The bull pen is slightly tougher tonight, and we may not see 15 rides for the second round in a row, but plenty of riders have a great chance to go 2-for-2.
Chase Outlaw on 1259/4 Bringing Trouble:
Outlaw should easily keep pace here. This bull spends more time on the rodeo circuit than at PBR events, but he’s been ridden more often than not when he’s gone against left-handed riders.
Dalton Kasel on 204 Deep Water:
Deep Water is the second most difficult bull in this round overall, and he’s the most difficult for a left-handed rider. He’s 19-2 against them in his career. But guess what? One of those two came in July at the hands of this kid. Kasel was 90.5 on this bull in Big Sky, Montana, to win the short round and the event there. Kasel has spent most of this season wandering the countryside like a curly haired bounty hunter delivering justice to big-name bulls.
Derek Kolbaba on B719 Huckleberry:
Kolbaba came down in the first round, but he might make up for it here. Huckleberry is 7-8 against left-handed riders, he’s 5-9 against top tier riders, and he fits Kolbaba well.
Eduardo Aparecido on 32 Sitting Bull:
Aparecido’s 81 points last night has him in 15th overall right now, but he is almost certain to add a better score to his total tonight. This bull could get him to 87-plus points and a solid place in Round 2. Sitting Bull is a solid bull, but he’s vulnerable to the top riders and especially right-handed riders.
Cody Teel on 14 Pink Tornado:
This is a rematch from Houston, where Teel was 85.75 on this bull without much trouble. After coming down in Round 1, Teel needs a bigger score than that here, so he needs this bull to have a great day.
Dakota Buttar on 48 Ol’ Boy:
Buttar bucked off this bull at the World Finals last year, but the outcome may be different today. Buttar lasted 7.65 seconds in their first meeting for what would have likely been a 90-plus-point score. Ol’ Boy is 9-4 against left-handed riders, likes the left and is the kind of bull that Buttar needs to place in the round.
Jess Lockwood on 405 Dixie Highway:
Lockwood gave all of his challengers a shot last night when he came down right at the whistle. Outlaw and Leme – the two contenders that matter most – both made the most of the opportunity. Leme won the round, and Outlaw finished in the points at fifth place. However, Lockwood is still the world leader and has the inside track at this point. He’s been on significantly fewer bulls this year than both of those guys, and his numbers are far superior as well. He could bounce right back here on a bull he was 89 on at a lower level event over the summer.
Ezekiel Mitchell on 742 Check It Out:
Mitchell has a good opportunity to pick up a second straight score here and take the lead in this event. This is something of an even matchup only because this bull heavily favors lefty riders. Mitchell is more than capable of beating bulls away from his hand, and this is one he may be able to knock off. Check it Out is 1-5 against top tier riders, which means he is very rideable despite the fact that he hasn’t allowed a right-handed rider to make the whistle yet.
Jose Vitor Leme on C23 Smoke Show:
Leme, who is the Energizer Bunny of bull riders right now, should not have a problem with this bull. Smoke Show should spin into Leme’s hand. He has a lot of speed and drift, but he’s not particularly powerful. Leme has been on more than 100 bulls this season, but he is showing no signs of fatigue.
Dener Barbosa on 14Y Indian Medicine:
This is a good long round draw, particularly for a guy who already has one score on the board. The only negative for Barbosa is that this bull will probably go away from his hand. Barbosa is 62nd in the world right now, but he has ridden nine of his last 15 bulls, and if he can maintain that pace he can make up a lot of ground before the World Finals.
