PUEBLO, Colo. – World No. 1 bull Pearl Harbor added to his impressive resume this season by bucking off three-time World Champion Silvano Alves in 3.79 seconds this past weekend at the Music City Knockout.

Pearl Harbor was able to slide Alves off his back after Alves initially made it around the first corner during the semifinals of the Music City Knockout.

“I thought he was real good,” reigning Stock Contractor of the Year Chad Berger said. “I think they marked him a little low. I thought he could have been 46 or 46.5.”

Regardless of Pearl Harbor’s 45.5-point bull score, he was able to bounce back in his first out since being ridden by three-time PRCA champion Sage Kimzey this summer for 92 points in Mandan, North Dakota, at a non-PBR event.

What made Berger more pleased was that Pearl Harbor bucked off Alves despite dealing with a horn infection leading up to his second-half BFTS debut.

“We have been fighting a little infection with him and stuff, but he is on his way back up,” Berger added. His neck isn’t filled up to where it should be. (Mandan) was the last time we bucked him. I am very much (happy) with the buckoff. They have to win like everybody else.”

Berger said in Nashville he will “probably” rest the No. 1 bull in the PBR for the next month or so.

At this point, Pearl Harbor will need to score 45.75 points or higher every time he bucks if he hopes to improve upon his current hold to the world No. 1 bull ranking.

The 45.5-point score Pearl Harbor earned in Nashville was his eight-best of the season, therefore increasing his PBR-best average atop the World Champion Bull standings to 46.28.

The 2017 World Champion Bull will be determined based on the Top 8 outs during PBR Built Ford Tough Series regular-season events plus two outs at the PBR World Finals. The bull with the highest average bull score across those 10 outs will be crowned the PBR WCBB and earn the $100,000 WCBB bonus.

Therefore, instead of pushing too hard to increase his lead atop the standings, Berger prefers to be cautious with Pearl Harbor so that he will be fully ready for the 2017 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals on Nov. 9-11 in Las Vegas.

“I was impressed with most of my bulls this weekend,” Berger said. “A couple of them misfired, but he is the one that makes me the most nervous. I am going to try and get the horn infection cleared up.”

SweetPro’s Bruiser is second to Pearl Harbor in the bull standings with a World Champion Bull qualifier average score of 46 points. Bruiser is tentatively scheduled to buck in Thackerville, Oklahoma, next weekend.

Meanwhile, TLW’s Big Cat has had a rough start to the second half with back-to-back fouls called on the bull in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Alves is the second World Champion to have been dominated by Pearl Harbor this season.

Not only has Pearl Harbor taken down Alves and two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney, but he also has bucked off Top-10 riders Derek Kolbaba (2.34 seconds at Last Cowboy Standing) and Matt Triplett (1.98 seconds in Billings, Montana).

Nine-time World Champion Ty Murray said the expectations for Pearl Harbor continue to grow every time the black bovine athlete with a white face steps inside the bucking chute.

“It is funny the way you get to critique these bulls,” Murray said on CBS national television Sunday. “By all accounts this bull is really bucking. He is kicking the lights out, going straight up and turning back right there to the right and bucking off a three-time World Champion; but when they get in that race for the World Championship, it gets super critical. They have to go earn it.”

Alves struggled at first with Pearl Harbor inside the bucking chute before re-pulling his bull rope.

The 29-year-old believes Pearl Harbor and defending World Champion Bull SweetPro’s Bruiser are on a collision course for a showdown at the 2017 World Finals.

“I was riding good and I couldn’t stay on the top. My rope was slippery from sweat,” Alves said. “But I like him. He is the best bull in the PBR with Bruiser. They are both good competition.”

Berger said he hasn’t pinpointed an exact date, event or timetable for when Pearl Harbor will buck next, but Pearl Harbor will be ready to roll when he next heads to the arena.

“We will see what he looks like when we come back,” Berger concluded. “I will look for good things to come.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko