Smooth Operator gets revenge on Marchi; TLW’s Big Cat named top bull
Smooth Operator got some revenge on Guilherme Marchi while Kaique Pacheco closed in on the No. 1 spot in the world standings with a big win. Meanwhile, Matt Triplett eased up and rode well.
By PBR
ST. LOUIS – Here are three things we learned following the Bass Pro Chute Out, presented by Cooper Tires, this weekend at Scottrade Center.
Smooth Operator gets revenge on Marchi; TLW’s Big Cat named top bull (2-26-17)
The rivalry between Smooth Operator and 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi continued on Sunday afternoon with the two athletes squaring off for the fifth time in the past three years.
Marchi came into the Built Ford Tough Championship Round matchup having selected Smooth Operator with the seventh pick in the bull draft.
However, Marchi could not win the grudge match as Smooth Operator faded toward the center of the arena dirt before slamming Marchi off his backside in 6.52 seconds.
“That bull is strong today,” Marchi said. “He bucked hard. I tried to stay under my rope all the time, but I can’t. He moved forward and strong, strong all the time. I thought I was going to catch him, but I don’t. He bucked me off.”
Smooth Operator has won three of five matchups against the 34-year-old.
“This bull has been here for a while and nobody has covered him, but me and Mason Lowe,” Marchi said. “I have a lot of respect for this bull. He has been good for a long time here in his career and guys don’t ride him too much. I take my hat off for him. I tried hard today, but he bucked me off. He had a lot of good kick and spin, but he was too strong.”
Earlier in the day, Marchi rode Dirt Road for 81 points for career ride 589. He is 11 rides away from becoming the first rider to reach 600 rides at the BFTS level.
Meanwhile, TLW’s Big Cat was named the YETI “Built For The Wild” Bull of the Event after bucking off Matt Triplett in 1.71 seconds for an event-best 45.75-point bull score.
The score is also a career-high for Big Cat, who is 22-1 against Built Ford Tough Series competition.
Big Cat has the third highest-average bull score (44.92 points) on the BFTS in a small sample size of three outs.
Pacheco becomes first to ride Lester Gillis and earns the victory
Kaique Pacheco is not the No. 1 bull rider in the world just yet, but he did something on Sunday that both of this year’s world No. 1 bull riders – Jess Lockwood and Eduardo Aparecido – failed to do.
Pacheco rode Lester Gillis for 88.75 points during the Built Ford Tough Championship Round to cap off a perfect 4-for-4 weekend and earn his first event win of 2017.
The 22-year-old is the first rider in 17 BFTS outs to reach the 8-second mark on the bovine athlete.
Pacheco selected Lester Gillis with the third pick in the championship-round draft.
“That bull was away from my hand and he tried to push himself to the front,” Pacheco said with the help of Guilherme Marchi translating. “My position was so perfect with my legs.”
Pacheco added that his preferred choice for the draft was Cooper Tires Brown Sugar, but Mason Lowe selected Chad Berger’s bull with the No. 2 pick.
Regardless, it all worked out as Lowe bucked off in 3.12 seconds and Chase Outlaw, who had won two of the first three rounds in St. Louis, was bucked off by Bad Beagle in 5.04 seconds.
Pacheco was the only rider to post a qualified ride in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round for his third round victory.
Rounding out the Top 5 behind Pacheco, Outlaw and Lowe was Cody Rodeo Tyler (2-for-4, 137.5 world points) and Matt Triplett (1-for-4, 110 world points).
This weekend is Pacheco’s second victory in St. Louis. He won the first event of his career in 2015 in the Gateway City.
Pacheco is closing in on becoming the third different world leader and regaining for the No. 1 ranking for the first time since last year.
The No. 3 bull rider in the world standings earned 640 points toward the world standings and is within 580 points of Aparecido.
Aparecido finished 1-for-4 and injured his left groin during Round 2 attempting to ride Intensified Clyde.
Pacheco is also competing with a groin injury, but that didn’t slow him down.
He began his weekend with an 85.5-point ride on Hard Times in Round 1. Pacheco then covered Otis and Moto Moto for 82.5 points apiece to head into the championship round right on the heels of Outlaw and Lowe.
“I am very excited to win this event again because when I first come to the Built Ford Tough this was the first event I won,” Pacheco said.
Triplett gains confidence from Outlaw’s performance & wins Round 3
Matt Triplett propelled himself to a fifth-place finish thanks to his 87.25-point ride on Cooper’s Comet, but Triplett wanted to give some of the credit to Outlaw.
“I had a good bull and I have been putting so much damn pressure on myself,” Triplett said. “I just had fun. Just like my buddy Chase. He said, ‘When you are having fun it is the best time in the world and that is what bull riding is. It is about having fun. When you make it a day job you don’t do worth a crap because you are trying too hard. When you stay loose and cool, it is like riding a bike.”
Triplett finished the weekend 1-for-4, but the fifth-place finish is his second consecutive Top-10 finish after placing 10th at Iron Cowboy.
The 25-year-old moves up to 14th in the world standings.
Triplett knows he needs to find a better way to control his emotions and not overthink things on the BFTS.
“I do my best when I don’t think about nothing,” he said. “I just need to keep it calm, cool and collected and have fun. I am my own worst enemy. I know I can ride every bull here and I hate when I put too much pressure on myself because I make myself look like an idiot.”
Injury Updates
According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, Fabiano Vieira (possible right forearm fracture) and Gage Gay (apparent clavicle fracture) did not compete in the championship round because of injuries in Round 3.
Vieira is questionable for next week’s event in Jacksonville, Florida, while Freeman did not provide a timeline for Gay.
Derek Kolbaba sustained a concussion when he was hit by Bill Bat Skat’s head as he was thrown in 5.68 seconds in Round 3. Kolbaba is questionable for Jacksonville.
Joao Ricardo Vieira aggravated a left shoulder separation in Round 3 attempting to ride Coon Eyes (2.93 seconds). He is questionable for Jacksonville.
Meanwhile, Robson Palermo did not compete on Championship Sunday because of a bruised left rotator cuff. Palermo sustained the injury when he was bucked off by Springer Mt. Stryker in 1.68 seconds in Round 2. Palermo is also questionable for next week.
Pacheco regaining his form following groin injury (2-25-17)
ST. LOUIS – Here are three things we learned from Round 2 of the Bass Pro Chute Out, presented by Cooper Tires, on Saturday night at Scottrade Center.
Kaique Pacheco sat down inside the locker room and began to unravel his ACE bandage that was wrapped around his pelvis.
Pacheco has been trying to ride through a groin injury that has been hindering him since Oklahoma City last month and the bandage, which PBR sports medicine gave him last week at Iron Cowboy, is the latest remedy the 22-year-old has tried.
Regardless, Pacheco appears to be getting back on track as the rider that has finished two consecutive seasons second in the world standings.
Pacheco followed up his 85.5-point ride on Hard Times in Round 1 with an 82.5-point ride on Otis in Round 2 on Saturday night and will head into championship Sunday right on the heels of event leaders Chase Outlaw and Mason Lowe.
“It is getting good, still a little sore,” Pacheco said. “It will burn sometimes after I ride. I am 85 percent healthy.”
Pacheco entered the weekend riding a solid, but un-Pacheco-like 45 percent of his bulls. His 2-for-2 start in St. Louis has him back to 50 percent (12-for-24) on the year.
The injury, which is more of a nuisance to Pacheco than anything else, hasn’t held him back too much in the world title race.
Pacheco earned 35 points toward the world standings in St. Louis and he is ranked sixth in the world standings.
“I am not worried or thinking about it,” Pacheco said. “It is a long season.”
Pacheco said in Kansas City, Missouri, two weeks ago following his 15/15 Bucking Battle victory that bulls that went to the right and into his hand affected his injury less than ones that spin away and to the left.
Otis started out to the left and hugged the bucking chutes before turning back to the right.
Pacheco said it was another good test as he continues to regain strength in the injured groin.
“He was a really good bull that I rode one time before,” Pacheco said. “He went back to the left and stayed close to the chute before going to the right.”
Pacheco takes on Moto Moto, who he rode for 86.75 points to win the Kansas City 15/15 Bucking Battle, in Round 3.
Pacheco has been rehabbing at the Fit-N-Wise Rehabilitation and Performance Center in Decatur, Texas, recently.
Dr. Tandy Freeman also has given him a packet of stretches and exercises to do when Pacheco heads to Stephenville, Texas, this week to spend time with his brother Gabriel.
Pacheco’s 16-year-old little brother is in the United States visiting some friends.
“I am excited,” Pacheco said. “My brother stayed with me at my house during Iron Cowboy and THE AMERICAN. We are going to Stephenville later this week to see friends.”
Outlaw makes it back-to-back round wins
Chase Outlaw became the first rider this season to win back-to-back rounds by riding American Sniper for 88 points in Round 2.
“That is another one today,” Outlaw said. “I have one more tomorrow and another in the short round.”
Outlaw won Round 1 with an 87.25-point ride on Gypsy Joe and has ridden 52.63 percent (20-for-38) of his bulls on the BFTS dating back to last year after missing the first half of last season because of shoulder surgery.
The 24-year-old continued his trend of earning high-ride scores this season as well. Outlaw is averaging 86.94 points per ride and eight of his nine rides have been marked 87 points or higher.
“The scoring has nothing to do with my mentality,” Outlaw said. “That is just drawing a good bull and sitting up and doing my job. It is all about good company. Hanging out with winners and putting out good vibes. It is all about having fun and not coming here and being too damn serious.”
Outlaw earned 100 world points and moves to seventh in the world standings.
He and Pacheco are two of four riders a perfect 2-for-2 heading into Round 3. Mason Lowe, who tied for the Round 1 win, rode Booger Red for 86 points and is second in the event average behind Outlaw.
Dener Barbosa, who aggravated his shoulder (free arm) injury in the practice pen this week, turned down a second consecutive re-ride of the weekend when he rode U-Joint for 78.75 points.
Outlaw is also hunting for a nice paycheck this weekend as he continues to save towards building a house in Arkansas. He used some of his winnings from last season to recently purchase 24 acres of land last week.
“That is the plan,” Outlaw concluded. “I want to make sure it is right when we decide to build it.”
Outlaw faces Mr. Big Stuff (0-2, BFTS) in Round 2.
Gowdy uses first ride of career to finish second in Round 2
Jake Gowdy had every intention last year of making his Built Ford Tough Series debut, but a six-month recovery from knee surgery derailed those plans.
A year later, and the 19-year-old finally made his dream come true of riding at the BFTS level.
Now he has a qualified ride at the highest level of bull riding.
Gowdy picked up a second-place finish in Round 2 with the first ride of his career – a beautiful 87.75-point effort on Church Bells.
“Oh, he was bucking in the chute and he hit me in the face two times,” Gowdy said. “I cowboyed up and went ahead and took him. He turned back right there and it worked out.”
Gowdy earned 60 points toward the world standings and is up to 26th in the rankings.
“This is the best feeling ever,” he said. “To make it to this level and ride against these great guys. I haven’t been worried about he points or anything. I just am riding my bulls.”
Fellow Rookie Cody Rodeo Tyler made the 8-second mark on Bullrito for a career-high 87.25 points to finish in third. The second ride of his career notched him 50 world points and pushed him inside the Top 30 (29th overall).
Rookie Claudio Montanha Jr. tied with Lowe for fourth place after his own 86-point ride on Beast of Burden. Montanha earned 35 world points.
Injury Updates
Two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney, who aggravated an old riding elbow injury Friday in Round 1, says he has every intention of getting on in Round 3 on Sunday afternoon.
Mauney was bucked off by Garber’s Ghost in 3.33 seconds in Round 2 and admitted his arm is still sore.
“I will be alright for tomorrow,” Mauney said. “He just got me there coming out of the chutes.”
Mauney has a rematch against Texicali (12-9, BFTS) on Sunday. The 30-year-old previously rode Texicali for 90.25 points last year in Nashville.
Mauney said prior to Round 2 that he had elected to not wear his elbow brace on Friday night before Round 1.
“Whenever it gets yanked on straight it gets numb,” Mauney said. “I let them tape it, but I guess it wasn’t tape quite in the angle it needed to be. A couple of times I didn’t brace it. I just don’t like wearing it. The tape does the same thing, but the brace is better.”
According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, Tanner Byrne did not compete in Round 2 because of a left groin (hip injury sustained during his first round ride on Johnny (84.75 points).
Aparecido extends career-best ride streak to seven (2-24-17)
ST. LOUIS – Here are three things we learned from the Bass Pro Chute Out, presented by Cooper Tires, Friday night at Scottrade Center.
It was by no means a ride that will make Eduardo Aparecido’s personal highlight reel, but the current world leader continues to knock down one challenge at a time.
Aparecido, riding in his first event as the world No. 1 bull rider, was able to hang on to Buccaneer for 80.25 points and a 10th-place finish in Round 1.
“This is a good performance for me and it builds more momentum,” Aparecido said.
The 26-year-old has now ridden a career-best seven in a row on the Built Ford Tough Series.
Aparecido shrugged off his streak.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Aparecido said. “We are in St. Louis now. I am treating this the same as Iron Cowboy. This week. Next week. It is all the same thing.”
Aparecido won Iron Cowboy last weekend and is averaging 86.89 points per ride during his streak.
There were a total of 11 qualified rides in Round 1.
Aparecido was one of only four riders (Mason Lowe, Chase Outlaw, Kaique Pacheco) in the Top 10 of the world standings to post a qualified ride on Friday night.
He will put his streak on the line in tough matchup in Round 2 against Intensified Clyde. Chad Berger’s bovine athlete is 10-0 at the BFTS level.
Aparecido said he has talked recently with 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi and three-time World Champion Silvano Alves about learning how to not lose focus on the task in front of him despite his current hot streak and rise to the top of the world standings.
“I talk to guys like Silvano and Guilherme about how to concentrate,” Aparecido said. “They tell me to focus on one bull. I am thankful for those guys.”
Lowe in contention for first victory in home state
Outside of a second-place finish at the 2015 Springfield, Missouri, Built Ford Tough Series event, the state of Missouri has not been a good stop in the bull riding arena for Exeter, Missouri, native Mason Lowe.
The 23-year-old has gone 6-for-20 in Missouri since debuting on the BFTS in 2015.
“They give me three chances every year so one of these I have to win,” Lowe said.
Lowe, whose girlfriend Abbey and her family are in attendance, is looking to turn the corner and give his home state fans a victory this weekend at Scottrade Center
He took one step toward that by tying Chase Outlaw for the Round 1 win after riding Canadian Fastlane for 87.25 points in front of 5,310 fans.
“That bull went out a couple and my rope slid over, but that kind of helped me ride the front,” Lowe said. “Around the middle (of the ride) I started feeling good and went to spurring.”
Lowe has posted two qualified rides in two consecutive events and is coming off a second-place finish at the Frontier Communication’s Iron Cowboy last weekend.
He earned 80 points toward the world standings Friday and moved to No. 7 in the world.
Lowe takes on Booger Red (0-0, BFTS) in Round 2.
“It is an up-and down game,” Lowe said. “When you are up, you are up, and when you are down, you are down. I am up right now.”
Outlaw welcomes Gypsy Joe to the BFTS
Chase Outlaw didn’t know jack squat about Gypsy Joe prior to their Round 1 matchup, but that wasn’t going to stop Outlaw from tying for the round win.
Minutes before Lowe made his 87.25-point ride, Outlaw had ridden Gypsy Joe for 87.25 points.
“He felt freaking good,” Outlaw said. “I never even heard of the bull or seen him before. It is kind of easier because you don’t know what he is going to do. Now I have his number. I am just having fun. I am not worried about a thing.”
Gage Gay finished third after reaching 8 seconds aboard Ram It for 86.75 points and 50 world points.
Marchi was next in line with his 85.75-point ride on Red Rocket. The 34-year-old is 12 rides away from career No. 600 and earned 40 points toward the world standings.
2015 Rookie of the Year Kaique Pacheco rounded out the Top 5 in Round 1 with an 85.5-point ride on Hard Times for 30 world points.
Outlaw is 8-for-16 (50 percent) this season in six BFTS events. Most of all, seven of his eight rides have all been scored 87 points or higher.
Those kind of point totals has resulted in Outlaw being ranked 10th in the world standings despite missing two events because of injuries.
Outlaw has drawn American Sniper (21-7, BFTS) for Round 2 on Saturday night.
This weekend is Outlaw’s sixth BFTS event. Outlaw missed the first six months of the season last year because of shoulder surgery and still finished 14th in the world standings despite only competing in seven BFTS events.
“Man, we just aint waiting until May this time to do it,” Outlaw said. “Shoot, look the hell out. I am taking it one week and one bull at a time. I am not worried about a world title or whatever, but if I do my job every weekend the outcome will speak for itself.”
Injury Updates
Two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney was unable to get out of the chute aboard Tribal Chief after spraining his left riding elbow.
Tribal Chief jerked Mauney forward inside the chute, yanking on his riding elbow and causing his hand to go numb.
Mauney eventually got out of the chute and was tended to by PBR Sports Medicine and Dr. Tandy Freeman.
According to Freeman, Mauney is questionable for Round 2.
Both Freeman and Mauney said the injury was similar to the injury the 30-year-old sustained last year in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, when Speed Demon jerked on his elbow in the chutes.
Mauney responded 24 hours later by famously riding Pearl Harbor for 94.25 points to win the 15/15 Bucking Battle.
If decides to ride in Round 2, Mauney will take on Garber’s Ghost (6-2, BFTS).
PUEBLO, Colo. – It is easy to get caught up in the world title race at the top of the world standings or the jockeying for position at the bottom of the Top 35 when riders are fighting to stay on the prestigious Built Ford Tough Series.
However, there have also been some riders this year in the mid-20 rankings slowly making some noise at BFTS events.
Just last week, 2008 Rookie of the Year Reese Cates won Round 1 of the Frontier Communication’s Iron Cowboy, presented by Kawasaki, with a season-high 88.5 points on Acting Crazy.
“I watched a couple videos of him last week and he has a little move right out of there and he could put it on you pretty quick if you are not paying attention,” Cates said. “I was talking to Guilherme (Marchi) and Guilherme said after the first round you can ride him all day long. He was a little tricky that first round and just a really good bull.”
It was one of the first times this season in which Cates didn’t grimace and grab at his torn right bicep muscle.
Instead, he let his Arkansas smile appear.
“I got it taped up and did physical therapy all week long,” Cates said. “Like I have said before, when you are in the perfect position it doesn’t hurt at all. That was a good bull, and I stayed right where I needed to be.
“It will be OK. It is going to hold up.”
Cates earned an important 125 points toward the world standings, and the ride propelled him to a fourth-place finish in Arlington, Texas.
The 28-year-old is now ranked 21st in the world standings and in a decent position to maintain his BFTS draw spot thanks to his best qualified ride since opening the 2015 season with a victory in Baltimore.
Saturday was Cates’ best finish since a fourth-place finish at the 2015 BFTS event in Tulsa, Oklahoma,
Cates had aggravated his torn bicep, which he first injured in 2015, at the New Town, North Dakota, Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour event in November.
He had to pull himself out of the Kansas City Invitational during the Built Ford Tough Championship Round because of his bicep injury despite being in contention for the victory.
“At the end of last week, I didn’t even think I was coming here,” Cates said. “I was hurting that bad. Tandy and his guys loosened it up a little bit. I went home and did therapy all week long on it and it felt good.”
Cates, who is one of 10 new riders inside this year’s Top 35 compared to 2016, said he quickly learned this year that he can’t get lazy with his physical therapy.
He is aware that he has to keep working with his therapist, Mo Skelton.
“The problem that I have had up until now is that as soon as it gets to feeling better I quit doing therapy,” Cates said. “I talked to my physical therapist (last) week, and he said, ‘Hey man, whatever we have to do to keep you healthy for a full season we will.’
“If he has to come to some events with me, he would even do that.”
Cates has drawn Riff Raff (0-0, BFTS) for Round 1 on Friday night. Fans can catch all of Round 1 exclusively on PBR LIVE beginning at
Speaking of injuries, there are five riders not competing in St. Louis because of injuries.
World No. 2 Jess Lockwood is out with a torn groin, while No. 24 Nevada Newman remains out because of shoulder surgery.
Paulo Lima said in Arlington he would likely be back Jacksonville, Florida, as he continues to recover from broken ribs.
Lachlan Richardson (bicep surgery) and Aaron Roy (broken leg).
Three riders are competing with injury exemptions in St. Louis – Wallace de Oliveira (five remaining after St. Louis), Robson Palermo (four remaining) and Tanner Byrne (six remaining).
Fraser Babbington is the draw after receiving an exemption for his early-season visa issues.
No. 33 Jake Gowdy and No. 34 Sonny Schafferius are in the draw as alternates, while Cody Ford is set to compete in his second event of the year courtesy of his Reno, Nevada, Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour event.
No. 30 Dakota Buttar is possibly returning to competition after missing Iron Cowboy because of a concussion.
Buttar said on Wednesday evening he was still mulling over a possible return.
“Hoping so,” Buttar said. “I’m going to see how I feel in the morning. I talked to Tandy (Freeman) this afternoon. He said I might need a little more time.”
He will take on Dirt Road (2-4, BFTS) in Round 1 if he decides to compete.
World leader Eduardo Aparecido will try to make it three weeks in a row on top of the shark cage as an event winner.
Aparecido will look to build his 337.5-point lead on Lockwood in Round 1 against Buccaneer (0-0, BFTS).
