S Bucking Bulls) in Round 2 and Long John in the championship round. Lowe picked up 280 points toward the world standings as well as a $12,022.31 paycheck.
Stormy Wing and Nevada Newman tied for fourth place in Oklahoma City. Newman rode Gangster Can Do (01 Cattle Co./Robbie Schroeder) for 86 points to win Round 2 while Wing’s 86.25-point ride on Colorado Chrome (Owens/Wyatt) from Saturday’s Round 1 held up. The pair both earned 165 points toward the world standings. Newman took home $8,408.97 while Wing earned $7,442.31.
Dakota Buttar rounded out the Top 6, he rode Margy Time (D&H Cattle Co.) for 85.25 points on his way to 95 world points and a $5,078.97 payday.
The BFTS now moves on to the West Coast to make its debut at Sacramento, California’s, Golden 1 Center for the Frontier Communications Sacramento Clash Jan. 27-29.
The next PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle in Sacramento will be aired on CBS at 12 p.m. ET Jan. 28. Round 2 action can be seen on CBS Sports Network on Jan. 28 at 10 p.m. ET and Round 3 and the championship round will be broadcast on Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can also view all the action on PBR LIVE at pbr.com as well as on the free PBR LIVE app.
PBR Digital Editor Kristian Limas contributed to this report.
Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series
Express Employment Professionals Invitational
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Derek Kolbaba, 85.5-80.75-92-258.25-565 Points.
2. Dener Barbosa, 80.75-85.5-0-166.25-300 Points.
3. Mason Lowe, 87.5-0-0-87.50-280 Points.
4. Nevada Newman, 0-86-0-86-165 Points.
(tie). Stormy Wing, 86.25-0-0-86.25-165 Points.
6. Dakota Buttar, 0-85.25-0-85.25-95 Points.
7. Silvano Alves, 85-0-0-85-60 Points.
8. Cody Nance, 0-84.5-0-84.50-52.5 Points.
9. Rubens Barbosa, 84.5-0-0-84.50-42.5 Points.
10. Luis Blanco, 0-82-0-82-35 Points.
11. Mike Lee, 84.25-0-0-84.25-25 Points.
12. Nathan Schaper, 81.25-0-0-81.25-10 Points.
13. Brady Sims, 70-0-0-70-5 Points.
Jess Lockwood, 0-0-0-0
Kaique Pacheco, 0-0-0-0
Ryan Dirteater, 0-0-0-0
Matt Triplett, 0-0-0-0
Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-0-0
Cooper Davis, 0-0-0-0
Joao Ricardo Vieira, 0-0-0-0
Gage Gay, 0-0-0-0
Reese Cates, 0-0-0-0
Guilherme Marchi, 0-0-0-0
Alex Cardozo, 0-0-0-0
Cody Heffernan, 0-0-0-0
Kurt Shephard, 0-0-0-0
Justin Paton, 0-0-0-0
Brant Atwood, 0-0-0-0
J.W. Harris, 0-0-0-0
Paulo Ferreira Lima, 0-0-0-0
Stetson Lawrence, 0-0-0-0
Emilio Resende, 0-0-0-0
Shane Proctor, 0-0-0-0
Chase Outlaw, 0-0-0-0
Tyler Harr, 0-0-0-0
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0
2017 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series World Finals Standings
(Place, Rider, Events, Wins, Top 5's, Points, Total Winnings)
1. Jess Lockwood, 4, 1, 2, 975, $121,483.33
2. Rubens Barbosa, 10, 1, 2, 812.50, $46,265.42
3. Derek Kolbaba, 6, 1, 2, 700, $54,353.64
4. Marco Antonio Eguchi, 8, 0, 3, 685, $39,306.67
5. Kaique Pacheco, 8, 2, 3, 530, $54,566.05
6. Ryan Dirteater, 4, 0, 1, 438.33, $24,505.67
7. Mason Lowe, 8, 0, 1, 437.50, $22,897.31
8. Matt Triplett, 11, 2, 4, 407.50, $26,424.86
9. Fabiano Vieira, 8, 1, 3, 363.33, $23,866.32
10. Mike Lee, 10, 2, 3, 355, $25,233.97
11. Dener Barbosa, 8, 0, 3, 350, $22,245.99
12. Brady Sims, 6, 0, 1, 280, $12,667.31
13. Eduardo Aparecido, 4, 0, 1, 230, $12,416.67
14. Nevada Newman, 7, 0, 2, 215, $15,461.73
15. Stormy Wing, 3, 0, 1, 165, $8,812.31
16. Cooper Davis, 4, 0, 0, 160, $11,730
17. Joao Ricardo Vieira, 4, 0, 1, 140, $10,316.67
18. Gage Gay, 7, 0, 0, 130, $7,415
18. Reese Cates, 9, 1, 2, 130, $13,650
20. Guilherme Marchi, 5, 0, 1, 125, $9,097.97
21. Silvano Alves, 6, 0, 0, 120, $7,617.31
21. Cody Rodeo Tyler, 9, 1, 3, 120, $10,945
23. Alex Cardozo, 8, 0, 1, 117.50, $9,708.53
24. Sonny Schafferius, 5, 1, 2, 115, $8,061.18
24. Koal Livingston, 6, 1, 3, 115, $11,200
26. Claudio Marcelino Montanha Jr., 5, 1, 2, 110, $9,000
26. Kyle Jones, 9, 1, 2, 110, $11,568.53
28. Troy Wilkinson, 3, 1, 2, 106.25, $13,036.56
29. Cody Nance, 6, 0, 1, 102.50, $11,118.21
30. Dakota Buttar, 2, 0, 0, 100, $6,295.97
31. Josh Faircloth, 7, 0, 4, 90, $9,917.12
32. J.B. Mauney, 1, 0, 0, 80, $7,100
32. Cody Heffernan, 11, 0, 1, 80, $11,814.31
32. Cliff Richardson, 6, 1, 1, 80, $3,454.23
32. Edgar Durazo, 6, 1, 1, 80, $7,014.66
32. Jacob O'Mara, 1, 1, 1, 80, $6,475
37. Kurt Shephard, 11, 0, 3, 75, $13,391.08
37. Fernando Henrique Novais, 6, 1, 2, 75, $7,002.73
39. Cody Campbell, 6, 1, 1, 65, $5,850
39. Robson Aragao, 8, 0, 2, 65, $5,810
39. Mitchel Paton, 11, 0, 2, 65, $5,087.75
42. Marcio Roberto dos Santos, 1, 1, 1, 60, $3,520
42. Edmilson Goncalves, 5, 0, 1, 60, $3,541.77
42. Braydon Wellby, 6, 0, 2, 60, $4,603.29
42. Harry Bridges, 5, 1, 1, 60, $2,746.48
42. Tye Chandler, 9, 1, 1, 60, $3,806.78
42. Justin Granger, 1, 1, 1, 60, $5,240.68
42. Caylan Biddy, 1, 1, 1, 60, $3,854.41