The nicest draws in this round fell mostly to the hottest riders, which hasn’t really happened so far in 2020. The world leaders right now are in the lead because they’ve fought past pretty tough bulls in long rounds. Nothing unusual about that, but today most of those guys drew nice, and the riders further down in the standings will have to go against the heat. Matt Triplett, Luciano de Castro, Leandro Machado and Derek Kolbaba drew the stronger Round 1 bulls. Triplett has the most difficult bull in the round – Wild Goose.
Cody Jesus on 411 Bad Brad:
Bad Brad is no day off, but Jesus was 90 on him in Window Rock, Arizona, in 2018. This bull is 18-3 overall, and he’s faced quality riders.
Eduardo Aparecido on 661D Brutal Force:
This bull may not have been around for very long, but he’s given up qualified rides in his last three outs. He’s 0-2 against right-handed riders as well. Aparecido will be the best rider he’s ever faced.
Daylon Swearingen on 1259/4 Bringin’ Trouble:
This is a Flying U bull who primarily spends his time on the west coast rodeo trail. He’s ridden quite often by just about everyone. He’s one of the easiest bulls in the round with a 7-8 overall record. You don’t see too many bulls at the UTB level with under 50% buckoff.
Jess Lockwood on 44C Cold Water Willy:
The Pages raise more world-class bucking bulls than anyone, and they dominate aged bull competitions for bulls under 4 years old. They do raise some slow starters, and often they will let them mature until they are old enough for a rider and take them to rodeos to see if they develop. Some of their best bulls have gone this route. Willy is a 5-year-old who has been on the pro rodeo circuit for a couple of seasons, and he’s improved. He’s 3-3 against lefty riders, and his best outs came in the second half of last season. So, what happens when you pit Lockwood against a high-performance bull that belongs to the Pages and is or is not rideable? Lockwood wins.
Jose Vitor Leme on 3402 Anthrax:
Leme should have the edge here. This bull is fast and relentless and it earns him a lot of wins, but he also has reasonably steady timing. Leme may get beaten from time to time, but he rarely beats himself.
Kaique Pacheco on M40 Classic Man:
Pacheco has a tough but manageable job here. This bull is 14-2 in his career, and he can be a handful. He easily threw Cooper Davis off in Anaheim, but Mason Taylor rode him at the World Finals. Aside from Davis, Classic Man really hasn’t faced many high-level riders, and Pacheco is hard to beat.
Stetson Lawrence on 94Z High Razor:
This is a solid, veteran bull who almost has it all. He’s fast, intense and has a lot of action, but he lacks power. He’s more of a speed and athleticism kind of bull. He prefers to go to the right, and he does have a strong record against lefties; he’s 14-1 against them. Lawrence will have to be on his game to get a score here, but if he can it will be a big score.
Colten Jesse on C23 Smoke Show:
Jesse has an excellent draw here. Smoke Show is usually money for left-handed riders. He’s not the perfect fit for Jesse, however. Jesse is best against heavier bull with a lot of up and down. This bull is a speed demon who stays close to the ground. He does have good timing. Jesse is looking like a contender this year, and the thing that sets those guys apart is that they match up well on a wide variety of bulls, including bulls who are less than ideal for their style.
Dener Barbosa on 16C Strange Cargo:
Barbosa is 10-for-11 this season, and he was 89.5 on Strange Cargo at a Touring Pro event last year. This bull can be unpredictable and wild, but he’s rideable.
Cody Teel on D18 Coal Train:
Good matchup here. Coal Train is a relatively new bull, a 4-year-old this year. He excelled as a 2-year-old futurity calf, winning nearly $75,000 in ABBI competition. Bulls who consistently do well at the futurity level tend to be solid spinners and are often rider-friendly.